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{{Image|Margaret-Thatcher-1990.jpg|right|250px|Margaret Thatcher in September 1990. By this point she had been [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] for eleven years.}}
'''Margaret Thatcher''' (13 October 1925 – 8 April 2013) was the leader of the British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] from 1975 to 1990, and [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] from 1979 to 1990. She was Britain's first woman prime minister, and led her party to three general election victories in 1979, 1983 and 1987.


'''Margaret Thatcher''' (born 13 October 1925) was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the [[Conservative Party]] from 1975 to 1990. She made history in being the first and only woman to be Prime Minister.  A staunch Conservative who led her party to a series of landslides in 1979, 1983 and 1987 by preaching "Thatcherism" as a tough remedy to reverse Britain's steady decline.  Thatcherism meant she weakened labour unions, privatised some industries, rejected Keynesian economic policies for the monetarism of [[Milton Friedman]], and helped reinvigorate the British economy. In foreign policy she collaborated closely with American President [[Ronald Reagan]], especially in his efforts to end the [[Cold War]] by working deals with Soviet leader [[Mikhail Gorbachev]]. She was the first prime minister in modern British history to win three consecutive terms, and her "Iron Lady" image  and toughness in action and optimism for the future impressed Britons. After proposing a head tax that alienated voters, and continuing with a domineering style that alienated politicians, she was ousted from power in 1990 and took a peerage.  Historians rank her impact alongside [[Winston Churchill]], [[David Lloyd George]] and [[Tony Blair]]--indeed she forced Blair to abandon socialism and incorporate elements of Thatcherism into his New Labour policies.  
==Policies==
Thatcher was a right-wing politician who constantly preached a doctrine labelled as "Thatcherism". This was on one hand a direct attack upon the freedom of [[trade union]]s and on the other a [[privatisation]] scheme to transfer ownership of key public utilities into the hands of shareholders. Unlike Johnson in the 2020s, Thatcher could not be called a liar as she was always open and direct about her policies, but those policies seriously divided communities, damaged public welfare and caused increasing levels of poverty and homelessness among the country's poorer citizens.


==Life==
Thatcher and her supporters believed in a form of economics called monetarism, whereby she rejected [[Keynesian economics]] for the "theories" espoused by [[Milton Friedman]]. She claimed that monetarism would "reinvigorate" the British economy, but its failure is evidenced by the doubling of unemployment, the high inflation of the time, and the long-term economic chaos that has ensued. In foreign policy, she collaborated closely with American President [[Ronald Reagan]], especially in his efforts to end the [[Cold War]] by, as she put it, "doing business" with [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] leader [[Mikhail Gorbachev]].  
She was born Margaret Roberts at Grantham, England, on October 13, 1925 to a middle class family. She won a scholarship to Oxford University, where she studied chemistry and became chairman of the Conservative Association, graduating in 1947. She worked as a chemist until her marriage in 1951 to Denis Thatcher, a businessman. She qualified as a lawyer in 1953 and then practiced as a tax specialist
==Early career==
Thatcher entered Parliament in 1959. She held a junior office from 1961 to 1964 and from 1970 to 1974 was education minister in the government of [[Edward Heath]]. After its defeat in the two elections of 1974, the Conservative Party in the House of Commons forced Heath in 1975 to defend his leadership. In the first round of voting he trailed Thatcher, a dark horse candidate. Heath then resigned, and the Tories elected Thatcher party leader.


Thatcher pledged to change direction from Heath's policies, advocating tight control of the money supply and of public expenditure as the principal remedies for inflation. She declared that the nation was overtaxed and overgoverned; that individual initiative was being repressed; that only if people were permitted to keep more of the rewards of their work and entrepreneurship would Britain's industrial decline be halted; and that stricter controls should be imposed over black and Indian immigration.
Thatcher liked to be called the "Iron Lady" — in the Third Reich, Goering liked to be called "Der Eisener" (the Iron Man) — because she knew her "tough" image impressed many voters. She was a domineering personality, as illustrated by her insistence that she was "not for turning" regardless of what lay ahead, and her style eventually alienated even her closest supporters, especially [[Geoffrey Howe]] and [[Michael Heseltine]]. The end for Thatcher came after she alienated voters by insisting on the replacement of property taxes with a [[poll tax]]. In 1990, Howe delivered a devastating speech against her in the [[House of Commons (United Kingdom)|House of Commons]] and Heseltine challenged her for the Tory leadership. She won the vote but, with a significant loss of support, she was obliged to resign. Her hectoring claim that she had enjoyed "eleven wonderful years" was largely met with derision because inflation at the time was 11% and there had been substantial increases in unemployment, poverty and crime.
==Prime Minister==
Thatcher united her party around these positions. In the election of May 1979 a strong Conservative majority emerged, and she was named prime minister. Her monetary and spending restrictions contributed to a doubling of the unemployment rate by 1981, but did curb inflation. Thatcher's popularity rose in 1982 when she sent British troops to drive out an Argentine invasion force from the [[Falkland Islands]]. She retained her office after a strong Conservative showing in the June 1983 elections.


Under Thatcher, the Tories widely broadened their electoral base, extending it into the large middle class made up of skilled blue collar workers and professionals. By fiscal reforms, such as the privatization of nationalized industries, which encouraged financial discipline and economic dynamism, and by social reforms brought to bear on the educational system and National Health Service, Thatcherism built up a powerful ethos of enterprising individualism.
==1979 general election==
In 1979, when Thatcher won her first election, the Tories gained 43.9% of the vote and 339 seats to Labour's 269, for an overall majority of 43 seats. People generally voted against Labour rather than for the Conservatives. Labour had been weakened by the steady, long-term decline in the proportion of manual workers in the electorate. Twice as many manual workers normally voted Labour as voted Conservative, but they now constituted only 56% of the electorate. When [[Harold Wilson]] had won narrowly in 1964, manual workers had accounted for 63 per cent. Furthermore, they were beginning to turn against the trade unions — alienated, perhaps, by the difficulties of the [[winter of discontent|winter of 1978-1999]]. In contrast, Tory policies stressed wider home ownership, which Labour refused to match. Thatcher did best in districts where the economy was relatively strong and poorest where it was contracting.


==Falklands War==
Thatcher's popularity rose in 1982 after she dispatched a task force to the [[Falkland Islands]] following the invasion by Argentina. She claimed credit for the victory of the British service people but blithely ignored the fact that Argentina only dared to attempt an invasion because of her policy of reducing the size of the Royal Navy and withdrawing vessels from the South Atlantic, all in the interests of private enterprise. Even so, helped by marketing and tabloid propaganda, she did gain credit for the British victory and it enabled her to retain office by winning the general election in June 1983. With Labour still in transition and not yet seen as a credible alternative, she won again in June 1987.


At the June 1987 elections, thanks in part to the increased number of pro-Tory property owners, she retained a strong parliamentary majority.
===Intellectuals===
===Intellectuals===
Among her early supporters were libertarian intellectuals, their think tanks, and neoliberal economists, notably Sir [[Keith Joseph]] (b. 1918) who in the mid-1970s, had challenged the Conservative Party's previously collectivist orientation. Her attempts to implement their ideas deeply divided the British intellectual establishment and infuriated many academics and members of the artistic and literary worlds. Thatcher's populist style of politics, identification with the business world, strong personality, cuts to education budgets and idiosyncratic mannerisms enhanced the divisive impact of the controversial ideas she espoused.<ref> Brian Harrison, "Mrs. Thatcher and the Intellectuals." ''Twentieth Century British History'' 1994 5(2): 206-245. Issn: 0955-2359 </ref>
Among her early supporters were [[libertarian]] intellectuals, their think-tanks, and [[neoliberalism|neoliberal]] economists such as Sir [[Keith Joseph]] who in the mid-1970s had challenged the Conservative Party's previously [[collectivism|collectivist]] orientation. Her attempts to implement their ideas deeply divided the British intellectual establishment and infuriated many academics and members of the artistic and literary worlds. Thatcher's populist style of politics, identification with the business world, strong personality, cuts to education budgets and idiosyncratic mannerisms enhanced the divisive impact of the controversial ideas she espoused.<ref>Brian Harrison, 'Mrs. Thatcher and the Intellectuals'. ''Twentieth Century British History'' 1994 5(2): 206-245. Issn: 0955-2359.</ref>
 
