Margaret Thatcher: The Autobiography

Description

A newly edited, single-volume commemorative edition of The Path to Power and The Downing Street Years; this is Margaret Thatcher in her own words. Margaret Thatcher is the towering figure of late-twentieth-century British politics. No other prime minister of modern times has sought to change Britain and its place in the world as radically as she did. This is the story of her remarkable life in her own words - the definitive account of an extraordinary politician, published in a single volume for the first time. She writes candidly about the formation of her character and values, and the experiences that propelled her to the very top in a man's world. Beginning with a touching account of her upbringing in Grantham, Lincolnshire, she goes on to describe her Oxford years, marriage to Denis, and entry into Parliament at a time when there were no more than a handful of women MPs. Rising through the ranks to Education Secretary and then Leader of the Opposition, she led the Conservative Party to a historic victory in the 1979 general election, becoming Britain's first female prime minister. The heart of the book is a riveting first-hand portrait of the events and personalities of her eleven years in power. She recalls the triumphs and the critical moments of her premiership - the Falklands War, the miners' strike, the Brighton bomb, the Westland Affair and her unprecedented three election victories. Her judgements of the men and women she encountered, whether world statesmen or Cabinet colleagues, are astonishingly frank. She is lavish with praise where it is due; devastating with criticism when it is not. The book reaches a gripping climax with an hour-by-hour description from inside 10 Downing Street of her dramatic final days in office. Margaret Thatcher's compelling autobiography stands as a powerful testament to her extraordinary legacy.

Margaret Thatcher's political career was one of the most remarkable of modern times. Born in Grantham in 1925, she rose to become the first woman to lead a major Western democracy. She won three successive general elections and served as prime minister for more than eleven years, from 1979 to 1990, a record unmatched in the twentieth century. She died in 2013.

Tributes to Margaret Thatcher: 'She fought against the clubby, cosy, male-dominated consensus of both main parties - and she won.' Boris Johnson, Mayor of London 'She will be remembered as a unique figure. She reshaped the politics of a whole generation. She was Britain's first woman prime minister. She moved the centre ground of British politics and was a huge figure on the world stage.' Ed Miliband, Leader of the Labour Party 'The world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and liberty, and America has lost a true friend. She stands as an example to our daughters that there is no glass ceiling that can't be shattered. She helped restore the confidence and pride that has always been the hallmark of Britain at its best.' Barack Obama, President of the United States of America