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Rating: 
Summary: The best biography of Mrs Thatcher
Review: For Anglophiles and serious students of modern Britishpolitics and economics, this is almost surely thebest full-length biography of Margaret Thatcher that has been written thus far. Young concisely summarises the major events in Thatcher's career and provides sharp analyses of her personality and policies (eg, the effect on her of her class background, her closeness to Britain's Jewish community, etc). One wishes that he had written more about the economy, but since Young (who recently died) was a political journalist, his focus is understandably on politics. Especially good are the thumbnail sketches of the other major figures of Thatcherism -- Norman Tebbit, Nigel Lawson, Lord Young, etc.
Rating:
Summary: Great Biography
Review: There have been few women throughout history whose impact has been so great that they have caused an era to carry their name. In the case of Queen Elizabeth I, the Elizabethian Age was followed several hundred years later by the Victorian Age of Queen Victoria, only to give way in time to Margaret Thatcher and "Thatcherism."Margaret Thatcher was truly a unique politician--not simply for the fact that she became the first female to head a western democracy, but because she was truly skilled and resolved in the art of politics. Margaret Thatcher was born into politics. The child of an alderman, she served under Harold Macmillan and in the government of Edward Heath. Her view of government and her rise to power mirrored, in many ways, the acension of Ronald Reagan in the United States. And, indeed, theirs is considered on the of the closest political alliances in history. Her view of smaller government, whatever the readers point of view, clicked with what England needed after years of shifting towards a socialist system. She was keen on privatization and lowering taxes. Something, that although cases could be made either way, certainly worked for her in 1980's Great Britian. The book also points out her outspoken opposition to communism, thus earning her the title "iron lady." Young takes care to highlight her brilliance as a visionary, her willingness to restore British pride by refusing to give up the Falkands, and her resolve in not giving one inch of ground in her belief that the democratic, free enterprise system was superior. This is truly a great book for all who are interested in the end of the Cold War and for those who wish to study the conservative "revolution" that struck the West in the 1980's.
Rating:
Summary: Great Biography
Review: There have been few women throughout history whose impact has been so great that they have caused an era to carry their name. In the case of Queen Elizabeth I, the Elizabethian Age was followed several hundred years later by the Victorian Age of Queen Victoria, only to give way in time to Margaret Thatcher and "Thatcherism." Margaret Thatcher was truly a unique politician--not simply for the fact that she became the first female to head a western democracy, but because she was truly skilled and resolved in the art of politics. Margaret Thatcher was born into politics. The child of an alderman, she served under Harold Macmillan and in the government of Edward Heath. Her view of government and her rise to power mirrored, in many ways, the acension of Ronald Reagan in the United States. And, indeed, theirs is considered on the of the closest political alliances in history. Her view of smaller government, whatever the readers point of view, clicked with what England needed after years of shifting towards a socialist system. She was keen on privatization and lowering taxes. Something, that although cases could be made either way, certainly worked for her in 1980's Great Britian. The book also points out her outspoken opposition to communism, thus earning her the title "iron lady." Young takes care to highlight her brilliance as a visionary, her willingness to restore British pride by refusing to give up the Falkands, and her resolve in not giving one inch of ground in her belief that the democratic, free enterprise system was superior. This is truly a great book for all who are interested in the end of the Cold War and for those who wish to study the conservative "revolution" that struck the West in the 1980's.
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