'A compelling account of a compulsory subject . . A masterpiece of compression and readability' Daniel Finkelstein'A deft, clear-eyed summary of Thatcher's life' Rory Stewart'Iain Dale introduces Margaret Thatcher to a new generation and intelligently explodes some of the myths about her' Simon HefferMargaret Thatcher was a woman of tremendous paradoxes: a conviction politician who was also a pragmatist; someone who delighted in her tough reputation, yet could also be emotional, and even tearful, when confronted by personal or national tragedy. Her reputation as a cabinet leader was one of being quasi-dictatorial, yet she left her ministers to get on with their jobs "“ far more than any of her successors ever have. She was known as a classical laissez faire liberal, yet she started out as a social conservative, and wasn"™t averse to state intervention when she felt it was warranted. Iain Dale"™s sparkling short biography of Margaret Thatcher brings her to life in all her paradoxes and contradictions, and shows how her election in 1979 really was a turning point in British history. Dubbed the "˜Iron Lady"™ by the Soviets, she was one of the few recent prime ministers to burnish an international reputation, fighting the Falklands war, playing a leading role in defeating Communism and winning the Cold War, and through her battles with the European Economic Community. Domestically, she ushered in a period of forty years of consensus on the limited role of the state, an industrial relations settlement and the dominance of the private sector in the economy "“ a settlement that is only now being seriously questioned. A little over a decade after her death, Margaret Thatcher introduces her to new generations of readers who may not remember her premiership, but who are living with its consequences.
