Somebody's Husband, Somebody's Son

by Gordon Burn

This study of Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, is an illuminating study about a mass murderer.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, Biography, British Literature, Serial Killer

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Gordon Burn was an English writer born in Newcastle upon Tyne and the author of four novels and several works of non-fiction.

Burn's novels deal with issues of modern fame and faded celebrity, as well as life through a media lens. His novel Alma Cogan (1991), which imagined the future life of the British singer Alma Cogan had she not died in the 1960s, won the Whitbread Award for Best First Novel. His other novels Fullalove and The North of England Home Service appeared in 1995 and 2003 respectively. His non-fiction deals primarily with sport and true crime. His first book Somebody's Husband, Somebody's Son was a study of Peter Sutcliffe, 'the Yorkshire Ripper' and his 1998 book Happy Like Murderers: The Story of Fred and Rosemary West, dealt in similar detail with one of Britain's most notorious serial killers.

Burn's interest in such infamous villains extended to his fiction, with Myra Hindley, one of the 'Moors murderers', featuring prominently in the novel Alma Cogan. His sport-based books are Pocket Money: Inside the World of Snooker (1986) and Best and Edwards: Football, Fame and Oblivion (2006), which deals with the twin stories of Manchester United footballers Duncan Edwards and George Best and the "trajectory of two careers unmoored in wildly different ways."

He also wrote a book with British artist Damien Hirst, On the Way to Work, a collection of interviews from various dates between 1992-2001. He contributed to The Guardian regularly, usually writing about contemporary art.

Reviews

[Paul Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are extraordinary side-stories that get overlooked in the welter of blood and horror created by serial killers like Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, and this is one.

Sutcliffe began his attacks on women, many of them prostitutes, in July 1975. Over the next four years eleven women were killed.

In June 1979 George Oldfield, the cop in charge of the case, received a cassette through the post, followed by three letters. The cassette tape said :

I'm Jack. I see you are still having no luck catching me. I have the greatest respect for you George, but, Lord, you are no nearer catching me now than four years ago when I started.
I reckon your boys are letting you down, George. It can't be much good, can ya? The only time they came near me was a few months back in Chapeltown when I was disturbed. Even then it was a uniform copper, not a detective. I warned you in March that I'd strike again. Sorry it wasn't Bradford. I did promise you that but I couldn't get there. I'm not quite sure when I will strike again but it will definitely be sometime this year, maybe September or October, even sooner if I get the chance. I am not sure where, maybe Manchester. I like it there, there's plenty of them knocking about. They never learn, do they, George? I bet you've warned them but they never listen.
At the rate I'm going I should be in the book of records. I think it's 11 up to now, isn't it?
Well, I'll keep on going for quite a while yet. I can't see myself being nicked just yet. Even if you do get near I'll probably top myself first. Well, it's been nice chatting to you, George.

Yours, Jack the Ripper


The voice had a very distinctive accent – experts pinned it down to the Castletown area of Sunderland. 40,000 men in that area were investigated and the tape was splashed all over the press by the cops. Help us find the Ripper.

The tape was a hoax. But the cops fell for it 100%.

During the four year investigation, the cops had interviewed Peter Sutcliffe several times. And they interviewed him a few more times after the tape came out, but by then they knew it couldn’t be him, he had the wrong accent.

While the cops were running around after the fake Jack, Sutcliffe himself killed another three women.

He was finally caught in January 1981.

The cops tried to find the hoaxer and failed. 24 years later, there was a cold case review of the evidence, and some bright spark realised that the tape had been sent in an envelope they still had, and so they analysed the bit of the envelope where the sender had to lick it to stick it and bingo, they had a DNA match, it was from a drunk & disorderly charge from 2000. Their hoaxer was a labourer with a drink problem named John Humble.

He was prosecuted and served three years in prison. I heard on the radio that he died today.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true crime classic, Somebody's Husband, Somebody's Son is more a biography of Peter Sutcliffe than the typical true crime book. Burn spends a large portion of the book chronicling Sutcliffe's life from childhood to the murders, extensively interviewing his father and two brothers, with about 50% of the book devoted to this. The second half is more focused on the murders themselves and the subsequent trial. I'm sure other books on the Ripper have a greater focus on Sutcliffe's crimes and the police investigation, but this one is a little lighter on those aspects. This was fine by me - because the biographical sections are engaging - but is worth knowing before you go in.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being something of a true crime aficionado, until now I’ve restricted most of my reading to crimes committed far from my shores – for some reason, while the crimes of our transatlantic cousins are never not disturbing, reading about British killers makes it all a bit more real and grim for me. However, having had my interest piqued by a number of true crime podcasts, I decided it was high time I looked at those closer to home and so chose to start with Somebody’s Husband, Somebody’s Son – an excellent book that looks at the life and crimes of Peter Sutcliffe, AKA The Yorkshire Ripper.

Having achieved notoriety in the UK for his brutal slayings of women – predominantly prostitutes, although that distinction mattered less to him as time went on as he widened his net to include any woman that caught his eye – Sutcliffe’s modus operandi included attacking from behind with a hammer (yeesh) and then a horrific amount of stabbing. Eventually convicted of murdering 13 women and attempting to murder 7 more, Sutcliffe is serving a life sentence in prison (and thankfully, in this instance life definitely means life, with the High Court confirming in 2010 following an appeal that he will never be released from custody).

Somebody’s Husband, Somebody’s Son looks at Sutcliffe’s whole life, based on extensive interviews with his family and friends (except for his strange wife, Sonia, who continues to keep her silence). With lots of the anecdotes and conversations reported in the local vernacular, this really enhanced the narrative, making it feel more like a particularly grim fiction, and the cast of ‘colourful’ characters (the men in particular) that made up Sutcliffe’s large family seemed straight out of an even more depressing than usual Ken Loach film. When the only barely decent man in your family is also the one who has spent a large portion of his life living in the fucking woods, you know your family is all kinds of screwed up.

Also looking at the police investigation in to the crimes of The Ripper, which found itself waylaid by believing hoax letters and tapes sent to them and the press, and not bothering to investigate the many tips they received from people in his life believing Sutcliffe was the Ripper, Somebody’s Husband, Somebody’s Son also makes clear how easily he could have got away with it all (as is often the case, it was a traffic related crime that eventually got him caught). Reading all of this true crime, while fascinating, has definitely shaken my confidence in the ability of investigators to catch the perpetrators, and I’ve quickly come to the conclusion that if I ever got murdered, my mum would crack the case faster than the police.

If you’re at all interested in true crime, this really is an excellent entry in the genre – just be prepared to look askance at every bearded lorry-driver you come across afterwards. The same author has also written a book on Rose & Fred West, an even more notorious couple of British killers – on the strength of this book, I’ll be hunting that one down soon as I continue my grim odyssey across Britain.

**Also posted at Cannonball Read 9**

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This must be one of the most fascinating and unsettling books I have read. Rather than a 'true crime' book, this is a biography of Peter Sutcliffe, looking at his family, childhood and youth, through his adulthood, crimes and imprisonment. The book in no way dehumanizes Sutcliffe's victims, but what it does do is show us the bizarre way that the Yorkshire Ripper was both a savage killer and the man who visited elderly relatives at Christmas; a man who helped his father and brother rearrange furniture and then drove straight to the location where he had hidden a body - who had both a human and an utterly demonic side.

In hindsight, it is easy to spot bizarre and worrying signs in Peter Sutcliffe's early years, but mainly he seemed to be a fairly average person. He did not achieve great things either academically or career wise, drifting through various jobs and marrying his wife after she had a breakdown and in spite of the fact she was seeing another man. Although essentially a loner, this was a person who had parents, siblings, a wife, relations and friends. It is almost inconceivable that he was not arrested earlier, despite being interviewed five times by the police with early indications that tied him to the case (a £5 note found in a victim's handbag that was given in a paypacket to one of a handful of firms, including his; the fact he was fined for hitting a prostitute with a weighted sock before the murders and that he was also arrested lurking behind a hedge with a hammer). Possibly today, with modern computer systems, his name would have been flagged up much sooner. Although this was obviously a huge manhunt, people who knew Sutcliffe, including members of his own family, considered that he could be a possible candidate for the 'Ripper' and certainly at least one of his former friends visited the police to voice concerns.

