About Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy (1840–1928), English poet, dramatist, and novelist, was born on the Egdon Heath in Dorset. He studied in Dorchester and apprenticed to an architect before leaving for London, where he began to write. Unable to find a public for his poetry, which idealized the rural life, he turned to the novel and met with success as well as controversy. The strong public reaction against some of his darker themes turned him back to writing verse. Today several of his novels are considered masterpieces of tragedy.
About Richard Burton
Richard
Burton (1925–1984), born in Wales, was a renowned, award-winning actor of stage
and screen. He was one of the great British actors of the post-WWII period and
at one time the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. He won a BAFTA, two Golden
Globe Awards, and two Tony Awards for Best Actor. He was nominated seven times
for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role, but without
ever winning. His awards include a 1975 Grammy Award for Best Children’s
Recording, for The Little Prince. He
also narrated Jeff Wayne’s musical version of The War of the Worlds, his performance becoming a necessary part of
the concept album. Widely admired for his command and understanding of English
poetry, he insisted that his way out of an impoverished Welsh childhood was due
not to acting but to books; he read one a day and was an avid fan of
Shakespeare. Although he is widely known for his Tony Award-winning role playing
King Arthur in the original production of Lerner and Loewe’s Broadway musical Camelot, he also won a reputation as the
best Hamlet of his generation.