TPR Recommends... Lady Thatcher

For some of us, the 1980s were over before we were even born. For others, the realities of Lady Thatcher's time in office formed their day-to-day experiences for over a decade. Either way, few debates about the fundamentals of party politics in Britain can take place without the name of Margaret Thatcher making an appearance and dividing opinion even today. Her legacy has become ameliorated by her biggest fans and her three administrations have borne the brunt of criticism form many who have gone on to criticise her policies and new consensus. So here, TPR recommends some of the best books out their for understanding Margaret Thatcher's time in office, her legacy and her place in history.


Thatcher came to power after what was a tragic decade for Britain, including the ongoing industrial strife of the Heath and Callaghan governments, the three day electricity week and Britain's emergency loan from the IMF. The winter before Margaret Thatcher came to office, known as the "winter of discontent", set the scene of a stagnant nation and a government ready to be defeated in a vote of no confidence. In this book by Andy Beckett we have a lively and engaging perspective on the 1970s and the years that preceded Thatcher's Premiership. Worth remembering, as we've never known anything like it since she won in 1979... Purchase here.


This book of snappy essays from key figures such as Norman Tebbit, Malcolm Rifkind, George P. Shultz and Milton Friedman does, as you may expect, portray the Thatcher years as revolutionary in a rather positive light. However, its chapters on Britain's place in the world, inflation, unemployment, propoerty rights and privitization give a fascinating insight into the motivations behind her policies by some of its staunchest supporters. At times, holding nerve throughout the 1980s must have been tough. This book helps us understand why the nerve was held and why the support went on. Purchase here.



From a more critical stance in every respect, this work by Richard Vinen seeks to do away with something we've already touched upon in this post - the legacy of Thatcher and how the mythical status of the Lady and her governments have resulted in a chasm between the modern-day perception and the reality. Written for a generation of people who may not have been alive - and more than likely were not able to vote - when Britain's only female Prime Minister came to office, it seeks to re-assert the facts of her times in office and judge them as a consequence of the 1970s and 1980s, striking a blow to those who see her as a guidebook for all future governments in all situations. Purchase here.



And finally... we take a look outside of the UK and look at Margaret Thatcher's role in broader history and also her legacy on the world stage. This work by John O'Sullivan, former editor of the National Review and Times, draws upon his knowledge of three of the central figures at the end of the Cold War and the role they played in welcoming in the post-Soviet age. It is perhaps especially timely, now that the other foci of this work have passed away (Pope John Paul II and President Ronald Reagan), to focus on how Lady Thatcher's legacy will evolve as part of this trio. Purchase here.

Next time, we'll be considering some of the best books about the event in politics that has obsessed many politicos with a historic focus and gives us such political terms as "left" and "right". The glories if 1789-1815 will reveal themselves as TPR recommends the best books on the French Revolution.