Thatcher

British Prime Ministers of the 20th Century

by Clare Beckett

Margaret Thatcher was Britain's first woman prime minister and the longest serving head of government in the 20th century (1979-90). She was also the only one to be removed from office in peacetime by pressure from within her own party. Her victory in the general election of 1979 began an era that became stamped with her name. 'Thatcherism' and 'Thatcherite' became part of the language, referring to her own brand of aggressive 'conviction' politics which rejected the broad consensus (characteristic of British attitudes since World War II), promoting instead the free play of market forces and dismantling the restrictive practices of the trade unions. She was rescued from early unpopularity by her determined handling of the Falklands War in 1982. Two years later her response to the miners' strike (1984-5) gave another boost to her reputation for toughness, earning her the title 'The Iron Lady'.

166 pages, Paperback

First published October 16, 2006

Reviews

[Jack Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction into the life of Britains most controversial PM and I think it gives really good insight. I was debating whether to give it three starts because it does miss depth in some places, but the I thought this isn’t the aim of the book it aims to develop an image of Thatcher and her time in and out of office. Really good skim over her life.