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Margaret Thatcher: Power and Personality
A strong and sometimes divisive figure in British and world politics, Margaret Thatcher was the longest-serving British Prime Minister in the 20th century and the only woman to ever hold the office. Drawing from an abundance of new, previously unpublished material from the Thatcher Archive at Churchill College, Cambridge, Jonathan Aitken's fresh and original biography is a lively and perceptive exploration of the personality that dominated conservative British politics for more than 10 years and her profound and worldwide impact on the historical tapestry of her time. At once positive and critical in its assessment of her governance, Margaret Thatcher: Power and Personality is crafted from the author's longtime personal relationship with his subject, his eyewitness account of public and private episodes in her life, and more than 100 interviews with the former Prime Minister's political colleagues and close personal friends. Penetrating and insightful, it chronicles one of the most remarkable political lives of our time.
784 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Jonathan Aitken
52 books12 followersJonathan William Patrick Aitken is a former Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom for 24 years, and a former British government Cabinet minister. He was convicted of perjury in 1999 and received an 18-month prison sentence, of which he served seven months.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 24, 2021
She did all, and better, that a man would do.
And what no man could, she did that too.
Daughter of a grocer, got nothing on a platter.
No glass ceiling that she did not shatter.
When she was brilliant, they called her pretty.
They cried oppression when she was gritty.
They snubbed and stabbed her whenever they could.
She lived her life how she knew she should.
Dreaded and hated - for no one could match her.
Oh inspiration, thy name is Margaret Thatcher.
—————————————————————
Jonathan Aitken’s marvellous penmanship brings out a character that inspires and should continue to do so for generations to come. Ornamented with elegant prose, the timeless force of Mrs. Thatcher’s personality is enough of a reason for this book to have a permanent abode in your bookshelf. An indelible stamp in history, this saga of ‘The Iron Lady’ deserves to be revisited every few years.
And what no man could, she did that too.
Daughter of a grocer, got nothing on a platter.
No glass ceiling that she did not shatter.
When she was brilliant, they called her pretty.
They cried oppression when she was gritty.
They snubbed and stabbed her whenever they could.
She lived her life how she knew she should.
Dreaded and hated - for no one could match her.
Oh inspiration, thy name is Margaret Thatcher.
—————————————————————
Jonathan Aitken’s marvellous penmanship brings out a character that inspires and should continue to do so for generations to come. Ornamented with elegant prose, the timeless force of Mrs. Thatcher’s personality is enough of a reason for this book to have a permanent abode in your bookshelf. An indelible stamp in history, this saga of ‘The Iron Lady’ deserves to be revisited every few years.
March 1, 2014
This is a well-written book from a professional biographer who also happened to be a backbench Member of Parliament and supporter of Thatcher during her years as PM, going on to hold junkoir cabinet rank under John Major.
While a sympathetic biographer, and one who dated Thatcher's daughter, Aitken pulls no punches on Thatcher's failings, individual actions, or of her management/administration.
There, Aitken notes a few things.
1. She never learned how to "read" the Commons well;
2. The longer she spent as PM, the more she tended toward bullying other Cabinet members
3. Her personality, even before this, inclined toward stubbornness, especially a refusal to admit she was wrong.
He shows No. 2 and 3 stood her well in her first term and fairly well in her second, but led to her downfall. Worse yet was her meddlesomeness and semi-backbiting comments about Major during his administration. It was probably a relief to many Conservatives to have her out of the Commons and in the Lords, eventually.
While a sympathetic biographer, and one who dated Thatcher's daughter, Aitken pulls no punches on Thatcher's failings, individual actions, or of her management/administration.
There, Aitken notes a few things.
1. She never learned how to "read" the Commons well;
2. The longer she spent as PM, the more she tended toward bullying other Cabinet members
3. Her personality, even before this, inclined toward stubbornness, especially a refusal to admit she was wrong.
He shows No. 2 and 3 stood her well in her first term and fairly well in her second, but led to her downfall. Worse yet was her meddlesomeness and semi-backbiting comments about Major during his administration. It was probably a relief to many Conservatives to have her out of the Commons and in the Lords, eventually.
June 24, 2014
I chose to read this biography as it encapsulates the whole life of Margaret Thatcher in one book. Its author, Jonathan Aitken has known Margareth Thatcher and her family quite intimately. In particular, he dated her daughter Carol Thatcher. He has been as well a Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom for 24 years, and a former British government Cabinet minister.
The book is easy to read and very entertaining. You feel you are in the room, witnessing Margaret Thatcher's decision making process. There are also emotional moments when you feel in awe for her courage and steadfast determination.
I particularly enjoyed two specific features of the book. Each chapter terminates with a reflection where the author provides his personal insights on the events described in the chapter or one traits of Margaret thatcher's personality. The author has made over 90 interviews and he intersperses the narration with quotes from close acquaintances. Those quotes provide an insightful perspective on Margaret thatcher's personality.
The book is easy to read and very entertaining. You feel you are in the room, witnessing Margaret Thatcher's decision making process. There are also emotional moments when you feel in awe for her courage and steadfast determination.
I particularly enjoyed two specific features of the book. Each chapter terminates with a reflection where the author provides his personal insights on the events described in the chapter or one traits of Margaret thatcher's personality. The author has made over 90 interviews and he intersperses the narration with quotes from close acquaintances. Those quotes provide an insightful perspective on Margaret thatcher's personality.
January 28, 2015
This is a well written, balanced account of Margaret Thatcher's life. I liked the balanced reflections at the end of each chapter and also the discreet insertion of personal accounts and perspectives at key junctures of the narrative as Aitken was, of course, a Tory MP and minister. The book makes Thatcher appear more human, but also confirms that her behaviour towards colleagues and her narrow minded world view were quite as awful as they appeared at the time to this Labour voting Finchley resident. Little nuggets of information - that, for example, she never spent a single night in the constituency during her entire term as an MP, illustrate the narrative sweep of her story and the gap between rhetoric and reality. Also the tenacity with which she sought a parliamentary seat, relying on her husband's income, while doing so. Her decline into dementia is also sparingly described - as an aside I do wonder whether both her and Reagan were displaying early symptoms while still in office - and, as occurred in her life, I found myself, despite myself, sympathising. Thatcher was, after all, part of my life and a major motivator for my own politics and campaigning activity over the last 30 or more years.
January 15, 2016
She was multi-faceted and interesting
I knew very little about Margaret Thatcher before reading this book. Of course she was in the news, along with Reagan, for many years, but I had no personal impression of her and her time in office.
She changed Britain and the world in several major ways, especially with privatization and as a friend of Gorbachev. She had a lot going for intellectually, but her personality was divisive. Good book, fair, admiring, but doesn't pull punches. Well written, flows.
I knew very little about Margaret Thatcher before reading this book. Of course she was in the news, along with Reagan, for many years, but I had no personal impression of her and her time in office.
She changed Britain and the world in several major ways, especially with privatization and as a friend of Gorbachev. She had a lot going for intellectually, but her personality was divisive. Good book, fair, admiring, but doesn't pull punches. Well written, flows.
October 17, 2016
A very long book but fascinating if you like politics or MT. A great insight into some of the well known British political events as well as some historical events which were important but behind the scenes at the time.
June 13, 2018
Jonathan Aitken's portrayal and account of Margaret Thatcher's life through her power and personality is a balanced one. It is a superbly well-written book as I quickly discovered upon reading the first two pages of it. I was not expecting to become involved on an emotional level with his subject, but I found myself becoming enamored with The Lady. When I finally got to the last passage in the book, I was reluctant to put it down.
I became interested in reading about Margaret Thatcher simply because I came across two other books I had read recently that made a reference to her (one of which is the 'Why We Sleep' book which references both Thatcher and Reagan as having boasted about needing only a few hours of sleep a night, but which current science proves beyond a doubt that insufficient sleep greatly increases the risk of Alzheimer's [of which Margaret Thatcher apparently suffered from in her twilight years but was not officially diagnosed] in one's later years) and also because I was ashamed to have realized that I know so little about one of the greatest female politicians ever to have served in a Western democracy. She was often in the news headlines when I was in high school and college, but I was not really paying that much attention.
Perhaps it is also because I have heard more comments lately from certain intellectuals and 'Thatcherites' who remember how important her legacy has become in light of Brexit as Thatcher was deeply opposed to the eroding of British sovereignty by joining the EU and the exchange rate mechanism (ERM). Of course, most readers will remember that one of her greatest legacies was the privatization of the British economy in the early 1980's.
After finishing this book, I came away admiring her strength of character and hard work ethic. Aitken pulls no punches when it comes to describing her flaws, her temper tantrums, her lack of self-discipline, all of which appear to have gradually worsened as she was approaching her eleventh, and final year, as Prime Minister in 1990. Yet while he describes the less-than-flattering aspects of her personality, he does not let us forget that she was also deeply kind to those who worked for her and was always ready to lend a hand to someone in need, and that she was herself an emotional character who put on a stoic façade in public but broke down in private.
Getting to the final few chapters reads much like a Shakespeare play (i.e. Julius Caesar). A faction within her own party, the Conservatives, orchestrated a sinister strategy to bring about her downfall largely due to clashes over the poll tax and whether Britain should join the European Economic Community. It was painful to read about the exit of one of history's most significant, yet also controversial and polarizing, figures in British politics.
People who are interested in current affairs, politics and international relations will continue to talk about her for years to come. This book is definitely tailored for both novices and experts on Thatcher and Thatcherism, which speaks to Aitken's incredible skill in writing and story-telling. And for that I want to give this book ten stars.
I became interested in reading about Margaret Thatcher simply because I came across two other books I had read recently that made a reference to her (one of which is the 'Why We Sleep' book which references both Thatcher and Reagan as having boasted about needing only a few hours of sleep a night, but which current science proves beyond a doubt that insufficient sleep greatly increases the risk of Alzheimer's [of which Margaret Thatcher apparently suffered from in her twilight years but was not officially diagnosed] in one's later years) and also because I was ashamed to have realized that I know so little about one of the greatest female politicians ever to have served in a Western democracy. She was often in the news headlines when I was in high school and college, but I was not really paying that much attention.
Perhaps it is also because I have heard more comments lately from certain intellectuals and 'Thatcherites' who remember how important her legacy has become in light of Brexit as Thatcher was deeply opposed to the eroding of British sovereignty by joining the EU and the exchange rate mechanism (ERM). Of course, most readers will remember that one of her greatest legacies was the privatization of the British economy in the early 1980's.
After finishing this book, I came away admiring her strength of character and hard work ethic. Aitken pulls no punches when it comes to describing her flaws, her temper tantrums, her lack of self-discipline, all of which appear to have gradually worsened as she was approaching her eleventh, and final year, as Prime Minister in 1990. Yet while he describes the less-than-flattering aspects of her personality, he does not let us forget that she was also deeply kind to those who worked for her and was always ready to lend a hand to someone in need, and that she was herself an emotional character who put on a stoic façade in public but broke down in private.
Getting to the final few chapters reads much like a Shakespeare play (i.e. Julius Caesar). A faction within her own party, the Conservatives, orchestrated a sinister strategy to bring about her downfall largely due to clashes over the poll tax and whether Britain should join the European Economic Community. It was painful to read about the exit of one of history's most significant, yet also controversial and polarizing, figures in British politics.
People who are interested in current affairs, politics and international relations will continue to talk about her for years to come. This book is definitely tailored for both novices and experts on Thatcher and Thatcherism, which speaks to Aitken's incredible skill in writing and story-telling. And for that I want to give this book ten stars.
May 16, 2023
Having an interest in history and never having read anything substantial on Thatcher, I picked this up in a thrift store in Madison, Wisconsin. It is a good book, marred in its foundation and execution by the fact it is overly political. To his credit, Aitken explains this and as the book progresses you beging to understand that although he is a biographer, his first and longest relationship with Thatcher was a fellow MP. Ergo, this is the lens through which he largely views her.
This does not mean he leaves out her background, youth, and growth into maturity. He does a rather good job of laying these out. But although he tries to include the human side of her as he discusses her political life he largely fails. But though large, this is the only failure. He accomplishes what he sets out to do, which is to show us Thatcher in her element, in the rise and fall of her success, ability, and popularity. At the end, you cannot help but be seriously impressed by this woman, by who she was and what she accomplished.
Good biographies of good people leave you more impressed with the character than when you started. By that measure and others, this is a good biography.
This does not mean he leaves out her background, youth, and growth into maturity. He does a rather good job of laying these out. But although he tries to include the human side of her as he discusses her political life he largely fails. But though large, this is the only failure. He accomplishes what he sets out to do, which is to show us Thatcher in her element, in the rise and fall of her success, ability, and popularity. At the end, you cannot help but be seriously impressed by this woman, by who she was and what she accomplished.
Good biographies of good people leave you more impressed with the character than when you started. By that measure and others, this is a good biography.
September 17, 2018
A decently written, distinctly Conservative view of Margaret Thatcher's life and political career. The author is a former Conservative MP who was in Parliament during Thatcher's reign as leader of the opposition and Prime Minister. So, naturally, the book has a quite slanted political perspective. The interactions between Thatcher and her political opponents are given virtually no discussion, which seemed odd. The author also makes a series of interesting moral judgments of Thatcher which I assume others would contest. Overall, it was an engaging read and quite informative about Thatcher's life. However, for those with pro-labor or otherwise lefty views, this book must be infuriating. (I enjoyed the partisan nature of the biography, but I can't say I would feel the same if this were a biography of Bill Clinton, necessarily.)
