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The Iron Bird
Forget pigs and carthorses and bring on the Big Beasts, because Animal Farm has been reimagined. This time it’s the creatures in the zoo that have decided to take back control. And instead of a parable about the evils of communism, the fable is the life of Margaret Thatcher.
It’s 2010, and Baroness Thatcher (a lappet-faced vulture) is losing it. And so she’s an unreliable narrator: grand, uncompromising, deluded. But before she drops off her perch, it’s time to set the record straight. What turned a grocer’s daughter from Grantham into the most powerful woman in the world? What put all that infamous iron into her soul?
And it’s also time to take a satirical swipe at other, more recent prime ministers. Who is the battle-scarred rhino caught in the glare of the spotlights? And why does he agree with Nick? What animal is David Cameron? And why would Lady Thatcher want to inspect some organ that has been inserted into the mouth of a pig?
It’s 2010, and Baroness Thatcher (a lappet-faced vulture) is losing it. And so she’s an unreliable narrator: grand, uncompromising, deluded. But before she drops off her perch, it’s time to set the record straight. What turned a grocer’s daughter from Grantham into the most powerful woman in the world? What put all that infamous iron into her soul?
And it’s also time to take a satirical swipe at other, more recent prime ministers. Who is the battle-scarred rhino caught in the glare of the spotlights? And why does he agree with Nick? What animal is David Cameron? And why would Lady Thatcher want to inspect some organ that has been inserted into the mouth of a pig?
324 pages, Paperback
Published February 7, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 17, 2019
On reading that this was an reimagining of ‘Animal Farm’ I was interested to see how Robert Woodshaw approached such a divisive figure as Margaret Thatcher. Would the story just vilify her (especially on reading that she was to be presented as a “lappet-faced vulture”) or would it go deeper in trying to portray this complex “Iron Bird”? The dual timeline the author has chosen is the perfect answer to this as a young Thatcher, bright, ambitious but unsure, at the beginning of her journey into fame/infamy, is juxtaposed with the ailing, decrepit bird nearing her final destination.
The author has obviously had great fun in choosing which animals to use to depict cross-party politicians during the decades. And the reader can have fun identifying them too. The transference of the different animal behaviours into a political arena works very well and real-world events pop up everywhere, seamlessly stitched into the animals’ lives. Dialogues between the various animals, although sometimes extended, are brilliantly imagined.
The rendering of the zoo – both its environs and its history – is also done in wonderful detail and everything has been thought through so carefully as to be almost filmic.
I enjoyed the novel immensely, although there is a shudder-inducing, somewhat sexually offensive, section on an “appendage” which I’d prefer not to have to dwell on. Overall, however, an excellent read and maybe, just maybe, I can now, for the first time, think of Thatcher as (ironically) human.
Full disclosure: I used to work in publishing and a friend in the industry gave me an advanced copy of this book.
The author has obviously had great fun in choosing which animals to use to depict cross-party politicians during the decades. And the reader can have fun identifying them too. The transference of the different animal behaviours into a political arena works very well and real-world events pop up everywhere, seamlessly stitched into the animals’ lives. Dialogues between the various animals, although sometimes extended, are brilliantly imagined.
The rendering of the zoo – both its environs and its history – is also done in wonderful detail and everything has been thought through so carefully as to be almost filmic.
I enjoyed the novel immensely, although there is a shudder-inducing, somewhat sexually offensive, section on an “appendage” which I’d prefer not to have to dwell on. Overall, however, an excellent read and maybe, just maybe, I can now, for the first time, think of Thatcher as (ironically) human.
Full disclosure: I used to work in publishing and a friend in the industry gave me an advanced copy of this book.
March 19, 2019
I've been reading The Iron Bird in between watching the chaotic votes in parliament over Brexit. Yes, it's a modern day Animal Farm, with its satirical take on the life of Margaret Thatcher and including some modern politicians, but the difference is that this is funny!
Well written, inventive, and entertainingly irreverent, it's a great antidote to the current machiavellian intrigues. He's created the whole UK political world in a zoo. You can probably guess which party are carnivores and which herbivores, and part of the appeal is working out which real life politicians each of the animal characters represents.
Now I've met Thatcher as a vulture I can only wonder why it took so long for someone to come up with the idea! A warning, though, you might find yourself sympathising with the baby bird's struggles, but not for long, the adult Iron Bird is as ruthless and merciless as her real life counterpart.
Well written, inventive, and entertainingly irreverent, it's a great antidote to the current machiavellian intrigues. He's created the whole UK political world in a zoo. You can probably guess which party are carnivores and which herbivores, and part of the appeal is working out which real life politicians each of the animal characters represents.
Now I've met Thatcher as a vulture I can only wonder why it took so long for someone to come up with the idea! A warning, though, you might find yourself sympathising with the baby bird's struggles, but not for long, the adult Iron Bird is as ruthless and merciless as her real life counterpart.
April 12, 2019
This is an amazing, rambunctious, high-energy romp through the life of (wait for it) Margaret Thatcher in the guise of a Rabelaisian satire. Think Animal Farm as written by Bill Hicks! An impressive cast from the politics of the last half century and more of British politics appear as members of a dilapidated zoo.
Thatcher herself stars as the Right Honourable Bel-imperia Pinch, a lappet-faced vulture (what else?) with a range of other prime ministers and sundry politicians taking their bows in a variety of animal disguises.
The style is exuberant and highly scatological. Few bodily functions are spared. And the author writes with passion and a love for his extended metaphor. It will certainly help if you have a detailed knowledge of recent politics so that you can spot the references and distinguish the spectacled owl from the cottontail rabbit. Perhaps future editions could have a concordance.
Four stars, for its furious intensity and daring. All political novels should be so brave and so committed.
Thatcher herself stars as the Right Honourable Bel-imperia Pinch, a lappet-faced vulture (what else?) with a range of other prime ministers and sundry politicians taking their bows in a variety of animal disguises.
The style is exuberant and highly scatological. Few bodily functions are spared. And the author writes with passion and a love for his extended metaphor. It will certainly help if you have a detailed knowledge of recent politics so that you can spot the references and distinguish the spectacled owl from the cottontail rabbit. Perhaps future editions could have a concordance.
Four stars, for its furious intensity and daring. All political novels should be so brave and so committed.
April 7, 2019
I did not expect to enjoy reading, let alone laugh at, a book about Margaret Thatcher, especially in today’s political madness. The clever way Woodshaw interweaves the young Thatcher, portrayed as a lappet-faced vulture, eager to breakaway from her life in the family business onto greater things and the ageing Thatcher who believes she is being invited back into politics to “ clear up the mess the Order of Herbivores left behind” is ingenious.
The reader has the pleasure of trying to identify the cross-party politicians. My favourite was the “nonsense sprouting, dishevelled looking polar bear that has aspirations to perform a ridiculous stunt on a zip wire”.
I read this on an ebook which gave me extra insights and opportunities to view footage and news articles - an original and creative touch that added another dimension to this great book.
A good read which I thoroughly recommend. It will make you think, wince, gasp and laugh out loud, often in the same paragraph!
The reader has the pleasure of trying to identify the cross-party politicians. My favourite was the “nonsense sprouting, dishevelled looking polar bear that has aspirations to perform a ridiculous stunt on a zip wire”.
I read this on an ebook which gave me extra insights and opportunities to view footage and news articles - an original and creative touch that added another dimension to this great book.
A good read which I thoroughly recommend. It will make you think, wince, gasp and laugh out loud, often in the same paragraph!
Read
September 14, 2019Not being a political animal myself I wondered how I would find the Iron Bird to read. I generally have a scathing opinion of both politics and politicians and am not one to take time out for the usual political biography but I have to say that having lived through Thatchers’ England it was impossible to pass up this opportunity to discover more about her in such a unique and amusing way. Love her or hate her she was undeniably a force to be reckoned with and put the fear of god into Europe, so this unusual insight into the almost tyrannical Thatcher had to be worth a read! I was not disappointed, this book is funny, informative and well worth making time for and I should add that I’ll never look at spaghetti the same way again!
