Product Description

Margaret Thatcher's government was, she says, about the application of a philosophy, not the implementation of an administrative programme. These ideas and beliefs were propelled throughout her time in office by a forcefulness and conviction, particularly in critical moments in her premiership - the Falklands War, the miner's strike, the Brighton bomb and her three election victories. In the second volume of her memoirs, following "The Downing Street Years", she reveals the inspiration behind many of her philosophies. She discusses the formative years of her childhood in Grantham, the values she learnt at home, the profound influence of her shopkeeeping father, and of her own schooling on future Conservative education policies. She recounts her days at Oxford, her academic work as a scientist, marriage to Dennis, and the beginning of her career as a politician when in 1959 she was selected to stand at Finchley. She gives her views on the governments of Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath and Jim Callaghan, and sets out the development of her ideas during her time in opposition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #123202 in Books
• Published on: 1995-06-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 656 pages

Synopsis
Margaret Thatcher's government was, she says, about the application of a philosophy, not the implementation of an administrative programme. These ideas and beliefs were propelled throughout her time in office by a forcefulness and conviction, particularly in critical moments in her premiership - the Falklands War, the miner's strike, the Brighton bomb and her three election victories. In the second volume of her memoirs, following "The Downing Street Years", she reveals the inspiration behind many of her philosophies. She discusses the formative years of her childhood in Grantham, the values she learnt at home, the profound influence of her shopkeeeping father, and of her own schooling on future Conservative education policies. She recounts her days at Oxford, her academic work as a scientist, marriage to Dennis, and the beginning of her career as a politician when in 1959 she was selected to stand at Finchley. She gives her views on the governments of Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath and Jim Callaghan, and sets out the development of her ideas during her time in opposition.

Customer Reviews

Worthy but not essential reading
I read this book after The Downing Street Years, and would generally agree with other reviews: it is simply not as compelling as its predecessor.

I was content to skim over the first few chapters (I rarely find the early years of any biography all that interesting) in anticipation to get to what I really wanted to hear about: her account of her time in Ted Heath's government.

That is, for me, the best part of this book. Her time in Heath's government is covered by two whole chapters, and her views of his leadership and, as she saw it, the 'U'-turn in the early 1970s, couldn't be clearer. But to be fair, though, she does hold up her hand and accept - as a full member of the Cabinet - her share of the blame for that government's ultimate failure.

I certainly think the publishers made a major gaffe by releasing this book AFTER The Downing Street Years which, as mentioned above and by some previous reviewers, was much superior. After the fascinating account of her turbulent years at No 10, this sequel was just bound to be a bit of an anti-climax.

A road less travelled...
In this book, the prequel to her more successful (and essentially more interesting) volume entitled 'The Downing Street Years', Margaret Thatcher gives us a glimpse into her life, and the events and people who shaped her, basically, who made her who she is.

You'll learn about her time at university, her early days in politics from a personal standpoint (for instance, she used to do her own ironing to press dresses immediately before going out, as she couldn't afford to have them pressed, and other small details like this abound), early days in the government and then leading up to the time in opposition prior to the elections of 1979.

Thatcher also adds a postscript to this book, completed after the account of her time as Prime Minister, in which she gives her prescriptions for a better Britain and Europe (in some ways, she might agree that her stance on the Eurocurrency is a la Nancy Reagan, i.e., 'Just say No!'). She has a few swipes at John Major, the man she helped into power, perhaps hoping to be able to be an active and effective agent from behind the scenes. Major retaliates a bit in his own autobiography.

In all, unless you're REALLY into British politics or Thatcher personally, this book could be easily missed. Read 'The Downing Street Years', and, as I've seen you can often pick this book up for some bargain-bin price, buy it so as to have the set. And you might peruse a chapter here and there.

It does have a good style of writing, but goes on quite a bit. Historians will appreciate it, but I often wonder if politicians think that most will actually read through all this material, considering they are invariably written when the author is off the centre stage?

A road less travelled...
In this book, the prequel to her more successful (and essentially more interesting) volume entitled 'The Downing Street Years', Margaret Thatcher gives us a glimpse into her life, and the events and people who shaped her, basically, who made her who she is.

One learns about her time at university, her early days in politics from a personal standpoint (for instance, she used to do her own ironing to press dresses immediately before going out, as she couldn't afford to have them pressed, and other small details like this abound), early days in the government and then leading up to the time in opposition prior to the elections of 1979.

Thatcher also adds a postscript to this book, completed after the account of her time as Prime Minister, in which she gives her prescriptions for a better Britain and Europe (in some ways, she might agree that her stance on the Eurocurrency is a la Nancy Reagan, i.e., 'Just say No!'). She has a few swipes at John Major, the man she helped into power, perhaps hoping to be able to be an active and effective agent from behind the scenes. Major retaliates a bit in his own autobiography.

In all, unless one is really into British politics or Thatcher personally, this book could be easily missed. Read 'The Downing Street Years', and, as I've seen once can often pick this book up for some bargain-bin price, buy it so as to have the set. And one might peruse a chapter here and there.

It does have a good style of writing, but goes on quite a bit. Historians will appreciate it, but I often wonder if politicians think that most will actually read through all this material, considering they are invariably written when the author is off the centre stage?