Reagan and Thatcher: The Difficult Relationship

by Richard Aldous

For decades historians have perpetuated the myth of a "Churchillian" relationship between Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, citing their longtime alliance as an example of the "special" bond between the United States and Britain. But, as Richard Aldous argues in this penetrating dual biography, Reagan and Thatcher clashed repeatedly—over the Falklands war, Grenada, and the SDI and nuclear weapons—while carefully cultivating a harmonious image for the public and the press. With the stakes enormously high, these political titans struggled to work together to confront the greatest threat of their time: the USSR.

Brilliantly reconstructing some of their most dramatic encounters, Aldous draws on recently declassified documents and extensive oral history to dismantle the popular conception of Reagan-Thatcher diplomacy. His startling conclusion—that the weakest link in the Atlantic Alliance of the 1980s was the association between the two principal actors—will mark an important contribution to our understanding of the twentieth century.

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction, American History, Biography, American, British Literature

352 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Richard Aldous, the author of The Lion and the Unicorn, is Eugene Meyer Professor of British History and Literature at Bard College. He has been a fellow at the Royal Historical Society, a trustee of the Gladstone Library, and advisor to the British Council, and commentator for the Irish Times and the BBC.

Reviews

[Joe L · Rating 4 out of 5]

The closest thing to a political marriage as there could be.
Scenes of the two leaders atop horses at Reagan’s California ranch bring me back to my eighties childhood.
One could say the “special relationship” enjoyed by the US and UK in the present day began with these two. Following the cordial years FDR and Churchill had together during WWII, relations cooled to a sharp chill for the next 35 years before these two leaders of similar politics and views rose to power within two years of one another.
They’d met in the mid seventies and had hit it off at once.
It does a great job of covering all the ups and downs (and there were many) from 1981 to 1989.
4.5 stars.

[Roberto Fruchtengarten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fui levado a esse livro pelo interesse na história de bastidores dos protagonistas e também pela possibilidade de conhecer melhor alguns assuntos que não tinha lido/estudado na época devida.
O livro foca na década de 80 e em todos os acontecimentos que envolveram ambos os protagonistas, em especial, a invasão de Granada, a Guerra das Malvinas e o caso Irã/contras.
Contudo, o grande foco é a Guerra fria e como as decisões políticas eram tomadas com base em interesses estratégicos e econômicos de cada uma das nações.
O livro peca em alguns diálogos e transcrições massantes, que não acrescentam nada à história, muito menos à relação dos dois. Por esse motivo, a leitura foi no estilo "montanha russa", com trechos que prendiam a atenção e outros que eu não via a hora de terminarem.
Enfim, vale como aprendizado e releitura de dois governos marcados por personalidades ímpares nos seus comandos.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Aldous gets behind the popular image of the steadfast political couple that were Ronald Reagan, to date the last of America's greatest presidents, and Margaret Thatcher, to date the last of Britain's greatest prime ministers, to expose their often contentious relationship. Thatcher was always quick to lecture Reagan as a teacher might an errant pupil, and Reagan always let her rant because he knew who, at the end of the day, held the paddle. Yet the two together, like Roosevelt and Churchill, literally made the world a better and safer place than that which they inherited.

Aldous writes in a style comparable to that of William Manchester rather than, say, D. Clayton James or Barbara Tuchman. His work is filled with well-footnoted anecdotes that takes his readers behind the scenes of the interaction between its two subjects during the Falklands War, the US invasion of Grenada and the end of the Cold War, as well as other weighty events and issues of the times. It is an easy, informative and interesting read. His proof readers, if in fact he had any, did him no service, however, so be prepared for the too frequent glitches in the dialogue. They do not detract from the merit of the work, only its flow.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. I was a recent college graduate in this era, and one cannot overstate the cold war tensions. It is a fascinating view into the real Thatcher-Reagan relationship, which was apparently much more contentious than the popular media would have us believe, but a strong team nevertheless. Good job bringing that reality to light.

[Immy Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly amazing read. It clearly showed a couple of events that demonstrated the close relationship between Thatcher and Reagan.
I would have loved to meet Margaret Thatcher in person, the maiden iron lady!
Best quote was, "Nations do not have permanent friends and allies, they have permanent interests"

[Sarah Mackey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account of a relationship I always thought of as very friendly and more than amicable. Great read but short. The author could have added some more depth to the book without loosing the overall flow.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok read. It didn't flow as well but I remember well some of the events that are covered in this book.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An even-handed account of the Reagan-Thatcher relationship.

[Matthew Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were very definitely the two dominant political figures of my youth. It is funny because my parents were Labour but my teacher for both history and politics definitely dressed to the right. When Thatcher won the Tory leadership in 1975 he told us she would be the most significant PM since Churchill Oh how we laughed The. Last 40 years have been her decades. Even more annoyingly, in our last year he told us Reagan would be a great president. What even he failed to predict how closely these two would become, albeit with both knowing where the real power lay.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thatcher was really the most powerful leader in the 80s.

[Lynn Beyrouthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading a book about Reagan and Thatcher does not imply endorsement any more than reading Mein Kampf implies you're an exponent of neo-Nazism.
A high rating doesn't mean I'm an exponent of their policies or obsessed with their political persona.

But this was a good book. Well-written, comprehensive and deeply insightful. Would recommend it to anyone interested in Reaganism and Thatcherism (obviously) but also to people who are interested in transatlantic relations and the Cold War.

It basically explores the Reagan-Thatcher relationship thoroughly, and sheds light on the multiple tensions that shook this "special relationship" that once Churchill and Roosevelt shared. Trying to keep a facade of friendship and preserve the Anglo-American alliance untainted, Reagan and Thatcher's relationship nevertheless suffered many discords most notably during the Siberian pipelines controversy, the Falklands War, the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), the Grenada invasion, the Beirut bombings of U.S Marine barracks...

Sir Nicholas Henderson, Thatcher's ambassador to Washington when Reagan was elected, told Labour cabinet minister Tony Benn: "If I reported to you what Mrs. Thatcher really thought about President Reagan, it would damage Anglo-American relations"

[Leilani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Occasionally I wished he'd had another 100 pages to go into a little more depth, but that probably wasn't necessary. This is a crisply written overview of US/British relations during the most pivotal events of the 80s, and it's supported with lots of quotes and footnotes, so it's both enjoyable to read and well-documented.

Having grown up in a household where it was a given that Reagan could do no right, it was interesting to read about the philosophies and motivations behind his and Thatcher's international policies. Aldous is neither overly supportive of them nor afraid to point out their major failings - he stays balanced throughout. Very informative.

[Andrea Ricci · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly engaging account of the decade (the 80s) that changed the world's geopolitical order, from the perspective of the two most influential world leaders of the time, whose culture, vision and determination crucially affected such changes.
Very informative, it really compelled me with the thorough and intelligently organized account of the interactions between Thatcher and Reagan and their respective entourages occurring behind the scenes that determined the way some of the most relevant events in the 80s actually unfolded.

[Sinead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. It gave an insight into a relationship that politically was one of the most significant in the 20th century. I always thought that Reagan and Thatcher had sung from the same hymn sheet during their terms in office. This book highlights the various times they were at loggerheads and is a must read for anyone interested in the life of either Thatcher or Reagan.

[Paul Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have avoided Thatcher books, to prevent anger getting the better of me. But for some reason this book in my favourite second hand shop told me to buy it.
Provides fascinating insight into key events of their rule. Well worth reading, even if you vehemently disagree with their politics.

[Dan Mazur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book that highlights the challenges these incredible diplomats had at the peak of the Cold War.

[Terri Alpert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous!

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Baby's first political book. Tells you nothing that isn't common knowledge.