February 27, 2019
The Iron Bird is written uniquely. Robert Woodshaw has a command of English language that has produced graphically descriptive text throughout.
His novel is a puzzle to piece together. Linking the zoological animals to their political counterparts is aided by some knowledge of the Thatcher years. Even so, I still found myself researching alongside reading. It would be really interesting to hear Robert talk about his choice of character correlations in more detail.
There is some stomach churning reading which to be fair, does link to the ravenous nature and behaviour of a vulture. I have a feeling that was the author's intention.
The variety of animals and their character links are wide. Referencing their scientific Latin names allowed Italian phrases to slip neatly into the story from time to time. Flipping between time zones from Bel-imperia Pinch's early years as a juvenile bird to the aged fallen hero Bel-imperia Pinch, Ex Commander in Chief of the Order of Carnivores, Ex- Prize Exhibit, Ex-Imperatrix, cleverly predicts future events and reflects on past actions.
I can imagine this novel really coming to life as an animated film.
His novel is a puzzle to piece together. Linking the zoological animals to their political counterparts is aided by some knowledge of the Thatcher years. Even so, I still found myself researching alongside reading. It would be really interesting to hear Robert talk about his choice of character correlations in more detail.
There is some stomach churning reading which to be fair, does link to the ravenous nature and behaviour of a vulture. I have a feeling that was the author's intention.
The variety of animals and their character links are wide. Referencing their scientific Latin names allowed Italian phrases to slip neatly into the story from time to time. Flipping between time zones from Bel-imperia Pinch's early years as a juvenile bird to the aged fallen hero Bel-imperia Pinch, Ex Commander in Chief of the Order of Carnivores, Ex- Prize Exhibit, Ex-Imperatrix, cleverly predicts future events and reflects on past actions.
I can imagine this novel really coming to life as an animated film.
March 16, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyable, well written and funny with a dive into disgusting at one point. After the Mouse Tail Tangle I needed a break of a few days before returning. Having lived through the Thatcher era definitely helped - it would be interesting how it reads to someone younger who doesn’t know who Thatcher was.
Most disturbing of all was that it made me want to start researching Thatcher’s childhood to check facts but I have so far managed to resist this strange urge.
I would thoroughly recommend The Iron Bird. Funny, disgusting, enjoyable and compelling.
Most disturbing of all was that it made me want to start researching Thatcher’s childhood to check facts but I have so far managed to resist this strange urge.
I would thoroughly recommend The Iron Bird. Funny, disgusting, enjoyable and compelling.
August 1, 2019
Brilliantly realised, very funny and a great homage to "Animal Farm". The animal-politician parallels are perfectly chosen and I found myself very drawn to the main character, despite not really being a fan of Thatcher. Great stuff.
June 19, 2025
Maybe 4.5 this was awesome
April 18, 2019
This hilarious romp is Animal Farm meets Gulliver's Travels. Animal Farm because it's a roman à clef in which each animal represents a specific politician, observed with unsettling clarity; Gulliver because the spirit of Jonathan Swift permeates the writing, which is acerbic and very, very funny - often laugh out loud funny.
At first I wanted a key to tell me who each animal represented, but as with Animal Farm I came to realise that this is unnecessary, indeed that it would be a distraction, because each animal, each character, represents an archetype of a specific type of political player, one that anyone would be familiar with who follows the news.
My view of the state British politics in the Thatcher era is perhaps a little less cynical than Robert Woodshaw's, particularly when I compare it with where we are now, but a lot of the satire resonated with me and I enjoyed the book enormously.
At first I wanted a key to tell me who each animal represented, but as with Animal Farm I came to realise that this is unnecessary, indeed that it would be a distraction, because each animal, each character, represents an archetype of a specific type of political player, one that anyone would be familiar with who follows the news.
My view of the state British politics in the Thatcher era is perhaps a little less cynical than Robert Woodshaw's, particularly when I compare it with where we are now, but a lot of the satire resonated with me and I enjoyed the book enormously.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews