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Margaret Thatcher: A Modern Leader
The 1980s was a decade of change for many countries, but for Great Britain, it could be considered radical. The economic transformation of Britain during that period bears the indelible mark of Margaret Thatcher and her policies.
In this Audible Original, Professor Amy Edwards takes you through the life and leadership of Margaret Thatcher. See how she went from being a shopkeeper’s daughter who lived above her parent’s corner shop to holding Britain’s top job and earning a reputation as one of the most influential politicians of the 20th century.
In addition, Professor Edwards considers just how revolutionary the social, economic, and political changes overseen by Thatcher’s government really were and the effects they had on the daily lives of Britons of all ages and classes. And she concludes with Thatcher’s contentious fall from power, showing how, even after the end of her premiership, “Thatcherism” continued to live on under her successors.
In this Audible Original, Professor Amy Edwards takes you through the life and leadership of Margaret Thatcher. See how she went from being a shopkeeper’s daughter who lived above her parent’s corner shop to holding Britain’s top job and earning a reputation as one of the most influential politicians of the 20th century.
In addition, Professor Edwards considers just how revolutionary the social, economic, and political changes overseen by Thatcher’s government really were and the effects they had on the daily lives of Britons of all ages and classes. And she concludes with Thatcher’s contentious fall from power, showing how, even after the end of her premiership, “Thatcherism” continued to live on under her successors.
Audible Audio
Published June 8, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 15, 2024
A really shallow portrait of Margaret Thatcher," this book overlooks the complexities of her leadership and policies, offering only a cursory look at her tenure as Prime Minister. It misses critical analysis of her economic reforms, foreign policies, and their impact, presenting a superficial examination of her legacy. The narrative fails to provide insights or new perspectives.
August 17, 2023
Growing up as a kid in the 80s we all hated Thatcher. And by "we" I mean my family, my friends, and anyone else that I respected. We knew she wasn't on "our side".
So I was intrigued by this audiobook as a chance to get a broader perspective on Thatcher's legacy and perhaps look at matters from a more mature perspective.
Unfortunately, while this book does provide some good general background, I felt it didn't go deep enough.
Two big points I took away
(1) It seems Thatcher herself was not as much of a fixed ideologue as people think. She had general ideas about cutting government spending, cutting welfare and reducing the power of trade unions but she did not have a fully detailed political doctrine and she responded to a lot of issues on an ad-hoc basis. This is why there is still a lot of controversy over the exact definition of "Thatcherism".
( 2) She was damn stubborn! I don't think I've heard of any other modern political leader who was so willing to stick to their guns and didn't care about public opinion. Not so sure that was a good thing.
A couple of questions that still bothered me:
( 1 ) What is the legacy of Thatcherism? 30 years later, it seems nobody is sure. Did it succeed? Is it still accepted? Was it inevitable? Not sure. I would have liked to see more discussion of this.
( 2 ) How was she able to win 3 elections in a row despite high unemployment and little attempt to charm the electorate? Why did people vote for the conservatives? As best as I can tell after a bit of googling, it seems she was a bit lucky with the timing of her elections:
In 1979, the economy sucked so Labor lost.
By 1983, the Falklands war, a slightly improving economy and Labor dysfunction helped her.
In 1987, an even more improving economy helped (although you could argue she deserved this one if you give her credit for the economy)
But it feels if the timing was a bit different she might have lost in 1982 or 1986 or 1989.
So I would have liked to see more discussion of how the people who voted for Thatcher felt about her. Were there many enthusiastic Thatcherites among the working classes? (Like there were many enthusiastic Reagan supporters in the US).
So I was intrigued by this audiobook as a chance to get a broader perspective on Thatcher's legacy and perhaps look at matters from a more mature perspective.
Unfortunately, while this book does provide some good general background, I felt it didn't go deep enough.
Two big points I took away
(1) It seems Thatcher herself was not as much of a fixed ideologue as people think. She had general ideas about cutting government spending, cutting welfare and reducing the power of trade unions but she did not have a fully detailed political doctrine and she responded to a lot of issues on an ad-hoc basis. This is why there is still a lot of controversy over the exact definition of "Thatcherism".
( 2) She was damn stubborn! I don't think I've heard of any other modern political leader who was so willing to stick to their guns and didn't care about public opinion. Not so sure that was a good thing.
A couple of questions that still bothered me:
( 1 ) What is the legacy of Thatcherism? 30 years later, it seems nobody is sure. Did it succeed? Is it still accepted? Was it inevitable? Not sure. I would have liked to see more discussion of this.
( 2 ) How was she able to win 3 elections in a row despite high unemployment and little attempt to charm the electorate? Why did people vote for the conservatives? As best as I can tell after a bit of googling, it seems she was a bit lucky with the timing of her elections:
In 1979, the economy sucked so Labor lost.
By 1983, the Falklands war, a slightly improving economy and Labor dysfunction helped her.
In 1987, an even more improving economy helped (although you could argue she deserved this one if you give her credit for the economy)
But it feels if the timing was a bit different she might have lost in 1982 or 1986 or 1989.
So I would have liked to see more discussion of how the people who voted for Thatcher felt about her. Were there many enthusiastic Thatcherites among the working classes? (Like there were many enthusiastic Reagan supporters in the US).
October 29, 2023
Margaret Thatcher is one of the most dominant leaders in the history of Great Britain and these lectures by Amy Edwards provide a useful introduction to the Iron Lady.Edwards is a critic of Thatcher but a fair one and though issues are not analyzed in depth this is a useful summary of a significant career.
April 1, 2025
Interesting, but probably better suited to someone coming at the topic new. For anyone who has studied the politics and history of the 1980s, it will offer fe insights as it is by its nature an introduction to the topic.
August 30, 2023
Good overview
August 30, 2023
A concise biography with a good discussion about Thatcher’s enduring legacy.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews