#51: ‘The Tragedy of Randolph Turpin’ by Jack Birtley

‘The Tragedy of Randolph Turpin’ by Jack Birtley tells the story of British Middleweight Randolph Turpin’s rapid rise as a professional boxer, and the ultimately tragic end to his life.

In 1951, Turpin shocked the boxing world by beating the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson to win the world middleweight title. This, unfortunately, was a high he was never able to repeat, and a series of events followed, leaving him in debt with the taxman.

These stresses, it seems, ultimately led to Turpin taking his own life. It would be interesting to read a more modern take on Turpin’s life and the circumstances surrounding his death, as this book was written at a time when there was still huge shame and stigma around suicide, both for the deceased and those left behind to grieve. There’s a sense throughout that the author felt caught between wanting to talk openly about Turpin, and wanting to protect the boxer’s (and his family’s) reputation.