January 3, 2019
I started this book in April 2018. It is now January 2019 and it doesn't look like I'm going to pick it up again any time soon, so I decided to remove it from its "currently reading" status. I made it through the 1st half of the book, most of which was interesting. Where I got bogged down was when it turned to a very detailed account of her political career which meant little to nothing to me as an American, untutored in the British political system. From what I've heard, Margaret Thatcher really didn't have a life outside politics, so I'm not surprised that there is not much mention of her personal life. From all accounts I've heard, though she had a husband and children, she didn't really have a personal life. I may pick this up again & skim through until it becomes more interesting to me; hopefully, there will be more detail of her post-Prime Minister life.
April 2, 2019
If you're reading this for an overview of "the Thatcher years" in Britain, as I was--don't. This is a very well-written and insightful look at Margaret Thatcher's life, centering of course on her years in power. It alternates between being highly critical and eulogistic, but I found it to be very fair. The big events from her time in power, from the miners' strikes to the Falklands War, are covered only as far as they affect her life and her decisions, so the author assumes a fair bit of knowledge on the readers' part about the relevant events. However, this is a highly readable account of Margaret Thatcher's life, full of interesting anecdotes, that highlights what it takes to gain power and influence, the pitfalls of that power, and the experience of a fall from grace.
August 31, 2024
Long but worth it
The author has done a brilliant job of capturing the mood, the history, and politics under Thatcher. Its a very British read so be prepared to be befuddled at some things. I especially liked authors description of people around her, and her ability to "handbag" them.
The author has done a brilliant job of capturing the mood, the history, and politics under Thatcher. Its a very British read so be prepared to be befuddled at some things. I especially liked authors description of people around her, and her ability to "handbag" them.
February 24, 2025
I was clearly not the intended audience for this biography. It was a good trip down memory lane. Aitken had a close relationship with Thatcher and had a deep respect for her. This was a much better portrayal of her than The Crown.
February 18, 2018
High on the scale of readability, thoroughly insightful, humanizes politics, charmed and empowered me.
June 15, 2018
Liked this book-she was a very interesting person
August 22, 2019
Excellent!
July 13, 2020
*Used for Research.
An interesting, engaging and informative read about Margaret Thatcher's life. I would definitely reccomend it to anyone interested in learning about Margaret Thatcher.
An interesting, engaging and informative read about Margaret Thatcher's life. I would definitely reccomend it to anyone interested in learning about Margaret Thatcher.
January 18, 2022
I appreciated the author's personal connection to Mrs Thatcher. I think it added to the insights he was able to provide. I skipped some parts, but overall thought it was thought provoking.
September 29, 2024
Have to admire her formidable and ambitious personality. Good read.
March 13, 2016
Margaret Thatcher was known as the Iron Lady for good reason: She was tough. Her determination, confidence, and vision came through loud and clear in the pages of this book. As an American of British decent, I was always intrigued with Thatcher, the person; I really didn't delve into her politics or the way she achieved her goals. Although not the official Thatcher biography, Aitken was a colleague and personal friend thus giving the reader more of an inside view of Thatcher and the Thatcher era. After finishing the book, I still respect Thatcher but have a much different view of her. I also understand the politics of Britain much more. I recommend this book.
June 6, 2016
Great book! It does get a little boring at times. Aitken paints a very descriptive, yet intriguing picture of Margaret Thatcher. He not only shows the strength and power of Margaret's personality, he also show the destructiveness of it as well. Aitken does not write one sided, instead he shows her human weakness and many flaws. I honestly did not want to finish the book, because of how well he portrayed her. He showed that Margaret was not only as the Iron Lady who struck fear into so many around the world but also as a fragile woman who could be hurt. This was one of the best biographies I have ever read, and I would recommend it. I have actually bought several copies for friends.
February 6, 2017
What a woman, every present day politician is a pygmy compared to her
February 9, 2015
A giant of our time
As North America I was unaware of Margaret Thatcher's tremendous accomplishments and her importance in history. It was a fascinating read and thoroughly enjoyable. An important an enigmatic individual.
As North America I was unaware of Margaret Thatcher's tremendous accomplishments and her importance in history. It was a fascinating read and thoroughly enjoyable. An important an enigmatic individual.
November 18, 2013
Interessant, balansert og velskrevet, men i lengste laget
September 6, 2014
On page292
Chapter 17 first step in foreign policy -Europe
Chapter 17 first step in foreign policy -Europe
December 19, 2014
This was a pretty good biography of Margaret Thatcher. I think the fact that the author personally knew her was a huge advantage. I liked this biography but I didn't like Margaret Thatcher much.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews