SIGN UP
Account
 

Margaret Thatcher: A Portrait of the Iron Lady

by John Blundell Author

(From Amazon): This biography of Lady Thatcher relates in warm detail the life of Margaret Thatcher, her achievements as British Prime Minister, and her life since retirement. Written in a vigorous, no-nonsense style, Margaret Thatcher provides a succinct portrait of the Iron Lady, illustrating what the terms Thatcherite and Thatcherism really mean. Blundell shows why Thatcher was such an outstanding world leader and such an inspiration for women leaders in particular.The book begins with contrasting scenes the desolation of Britain in the 1978-9 Winter of Discontent prior to Thatcher's premiership, and the economic buoyancy and national self-confidence that prevailed by the end of her period in office 11½ years later. The body of the text provides a chronological, strongly narrative treatment of Thatcher s life, from childhood through to current times. When Margaret Thatcher donated $3m to the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, to establish the Thatcher Center, it was John Blundell who proposed the toast to her in front of the 500+ audience assembled to mark the occasion. This book is his personal portrait of Margaret Thatcher, the woman who was the pivotal point of the rescue of a country, a woman who woke up her nation and made it once again a world leader. It is not only the story of her life but also an examination of the ideas, interests, and circumstances surrounding key events.The author illustrates Thatcher's decisive style in handling potentially explosive issues, her sang-froid, and her charm through numerous vignettes and quotes. He relates the facts of Margaret Thatcher's terms in power and explains how policy reforms and political perspectives that are now taken for granted in Britain had to be fought for.The transformation she brought to the United Kingdom was stunning on many fronts. Pre-Thatcher, Blundell says, a sclerotic union-dominated economy was typified by surly service, poor products and a "craven" business class. Post-Thatcher even the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), an exemplar of what Americans call the "liberal media," extended its coverage of the private business sector quite considerably, such is the emphasis on the values of capitalism in today's society. Service and product quality have been improved many times over. The choice and level of quality and service that had so impressed the author on his first visits to the U.S. in 1974 was becoming commonplace in the UK by the end of her terms as Prime Minister.

Tags:

Additional Details

Resource Type
Book
ISBN
9780875866314
Print Status
In Print
Chapters
28
Pages
236
Suggested Grades
9th - 12th
Publisher
Algora Publishing
Copyright
2008

Chapters

  • 1 Introduction
  • 2 Childhood
  • 3 University
  • 4 Launching
  • 5 Elected
  • 6 Opposition I
  • 7 Education Secretary
  • 8 Reflections
  • 9 Leader
  • 10 Opposition II
  • 11 Power
  • 12 Liberating the Economy
  • 13 Privatizing the Commanding Heights
  • 14 Selling Off Public Housing
  • 15 Going to War
  • 16 Beating the Miners
  • 17 Reforming the Unions
  • 18 Battling the IRA
  • 19 Befriending America
  • 20 Kicking Down the Wall
  • 21 Dealing with Brussels
  • 22 Resignation
  • 23 Retirement
  • 24 Family
  • 25 Men
  • 26 Her World
  • 27 Ten Lessons
  • 28 Postscript: What Remains to be Done

User Reviews

Add a Review

You'll need to log in to your account before leaving a review. Don't have an account? You can sign up for free!

Report a problem with this resource