Written with the co-operation of Richard Burton's surviving family, and with exclusive access to his letters and creative writing - including a 2000-word account of his first meeting with Elizabeth Taylor - this biography is the inside story of his successes and failures. He wanted to be the greatest actor of his generation, to be the biggest star, to have the world's most beautiful women, to be a great writer. He wanted to be Dylan Thomas and Laurence Olivier rolled into one. This book, incorporating extensive quotes from his own unpublished writings, shows how he paid the price in alcoholism, mental breakdown and, in the end, complete degradation.