===Economic policies===
===Economic policies===
The economy had done poorly in the 1970s and entered  another recession in 1980-81, followed by a long boom that strengthened her hand. Her "Medium Term Financial Strategy" (MTFS) of 1980, was based on [[Milton Friedman]]'s monetarism in its focus on broad money. Although she reduced public spending, increased privatization, and spearheaded legislative reforms restricting trade union activity, unemployment and poverty grew substantially.<ref> Roger E. Backhouse, "The Macroeconomics of Margaret Thatcher." ''Journal of the History of Economic Thought'' 2002 24(3): 313-334. Issn: 1053-8372 </ref>
Because of industrial strife, the British economy had done poorly in the 1970s and, after Thatcher was voted in, there was another recession in 1980-81 before things settled down somewhat. Her 'Medium Term Financial Strategy' (MTFS) of 1980 was based on Friedman's monetarism in its focus on "broad money". Although she reduced public spending, increased privatisation, and spearheaded legislative reforms restricting trade union activity, unemployment and poverty grew substantially.<ref>Roger E. Backhouse, 'The Macroeconomics of Margaret Thatcher'. ''Journal of the History of Economic Thought'' 2002 24(3): 313-334. Issn: 1053-8372.</ref>
===Privatization===  
 
Privatization was perhaps the most enduring legacy of the political economy developed under Thatcher. She privatized long-nationalized corporations (such as the telephone and aerospace firms) and, most important, sold public housing to tenants, all on favorable terms. The policy developed an important electoral dimension during the second Thatcher government (1983-90). It involved more than denationalization: wider share ownership was the second plank of the policy, and this provides an important historical perspective on the relationship between Thatcherism and 20th-century conservatism.<ref> Richard Stevens, "The Evolution of Privatisation as an Electoral Policy, c. 1970-90." ''Contemporary British History'' 2004 18(2): 47-75. Issn: 1361-9462 Fulltext: [[Ebsco]]</ref>
===Privatisation===  
In the long term, privatisation has been the most damaging aspect of the political economy developed under Thatcher. She privatised long-nationalised [[corporation]]s (such as energy, telephone and aerospace), and sold public housing to tenants on favourable terms. The policy developed a significant electoral dimension during the second and third Thatcher governments (1983-1990). It involved more than denationalisation: wider share ownership was the second plank of the policy, and this provides a historical perspective on the relationship between Thatcherism and twentieth-century conservatism.<ref>Richard Stevens, 'The Evolution of Privatisation as an Electoral Policy, c. 1970-90'. ''Contemporary British History'' 2004 18(2): 47-75. Issn: 1361-9462. Fulltext: [[Ebsco]].</ref>
 
===Ousting===
Even in the new anti-socialist climate Thatcher had forged, her replacement of property taxes with a poll tax proved highly unpopular. Inflation of 11%, coupled with her resistance to the UK's further integration into the [[Euro|European monetary system]], disillusioned the Conservatives, as did her abrasive leadership. The resignations of [[Michael Heseltine]] and [[Geoffrey Howe]] were particularly damaging; Heseltine ultimately challenged Thatcher for leadership of the party. On 22nd November 1990, she was forced to resign her party role (and thus the prime ministership), despite having beaten Heseltine in the first round of voting by Conservative MPs; it was nevertheless clear that she had lost a lot of support. [[John Major]], Thatcher's preferred successor at the time, succeeded her, following victory over Heseltine in a second round.
 
==Post-Downing Street career==
Thatcher remained an MP until the 1992 election, and on 5 June 1992 she was given a life peerage as Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven. In the [[House of Lords]] she frequently criticised Major's European policies. She penned two [[biography|biographies]] and remained much in demand as a speaker. Thatcher's opinion on political matters was often sought by politicians and the media, and she publicly supported [[William Hague]] as Major's successor following the party's heavy defeat in the 1997 general election. Thatcher also returned to the headlines in the later 1990s as an ardent supporter of General [[Augusto Pinochet]], the former [[Chile]]an dictator, who was under house arrest in [[London, United Kingdom|London]] following an [[extradition]] request on [[human rights]] grounds.


==Ouster==
Even in the new anti-socialist climate she had forged, her replacement of property taxes with a poll tax proved highly unpopular. Inflation of 11% coupled with her resistance to Britain's further integration into the European monetary system, disillusioned the Conservatives with her abrasive leadership. On November 22, 1990, she was forced to resign her party role (and thus the prime ministership). [[John Major]] succeeded her. On June 5, 1992, she was given a life peerage as Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven. In the House of Lords she frequently criticized Major's European policies.
==Further reading==
==Further reading==
see the more detailed guide at [[Margaret Thatcher/Bibliography]]
''See the more detailed guide at [[Margaret Thatcher/Bibliography]]''


* Campbell, John. ''Margaret Thatcher. Vol. 1: The Grocer's Daughter.'' (2000); ''Margaret Thatcher. vol. 2: Iron Lady'' (2007), 520pp; 913pp;  long, detailed authoritative biography  
* Campbell, John. ''Margaret Thatcher. Vol. 1: The Grocer's Daughter.'' (2000); ''Margaret Thatcher. vol. 2: Iron Lady'' (2007), 520pp; 913pp;  long, detailed authoritative biography .
* Evans, Brendan. ''Thatcherism and British Politics, 1975-1997'' (2000)  
* Evans, Brendan. ''Thatcherism and British Politics, 1975-1997'' (2000).
* Evans, Eric J. ''Thatcher and Thatcherism.'' (2nd ed. 2004). 176 pp [http://www.questia.com/read/107494201?title=Thatcher%20and%20Thatcherism online edition]
* Evans, Eric J. ''Thatcher and Thatcherism.'' (2nd ed. 2004). 176 pp [http://www.questia.com/read/107494201?title=Thatcher%20and%20Thatcherism online edition]
*  Fry, Geoffrey K. ''Politics of the Thatcher Revolution: An Interpretation of British Politics 1975-1990'' (2008)
*  Fry, Geoffrey K. ''Politics of the Thatcher Revolution: An Interpretation of British Politics 1975-1990'' (2008).
* Geelhoed, Bruce E. and Hobbs, James F.  ''Margaret Thatcher's Last Hurrah: In Victory and Downfall, 1987 and 1990.'' (1992). 193 pp.  [http://www.questia.com/read/15091359?title=Margaret%20Thatcher%3a%20In%20Victory%20and%20Downfall%2c%201987%20and%201990 online edition]; also [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Margaret-Thatcher-Victory-Downfall-1987/dp/0275941485/ref=sr_1_34?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212823416&sr=8-34 excerpt and text search]
* Geelhoed, Bruce E. and Hobbs, James F.  ''Margaret Thatcher's Last Hurrah: In Victory and Downfall, 1987 and 1990.'' (1992). 193 pp.  [http://www.questia.com/read/15091359?title=Margaret%20Thatcher%3a%20In%20Victory%20and%20Downfall%2c%201987%20and%201990 online edition]; also [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Margaret-Thatcher-Victory-Downfall-1987/dp/0275941485/ref=sr_1_34?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212823416&sr=8-34 excerpt and text search]
* Holmes, Martin. ''The First Thatcher Government, 1979-83: Contemporary Conservatism and Economic Change'' (1985); ''Thatcherism: Scope and Limits, 1983-87.'' (1989). 174 pp. a sympathetic assessment.
* Holmes, Martin. ''The First Thatcher Government, 1979-83: Contemporary Conservatism and Economic Change'' (1985); ''Thatcherism: Scope and Limits, 1983-87.'' (1989). 174 pp. a sympathetic assessment.
* Kavanagh, Dennis, and Anthony Seldon, eds. ''The Thatcher Effect'' (1989), major interpretive essays by experts
* Kavanagh, Dennis, and Anthony Seldon, eds. ''The Thatcher Effect'' (1989), major interpretive essays by experts.
* Pugliese, Stanislao, ed.  ''The Political Legacy of Margaret Thatcher.'' (2003). 419 pp.   
* Pugliese, Stanislao, ed.  ''The Political Legacy of Margaret Thatcher.'' (2003). 419 pp.   
* Reitan, Earl A. ''The Thatcher Revolution: Margaret Thatcher, John Major, and Tony Blair, and the Transformation of Modern Britain, 1979-2001.'' (2003). 260 pp.   
* Reitan, Earl A. ''The Thatcher Revolution: Margaret Thatcher, John Major, and Tony Blair, and the Transformation of Modern Britain, 1979-2001.'' (2003). 260 pp.   
* Roy, Subroto and Clarke, John, eds.  ''Margaret Thatcher's Revolution: How It Happened and What It Meant.'' (2005). 209 pp.   
* Roy, Subroto and Clarke, John, eds.  ''Margaret Thatcher's Revolution: How It Happened and What It Meant.'' (2005). 209 pp.   
* Sharp, Paul. ''Thatcher's Diplomacy: The Revival of British Foreign Policy.'' (1997). 269 pp.   
* Sharp, Paul. ''Thatcher's Diplomacy: The Revival of British Foreign Policy.'' (1997). 269 pp.   
* Thatcher, Margaret. ''The Path to Power (1995); ''The Downing Street Years.'' (1993). 914 pp., highly detailed memoirs
* Thatcher, Margaret. ''The Path to Power'' (1995); ''The Downing Street Years.'' (1993). 914 pp., highly detailed memoirs
*  Thompson, Juliet S., and  Wayne C. Thompson. ''Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister Indomitable'' (1994) [http://www.questia.com/read/85710688?title=Margaret%20Thatcher%3a%20Prime%20Minister%20Indomitable online edition]
*  Thompson, Juliet S., and  Wayne C. Thompson. ''Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister Indomitable'' (1994) [http://www.questia.com/read/85710688?title=Margaret%20Thatcher%3a%20Prime%20Minister%20Indomitable online edition].
* Wapshott, Nicholas. ''Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher: A Political Marriage.'' (2007) 329 pp.   
* Wapshott, Nicholas. ''Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher: A Political Marriage.'' (2007) 329 pp.   
* Young, Hugo. ''The Iron Lady: A Biography of Margaret Thatcher.'' (1989). 570 pp. well-written and well researched
* Young, Hugo. ''The Iron Lady: A Biography of Margaret Thatcher.'' (1989). 570 pp. Well written and researched.
 
==Footnotes==
{{reflist|2}}[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]]

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Margaret Thatcher in September 1990. By this point she had been Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for eleven years.

Margaret Thatcher (13 October 1925 – 8 April 2013) was the leader of the British Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990, and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. She was Britain's first woman prime minister, and led her party to three general election victories in 1979, 1983 and 1987.

Policies

Thatcher was a right-wing politician who constantly preached a doctrine labelled as "Thatcherism". This was on one hand a direct attack upon the freedom of trade unions and on the other a privatisation scheme to transfer ownership of key public utilities into the hands of shareholders. Unlike Johnson in the 2020s, Thatcher could not be called a liar as she was always open and direct about her policies, but those policies seriously divided communities, damaged public welfare and caused increasing levels of poverty and homelessness among the country's poorer citizens.

Thatcher and her supporters believed in a form of economics called monetarism, whereby she rejected Keynesian economics for the "theories" espoused by Milton Friedman. She claimed that monetarism would "reinvigorate" the British economy, but its failure is evidenced by the doubling of unemployment, the high inflation of the time, and the long-term economic chaos that has ensued. In foreign policy, she collaborated closely with American President Ronald Reagan, especially in his efforts to end the Cold War by, as she put it, "doing business" with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Thatcher liked to be called the "Iron Lady" — in the Third Reich, Goering liked to be called "Der Eisener" (the Iron Man) — because she knew her "tough" image impressed many voters. She was a domineering personality, as illustrated by her insistence that she was "not for turning" regardless of what lay ahead, and her style eventually alienated even her closest supporters, especially Geoffrey Howe and Michael Heseltine. The end for Thatcher came after she alienated voters by insisting on the replacement of property taxes with a poll tax. In 1990, Howe delivered a devastating speech against her in the House of Commons and Heseltine challenged her for the Tory leadership. She won the vote but, with a significant loss of support, she was obliged to resign. Her hectoring claim that she had enjoyed "eleven wonderful years" was largely met with derision because inflation at the time was 11% and there had been substantial increases in unemployment, poverty and crime.

1979 general election

In 1979, when Thatcher won her first election, the Tories gained 43.9% of the vote and 339 seats to Labour's 269, for an overall majority of 43 seats. People generally voted against Labour rather than for the Conservatives. Labour had been weakened by the steady, long-term decline in the proportion of manual workers in the electorate. Twice as many manual workers normally voted Labour as voted Conservative, but they now constituted only 56% of the electorate. When Harold Wilson had won narrowly in 1964, manual workers had accounted for 63 per cent. Furthermore, they were beginning to turn against the trade unions — alienated, perhaps, by the difficulties of the winter of 1978-1999. In contrast, Tory policies stressed wider home ownership, which Labour refused to match. Thatcher did best in districts where the economy was relatively strong and poorest where it was contracting.

Falklands War

Thatcher's popularity rose in 1982 after she dispatched a task force to the Falkland Islands following the invasion by Argentina. She claimed credit for the victory of the British service people but blithely ignored the fact that Argentina only dared to attempt an invasion because of her policy of reducing the size of the Royal Navy and withdrawing vessels from the South Atlantic, all in the interests of private enterprise. Even so, helped by marketing and tabloid propaganda, she did gain credit for the British victory and it enabled her to retain office by winning the general election in June 1983. With Labour still in transition and not yet seen as a credible alternative, she won again in June 1987.

Intellectuals

Among her early supporters were libertarian intellectuals, their think-tanks, and neoliberal economists such as Sir Keith Joseph who in the mid-1970s had challenged the Conservative Party's previously collectivist orientation. Her attempts to implement their ideas deeply divided the British intellectual establishment and infuriated many academics and members of the artistic and literary worlds. Thatcher's populist style of politics, identification with the business world, strong personality, cuts to education budgets and idiosyncratic mannerisms enhanced the divisive impact of the controversial ideas she espoused.[1]

Economic policies

Because of industrial strife, the British economy had done poorly in the 1970s and, after Thatcher was voted in, there was another recession in 1980-81 before things settled down somewhat. Her 'Medium Term Financial Strategy' (MTFS) of 1980 was based on Friedman's monetarism in its focus on "broad money". Although she reduced public spending, increased privatisation, and spearheaded legislative reforms restricting trade union activity, unemployment and poverty grew substantially.[2]

Privatisation

In the long term, privatisation has been the most damaging aspect of the political economy developed under Thatcher. She privatised long-nationalised corporations (such as energy, telephone and aerospace), and sold public housing to tenants on favourable terms. The policy developed a significant electoral dimension during the second and third Thatcher governments (1983-1990). It involved more than denationalisation: wider share ownership was the second plank of the policy, and this provides a historical perspective on the relationship between Thatcherism and twentieth-century conservatism.[3]

Ousting

Even in the new anti-socialist climate Thatcher had forged, her replacement of property taxes with a poll tax proved highly unpopular. Inflation of 11%, coupled with her resistance to the UK's further integration into the European monetary system, disillusioned the Conservatives, as did her abrasive leadership. The resignations of Michael Heseltine and Geoffrey Howe were particularly damaging; Heseltine ultimately challenged Thatcher for leadership of the party. On 22nd November 1990, she was forced to resign her party role (and thus the prime ministership), despite having beaten Heseltine in the first round of voting by Conservative MPs; it was nevertheless clear that she had lost a lot of support. John Major, Thatcher's preferred successor at the time, succeeded her, following victory over Heseltine in a second round.

Post-Downing Street career

Thatcher remained an MP until the 1992 election, and on 5 June 1992 she was given a life peerage as Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven. In the House of Lords she frequently criticised Major's European policies. She penned two biographies and remained much in demand as a speaker. Thatcher's opinion on political matters was often sought by politicians and the media, and she publicly supported William Hague as Major's successor following the party's heavy defeat in the 1997 general election. Thatcher also returned to the headlines in the later 1990s as an ardent supporter of General Augusto Pinochet, the former Chilean dictator, who was under house arrest in London following an extradition request on human rights grounds.

Further reading

See the more detailed guide at Margaret Thatcher/Bibliography

  • Campbell, John. Margaret Thatcher. Vol. 1: The Grocer's Daughter. (2000); Margaret Thatcher. vol. 2: Iron Lady (2007), 520pp; 913pp; long, detailed authoritative biography .
  • Evans, Brendan. Thatcherism and British Politics, 1975-1997 (2000).
  • Evans, Eric J. Thatcher and Thatcherism. (2nd ed. 2004). 176 pp online edition
  • Fry, Geoffrey K. Politics of the Thatcher Revolution: An Interpretation of British Politics 1975-1990 (2008).
  • Geelhoed, Bruce E. and Hobbs, James F. Margaret Thatcher's Last Hurrah: In Victory and Downfall, 1987 and 1990. (1992). 193 pp. online edition; also excerpt and text search
  • Holmes, Martin. The First Thatcher Government, 1979-83: Contemporary Conservatism and Economic Change (1985); Thatcherism: Scope and Limits, 1983-87. (1989). 174 pp. a sympathetic assessment.
  • Kavanagh, Dennis, and Anthony Seldon, eds. The Thatcher Effect (1989), major interpretive essays by experts.
  • Pugliese, Stanislao, ed. The Political Legacy of Margaret Thatcher. (2003). 419 pp.
  • Reitan, Earl A. The Thatcher Revolution: Margaret Thatcher, John Major, and Tony Blair, and the Transformation of Modern Britain, 1979-2001. (2003). 260 pp.
  • Roy, Subroto and Clarke, John, eds. Margaret Thatcher's Revolution: How It Happened and What It Meant. (2005). 209 pp.
  • Sharp, Paul. Thatcher's Diplomacy: The Revival of British Foreign Policy. (1997). 269 pp.
  • Thatcher, Margaret. The Path to Power (1995); The Downing Street Years. (1993). 914 pp., highly detailed memoirs
  • Thompson, Juliet S., and Wayne C. Thompson. Margaret Thatcher: Prime Minister Indomitable (1994) online edition.
  • Wapshott, Nicholas. Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher: A Political Marriage. (2007) 329 pp.
  • Young, Hugo. The Iron Lady: A Biography of Margaret Thatcher. (1989). 570 pp. Well written and researched.

Footnotes

  1. Brian Harrison, 'Mrs. Thatcher and the Intellectuals'. Twentieth Century British History 1994 5(2): 206-245. Issn: 0955-2359.
  2. Roger E. Backhouse, 'The Macroeconomics of Margaret Thatcher'. Journal of the History of Economic Thought 2002 24(3): 313-334. Issn: 1053-8372.
  3. Richard Stevens, 'The Evolution of Privatisation as an Electoral Policy, c. 1970-90'. Contemporary British History 2004 18(2): 47-75. Issn: 1361-9462. Fulltext: Ebsco.