Jack the Ripper

Rating:
Summary: A captivating new look at who Jack the Ripper really was!
Review: "Jack the Ripper; the final solution" is a whole new approach to why and who 'Jack the Ripper' or 'Rippers' was. Thorough research on behalf of Stephen Knight has resulted in a convincing and, as far as I can tell, true tale. It is one of a painter, Walter Sickert, and what he has to say will smash any questions and disbeliefs from your mind! At the time of publication, S.Knight was way ahead of his time, gaining access to confidential Scotland Yard files...9 years before they were due to be opened. He also had access to private home files, eye witness accounts and evidence supressed from court by none other than leading police officers at the time! If you want a completely different view on the Jack the Ripper case...this is by far the most INTERESTING and CONVINCING book I have read!

Rating:
Summary: Sounds Like An Interesting & Intriguing Book
Review: First of all, a confession: I have not read this book. I would love to, but quite frankly I can't afford the price being asked for on the used book circuit. I can only hope that some publisher will some day put this book back in print. But I'm not holding my breath.

I have read the Amazon.com reviews of this work, as well as several other reviews over the years, and it does sound like an interesting book. (The 5 Stars are for the reviews I've read ... I could not complete my own review without doing a rating.)

Obviously I cannot accurately comment on the evidence presented in Mr. Knight's book. I wonder though, is the movie From Hell based in any way on this author's theory? After seeing that movie, and reading some reviews of Knight's book, I could see some similarities.

As for the Masonic connection aspects, I'm not sure that the Masons are part of a worldwide conspiracy, but also I don't believe that every Freemason in the world is an honest, God-fearing, mentally stable person. Is it so impossible that Jack the Ripper, whoever he was, was a member of the Freemasons? And would it be unthinkable that some of his fellow Masons might try to help their brother by covering up his tracks? Surely no Freemason would argue that members of their fraternity are just human and as imperfect as the rest of us ... would they?

Rating:
Summary: One of the best works on the Ripper
Review: I read this book and found Knight's work excellent and shortly corresponded with him about this case before his death. He was preparing a following up book with additional research into this theory and it is a sad loss of an excellent writer as well as loss to the body of the Ripper works. One really needs to read his other book The Brotherhood, the Secrets of the World of Freemasonry, to get a full view of where it was moving with this study of the Ripper. Both books really work together, so to get full appreciation, you need to read both works and know the battle Knight had in having them published due to pressure from Masonic corners.
He puts forth a clear vision of what could be the real solution to the Ripper case, and if anyone doubts this sort of cover up - just look at the Watergate case or the Iran Contra Affair of the US. It is hard for people of today to understand the implications Annie Crook could have had at that period in time, so you must read both works to fully understand knights theory - based with extensive research.

Rating:
Summary: Sounds Like An Interesting & Intriguing Book
Review: It's a shame that Knight let his bigotry against the Masons influence his thinking so much. It's even more of a shame that he then tried to blame the Jack the Ripper killings on a conspiracy of Masons. Worst of all, some people actually take the book seriously.

Any other reference on the subject (try books by Sugden or Evans, or the Jack the Ripper casebook at www.casebook.org) will point out the numerous factual errors in this book. For one, "Juwes" was never a term in Masonry and the grafitti that contained the term not only obviously referred to Jews (who lived in the building) but also may not have had anything to do with the murder. For two, Knight's supposed Ripper was an old man who could barely walk, not someone with the strength necessary to do the murders. And for errors number three through three hundred, just see any other ripperology reference.

Rating:
Summary: The Final Solution
Review: This book offers a fresh outlook on an old tale. For years we believed that Jack The Ripper was one sole person, this book delves into the possibility that Jack The Ripper may be 3 people. And that the prostitutes were killed for a specific purpose, probably cause they either witnessed something they shouldn't have or they were killed to get them out of the way.

Thorough research has been done of previous books and movies and articles dealing with Jack The Ripper to come up with a plausible tale. If you want another point of view on the Ripper murders, try this book!

Rating:
Summary: 5 stars for the nightmares it gave me
Review: This book was published in 1976 so it's hardly a new look at the subject. However, it's definitely an engrossing and convincing read, offering very good reasons why the Ripper was never caught. I remember writing to Stephen Knight at least twice about his book. Yes, he did reply.
One can only be glad that photography wasn't all that good in Victorian days. The photo of the mutilated remains of Marie Kelly is bad enough in black and white. In colour it would definitely have sent me running for the bathroom. As for my nightmares, they would most likely have been ten times as bad. My copy is in very good condition but is it really worth the prices being asked for second-hand editions on amazon.com?

Rating:
Summary: Completely False Information
Review: This is one of the most fascinating, meticulously researched books I have ever read, and certainly more plausible than any of the other "solutions" on the market (all of which are extremely silly). I very much regret that Mr. Knight didn't produce the promised "next edition" concerning his research into the extremely convenient death of the Duke of Clarence, which would have been very interesting -- indeed.

Rating:
Summary: A story about research and conspiracy.
Review: When I bought this book several years ago, I thought that it would just be one of the many conspiracy theory novels about the world's first serial killer. Instead it was an interesting tale of a conspiracy among the highest in the land. What I liked about Stephen Knight's book is its focus on research which was extensive and helped build up a picture of these murders, now over a century ago. While I do not know whether this is really true and that facts were properly interpreted, what is certain was there was a cover-up, which means that there was definitely something to hide. This may support Mr Knight's view that it was a cover up by the British Establishment to counter a blackmail attempt that would have had a destabilising effect on the British society of the time.The conclusions of this books are that poer corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.