Mostly though, this really is a book about the true face of evil. It is a sad fact that this man was undetected for so long because he blended in. From a small town, yet anonymous once in his hunting grounds, he did not look or appear threatening. Sadly, many of his victims did not see the attack coming - it is awful to contemplate how this man literally attacked and killed and then appeared so normal to those around him. The author walked a fine line writing this book, but he was fair in his representations of everybody he wrote about. This is an excellent read and I recommend it highly.

[Brian Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally could not put this book down. Although written at a time close to the events, Gordon Burn offers a unique and insightful perspective beyond the lurid sensationalism almost all writing about this case descended to.

The amount of time he spent with the family of Peter Sutcliffe clearly shows through and, whilst neither he nor we can properly gauge and dissect Sutcliffe, he certainly presents a more rounded portrait that the standard bogeyman trope thrown out by lazy journalists and authors.

I suppose, on some level, we do not want to understand this man, for understanding is perhaps the first step on the road to forgiveness. And, in the final analysis, who really wants to give this man the time needed to forgive.

Burn is an excellent author, that speaks in a homely style and offers strong insights without patronising or alienating the reader.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, an esential read for anyone with a passing interest in true crime.

Burn is a very underrated author and, disappointingly, any time I browse the true crime section in my local bookstore there is nothing by Burn but reams of filler material about 'hard men' and 'Guv'nor' characters. Shame really as there is a depth of true crime writing out there which is worthy of reading.

[Alex Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not huge on true crime generally, but this is a real standout. My problem with the genre is its tendency to focus on a mix of forensics and pop psychology fetishization rather than the actual story or the conditions surrounding it.

Burn writes with a diligent pen. He doesn’t editorialize. There’s so much suggestion in his words: the inherent toxicity of the familial unit, the shattered national psyche of Britain post-WW2, the borderline caste system of the North working class, a dysfunctional police force, broad institutional sexism, and a parasitic tabloid market. None of these details, however, supersede or overwhelm the narrative— it’s all just dressing. It doesn’t mince words on Peter Sutcliffe but I was equally drawn to how much focus is given family and friends (as the title implies) or the victims and their families. Really gives this a human touch, something most contemporary true crime doesn’t seem to do well.

[Borntolose73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another true crime masterwork from Gordon Burn. I had read his account of Fred and Rose West, Happy Like Murderers, and was so impressed with his writing and gift of narrative that I had to investigate this.
I'm glad I did, although I appreciate that this genre is not for everyone. Incredibly well-written and paced, Burn gives a chilling insight into the mind and motivations of the Yorkshire psychopath.

[Noctvrnal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderfully informational book. I have read my fair share of books on Sutcliffe but this one provided what no other books has (and I would say I haven't read such book on any other serial killer): it provided family accounts, details from childhood, a lot of information about his relationship with Sonia, the wife, and generally with his siblings, his parents and friends. Another thing is that Burn included is some proceedings from the courtroom which also have been scarce in other books. So many books on Sutcliffe focus on the crimes themselves, in some instances the victims (such as the book Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter: True Stories from Victims and Survivors of the Yorkshire Ripper) and most focus on the detective work that went into this case. Therefore an account such as this, a personal account of those closest to Peter is absolutely priceless to anybody researching the case. Author did a brilliant job and while it was a bit hard for me to get into his writing at the beginning - it soon enough absolutely blew my mind with how much research went into Somebody's Husband, Somebody's Son. If only authors covering other serial killer cases would follow in Burn's footsteps we would have an immeasurable motherlode of information into the development and daily lives of so many twisted and perverted men.
Maybe, if more authors took up such a task as Burn did - we'd know what to look for if the need arises.

[Jennifer deBie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1984, and this does fall victim to some of the cultural pitfalls of the time. The way Sutcliffe's victims are discussed, particularly those involved in sex work, is not the way an author today would talk about them. Likewise with the way people of color are described.

That caveat out of the way, Burn has created a fascinating study of the time, the place, the people, and the family that helped to shape the boy who grew to become the man who did these terrible things. Rich in anecdotal details about the geography and history of this particular corner of Yorkshire, Burn's has taken pains to draw as complete a portrait as could be made, starting with Sutcliffe's grandfather and moving forward through the generations until we get to the murderer himself.

It's graphic, parts of the story are baffling, and many are upsetting, but if you're looking at the biography of a notorious serial killer, that's what you're going to get. All in all, this does a good job of stripping away the mystique and some of the gory glamour that you can get when talking about these guys, and for that, if nothing else, it holds up despite being 40 years old.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my choice to read true crime at all, but having enjoyed Gordon Burn's Alma Colgan so much and hearing about the critical acclaim and meticulous research that went into this book, to portray the real life of the lorrydriver from Bingley who became the most notorious and hunted man in England during the 70s/early 80s - had to get.
Burns spent three years in contact with and getting full co-operation from the Sutcliffe family. So here is the story of the eldest child of six, growing up in working class Yorkshire, his Dad, his Mum, all his brothers and sisters and his schoolfriends/work colleagues provide a wealth of insights into who was this man. And Burns offers no authorial judgement or analysis, lets the facts and anecdotes from those who knew him most speak for themselves. The focus is not on the crimes, more the context for them. This is really the book to read if you want to make your own assessment on why a happily married man would take the path he did.

[Nick]

I appreciate that Burn lets the reporting speak for itself without interjecting opinion or massaging the facts. He builds a picture of the environment that shaped Peter instead of guessing at what was inside his head. I’m pretty allergic to the pop psychology and sensationalism of true crime but I found this informative and respectful to the victims.

[Marni Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really phenomenal book. Have so much awe/respect for how it’s written, so meticulous and detailed but also written so straight and without being sensationalised, while also delivering gut-punch descriptions. Also a really interesting text about misogyny and male violence to revisit in 40 years later & in our current climate.

[Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This kind of book isn't to everyone's liking. But if you are interested in the psychology of - or rather the clues allowing you to guess at the psychology of - serial killers / psychopaths etc., then this one is for you!

I find this area fascinating anyway, but Gordon Burn is a very intelligent, sophisticated and careful writer to boot. He manages to convey a sense of pervading menace and darkness in his tone. He also, fundamentally, writes of the people involved in a way that emphasises that they are real people who existed: a tad quiet, had a stroke at 55, belonged to a secret club as a teenager, had a squint, liked hammers etc.

After all, the most spine-tingling, amazing and possibly most important thing that the author points out is that the victims were everyday people, and so was the killer, apparently; until he finally - and utterly randomly - got found out.

A gripping and thought-provoking book that borders on literature.

[Dick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read a few of this authors other books I read this having little knowledge of the case other than it being seemly ever-present on the news as I grew up.
This book presents the facts of the case in a non sensationalist manner but doesn't shy away from the horrific deeds of Sutcliffe and shows how he was eventually brought to justice.
However it is also a terrifying snapshot of 70's Britain where the police are ineffective, the media are ghoulish ambulance chasers and most horrifically women are very much second class citizens. Burn doesn't draw attention and point fingers but casual mysogyny is peppered throughout the book in a way you cannot fail to notice. From the threat of violence within the home, to football fans jeering announcements at matches designed to catch the ripper.
A gripping brilliantly written social document.

[Stephen Cardie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burn's research for his non-fiction work was always thorough, bordering on the obsessive. Working on this, first published in 1984, Burn spent two years living in Bingley, getting to know Sutcliffe's family, friends and workmates. What this leaves us with is more of a biography than a crime story. Burn doesn't editorialise or grandstand - he just tells us the facts: Sutcliffe's childhood and family, how life was for working people in Bingley in 1960s and '70s (pretty grim as it happens), the jobs he had, the people he knew and, of course, the things he did. It's left to the reader to decide why he did it, and how he got away with for as long as he did. This is a tough read, but Burn does the subject justice, and this is s fair memorial both to Burn himself and to Sutcliffe's victims.

[Xanthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book engrossing. The author gives you a solid feel for the place he wrote about and the era. This book focuses upon who Sutcliffe was, where he lived, what his family and upbringing were like, his social life etc. It gives an account of his life between the murders. The murders themselves and the trial are touched upon, but it is the Yorkshire Ripper's private life that the author focuses upon. I read this book with some morbid curiosity, I guess, though have to point out in no way is this book sensationalist or tabloid-ish in anyway. Worth reading, alongside "Wicked Beyond Belief".

[Chris Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much a book about a community at a specific period of time as about the Yorkshire Ripper. One of the few books to give voice to real people and their opinions are laid out in amazing detail. I would think the book would be an eye-opener for those who never come into contact with the sort of people as the Sutcliffes and their friends.

Doesnt really come to any conclusions about Sutcliffe himself. Was he mad,or bad, or is it irrelevant anyway.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written, almost novelistic treatment of the Yorkshire Ripper case. Compresses many years of investigation and courtroom procedure into a fairly small, space. This one never drags, but if you've already read WICKED BEYOND BELIEF you already know much more than this version of the story can offer.

[Tracy Hollen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I felt there was too much irrelevant information included. Yes, his childhood is important, but did the author need to include pages and pages of his parents', brothers' and friends' histories?

[Susan Atkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book on Sutcliffe in my opinion, and I have read a lot. As a child growing up in Yorkshire I became fascinated by this horrific story. This is the only one that delves in to his childhood in such detail. Very well written and a must read for "fans" of true crime.

[Fran Cormack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written account of the fear that stalked the streets of the North of England during the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper.

Living in the area at the time, the fear was palpable. And this book takes us to the heart of Peter Sutcliffe and his evil ways.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Yorkshire ripper-- yikes!

[A.r. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fills in a lot of gaps about Peter's Sutcliffe's childhood and early life which are missing from other books about him. Well worth the read, even for those who have read up on the Yorkshire Ripper.

[Pog! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange writing style but no getting away from the horror of this maniacs behaviour

[Don Dealga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gordon Burn passed away in 2009, his reputation for the quality, imaginative power and sensitivity of his writing has probably grown in the years subsequent to his untimely death. The account of the dark demonic deeds of Peter Sutcliffe have attracted a lot of writers over the years, some of the resultant work left a lot to be desired. The lurid sensationalism of much of the contemporary media coverage of the Sutcliffe crimes spilled over into some of the later accounts (both factual and fictionalized) of the killer's life and times. In particular there was often a distasteful, offensive and misogynistic attitude towards the victims displayed in some works. Women murdered by Sutcliffe were often labelled by authors in a pejorative fashion, and all too often they were totally marginalized in narratives and denied dignity and agency with little acknowledgement of their humanity. Although there have been more recent attempts to correct this imbalance and to give voice to the women and their families, Burn's work written much closer to the events does distinguish itself from much of the other literature on Sutcliffe in highlighting the brutally sexist and patriarchical culture in which Sutcliffe was born into and socialized in. Burn also has a more distinctive angle on the case, as he attempts to present the early life and domestic and socio-cultural context of Sutcliffe in fuller detail linking Sutcliffe's biography to his emergence as a vicous and calculating murderer; rather than just focusing solely on details of his killings or police investigations. Burn achieved his insights thanks to extensive interviews with members of Sutcliffe's family and his friends and acquaintances, as well as a deep dive into the social conditions and culture of working class Bingley and environs in Yorkshire that Sutcliffe grew up in.
A remarkable work by Burn and his writing in this book has plenty of indications of the quality he was to exhibit in his later works.

[Katie Greenwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somebody's Husband, Somebody's Son is perhaps the most terrifying book I've read. It's a biographical account of the life of Peter Sutcliffe, otherwise known as the Yorkshire Ripper. Burn takes us from his childhood right up to the moment he was sentenced for his crimes. Covering everything from his jobs as a youth, his married life and his family.

