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Thatcher’s Trial: Six Months That Defined a Leader
Margaret Thatcher was elected Prime Minister in 1979, the first woman to hold the position, and the first woman in the Western world to lead a nation.
Within two years she was beset by troubles, and it seemed her historic government would be short-lived. In 1981 unemployment had risen to levels not seen since the 1930s and public finances foundered in their worst state since 1945. The 'no hope' budget delivered by Chancellor Geoffrey Howe in March marked the beginning of a six-month period which witnessed pressures in Northern Ireland, hunger strikes, urban riots and unprecedented unrest within the Conservative Party.
By the Cabinet reshuffle of 14 September, in which mutinous grandees were removed, Thatcher had firmly reasserted her authority. This extraordinary six-month period would come to define the Conservative Party's most successful and divisive modern figure: to her detractors a harsh, uncaring and dogmatic leader who made the country a more unequal, materialistic and brutal place; to her supporters, the saviour of a Britain which was becoming an ungovernable socialist state. The 1983 general election would prove a triumph.
Kwasi Kwarteng here captures this shopkeeper's daughter's unique leadership qualities – from her pulpit style and New Testament imagery to her emphasis on personal moral responsibility – in some of the most adverse conditions facing any statesman in modern peacetime to offer a compelling study of arguably the most significant six months in British post-war history.
Within two years she was beset by troubles, and it seemed her historic government would be short-lived. In 1981 unemployment had risen to levels not seen since the 1930s and public finances foundered in their worst state since 1945. The 'no hope' budget delivered by Chancellor Geoffrey Howe in March marked the beginning of a six-month period which witnessed pressures in Northern Ireland, hunger strikes, urban riots and unprecedented unrest within the Conservative Party.
By the Cabinet reshuffle of 14 September, in which mutinous grandees were removed, Thatcher had firmly reasserted her authority. This extraordinary six-month period would come to define the Conservative Party's most successful and divisive modern figure: to her detractors a harsh, uncaring and dogmatic leader who made the country a more unequal, materialistic and brutal place; to her supporters, the saviour of a Britain which was becoming an ungovernable socialist state. The 1983 general election would prove a triumph.
Kwasi Kwarteng here captures this shopkeeper's daughter's unique leadership qualities – from her pulpit style and New Testament imagery to her emphasis on personal moral responsibility – in some of the most adverse conditions facing any statesman in modern peacetime to offer a compelling study of arguably the most significant six months in British post-war history.
307 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2015
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About the author
Kwasi Kwarteng
13 books16 followersKwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng is a British politician and historian. A member of the Conservative Party, he has served as a member of parliament (MP) since 2010, representing the constituency of Spelthorne in Surrey.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 25, 2015
It's set up as a dramatic retelling of a pivotal six months in Thatcher's career. But it's neither dramatic, and so it doesn't seem particularly pivotal.
Undoubtedly, the events of that year - hunger strikes, riots, strife on the left, and the purge of the Wets - were all key moments in Thatcher's early premiership. But all they reveal to us is that she was resolute (or inflexible depending on your point of view). Not new news. And although they're all talked about in the space of one book, they're not crafted into a convincing connected narrative.
The framing of Thatcher's Methodism and Manichean world view is interesting. Explored in greater depth, THAT would have been a fascinating political study.
Undoubtedly, the events of that year - hunger strikes, riots, strife on the left, and the purge of the Wets - were all key moments in Thatcher's early premiership. But all they reveal to us is that she was resolute (or inflexible depending on your point of view). Not new news. And although they're all talked about in the space of one book, they're not crafted into a convincing connected narrative.
The framing of Thatcher's Methodism and Manichean world view is interesting. Explored in greater depth, THAT would have been a fascinating political study.
May 12, 2019
Despite being written by someone of the same political stance, this is a frank portrayal of one of the most controversial of all British Prime Ministers and does not attempt to hide her weaknesses or failures. As someone who was 27 in 1981 - the year the book focuses on - it brought back memories of a very different country. One in many ways far more divided than the Brexit-wracked Britain of 2019. With over 30 years of hindsight we can now more accurately judge the benefits and damaged resulting from Thatcherism. Well worth a read by anyone interested in 20th century history and politics
December 5, 2017
Perhaps not the most revelatory in terms of providing new insights, Kwasi's book is certainly meticulously researched and well written digging deep into the detail of British government and politics in 1981. I enjoyed it.
September 13, 2023
Excellent read!!
I love reading the history of events that happened in my lifetime. I can connect with what I remember and with this book can easily do just that.
This is an absorbing read
I love reading the history of events that happened in my lifetime. I can connect with what I remember and with this book can easily do just that.
This is an absorbing read
October 29, 2016
It is said that a person's true character can only be seen when facing certain hardships and on Maggie Thatcher, she was tough, intransigent, black-and-white-thinking, and confrontational, even with people from her own party. As the first woman prime minister of United Kingdom, she also the first Prime Minister not from social science educational background. I admire her for being a principled woman, to the stage of single-mindedness. That was certainly what made her radical. However, I believe that Maggie was certain to lose in 1983 if not for Falklands War. She was too inflexible to deal with troubles and that was the exact cause of her downfall in 1980's
June 23, 2016
Quite good. Kwarteng is of course intimately familiar with British politics and also scrupulously objective, taking great care to show that Thatcher's critics had a point but also making a great effort to show her religious roots and how she fits into a powerful tradition of British outsiders . I felt it captured Thatcher quite well to opponents and fans alike.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews