Richard Burton

by Peter Stead

The story of Richard Burton's life is well known: from son of a Welsh miner and ward of a local teacher to international superstar. He became as famous for being Richard Burton and husband of Elizabeth Taylor as for the extraordinary acting abilities which made his name. A globe-trotter with a Swiss home, Burton never forgot his Welsh origins and identity. In this new study, cultural historian Peter Stead shows how Burton's Welshness shaped his character and his career. He reviews Burton's stage and film careers, showing how bad luck and his own character left him isolated in the face of dramatic and cinematic change. Stead also describes the phenomenon of the Burton-Taylor marriages, and how Burton was transformed from actor into jet-setter. Richard Burton: So Much, So Little places him fully in his English, American and Welsh contexts, to produce the most interesting book on Burton yet published.