The detail was astounding. I can't recall how long it took Burn to collate all this information but it must've been a very long time. Often there tends to be a theme among 'true crime' novels where they're somewhat exaggerated. Burn's didn't fall into this category which is why I found it such a compelling read. There was nothing beyond the facts, though his opinion of the case certainly shone through regardless. I learnt so much from this novel. I was aware of the Yorkshire Ripper and his actual name but not the finer details of his case. To read about the difficulties the police had, the public and of course how the sex workers had to live at the time was unbelievable.

This novel was absolutely fascinating and thought I can't say it's an enjoyable read, simply because of the topic matter it certainly makes you think.

A must read for anyone with an interest in this field.

www.a-novel-idea.co.uk

[Bobby24 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have spent the last two weeks or so reading about the Yorkshire Ripper since his recent death the first one wicked beyond belief was epic it covered the Police operation i then began this one which was even better. It is one of the best true crime books written. The author has no presence he just allows the story to flow, true British author style as opposed the often American style, or "faction" and themselves. Overseas readers might find the dialogue hard but thats how the Northerners speak. Its slow to start but after 50 pages i could not put it down.

Its dark bleak cold dirty frightening creepy sad tragic and far more, in England us southerners tend to view the Northerners as, well , cave men.. and here's why. I feel very sorry for the women in these places. Its why i suppose northern women are often portrayed as hard cases in soaps like Coronation street etc, they have to be hard to deal with men like this. Im surprised a film has not been written about this book it, it has everything one could watch.

After reading a really good book its hard to put away, you kind of feel lost for a few days and thats how i feel now. Truly unforgettable. i'd give it 6 stars if i could.

[Ally McIntyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find serial killers as fascinating as most people but don't really have any interest in reading 'true crime'. I picked this up because I'd read Burns' book on Fred and Rose West randomly some years ago, and was particularly taken, and disturbed, by his recursive prose style, which becomes a social history of the area the murders take place in, as well as juxtaposing the depravity of the crimes with the mundane particularities of the killer's social environment.
This was much the same.That same juxtaposition really disturbed me, the fact that we are shown the normalcy of Peter Sutcliffe's outward appearance and the extreme propensity for violence hidden within. The implication that "somebody's husband" or "somebody's son", such a, yes somewhat odd, but "gentlemanly" figure to his elders, can be capable of such actions, and be allowed to do it for so long due to the absolute uselessness of the police. Unfortunately, his crimes only represent the logical extremity of the rife misogyny prevalent at the time and sadly still existing.

Burns is a superb writer and I'm interested to see what his fiction is like. He refuses to go the sensationalist route and is far more effective because of it.

[Till Raether · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

This is not, as the back flip says, "an illuminating study about a mass murderer," as a matter of fact Burn illuminates nothing, he just shows and let's people talk. Which can be very jarring: the language they use is racist, sexist, and all sorts of vile. The light disappears as the narrative goes on. Burn keeps way, way in the background, hardly ever raising his voice, not analyzing, not speculating, not explaining. He's reporting and sharing impressions of a society that is being corroded and destroyed by the things that seemed to be its very foundations (patriarchy, tradition, violence).

It's a difficult read, but rewarding if you're interested in the roots and origins of the true crime phenomenon, and in the few examples of people trying to write about crime without gore, cynicism, or sensationalism.

[Jack Alexander Lawrence]

An obviously grim book, but written with as much care and tact as can be hoped for a topic as ripe for crass sensationalism as the one covered.

Beyond the horrors of his crimes, SH,SS details the structural and societal failures dispassionately and relentlessly, to the point where you have to ask yourself how had something this horrific not happened sooner.

The police were totally unequipped and simultaneously blinkered and directionless in their investigation, the press were as craven as anything, and people only seemed to really care once he had murdered women who weren't sex workers.

Thankfully, we have progressed, somewhat, from those times, but the book also serves as a reminder of what can happen when hatred and subjugation become mundane and innate, a part of the furniture. There will always be someone, an aberration, who is able to take advantage.