This biography investigates the personal and professional life of composer William Walton through the intimate lens of his wife, Susana Walton. The author utilizes her thirty-five years of marriage to Walton, alongside his own unpublished words and personal anecdotes, to construct a portrait of the man behind the public figure. By documenting his trajectory from a childhood in Oldham to his status as a central figure in 20th-century music, the text provides a humanizing account of his creative development and social circles.

Critics and music historians frequently cite this work as a primary source for understanding the social environment surrounding Walton's career. Readers often note that the prose is accessible and provides a unique, firsthand perspective that balances the composer's public achievements with his private character.