Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #98404 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 928 pages

Customer Reviews

Fascinating insight
I read this along with her autobiographies, and of course this is far less biased! It reveals fascinating background information about her postmaster father who was also a local councillor. Campbell suggests realistic reasons behind Thatcher's motives and drive, without delving into unecessary pychobabble.

Anyone with any interest in British politics or history will enjoy this book: it is written in an easy going style, but it is extrememly thorough and thoughtful.

Good quality biography
A well written and informative account of Margaret Thatcher's rise to power. I found it to be an interesting and enjoyable read but not a top quality biogrpahy for a couple of reasons.

First, the organisation of the material is not very imaginative. It is basically about 50 pages between each election and the focus is on documenting events. I have no problem with this, but the book is definitely not in the calibre of Robert Caro's work on Lyndon Johnson which captures so well both the personality of the figure and the backdrop of the times. Focusing on fewer crucial periods in Thatcher's career to bring out the personality or giving more rich context would have made a more insightful biography. A missed opportunity.

Second, and this is somewhat a niggly point, Campbell overdoes the correction of the Thatcher's memoirs. I don't think anyone really expects a politician's memoirs to be completely accurate. It seems unnecessary to correct points of detail as Campbell does every 3 pages.

A good book on Thatcher, well written but not a 5-star book.

Engaging biography and history
This well-researched book covers the life of Margaret Thatcher from her birth and her childhood in Grantham to her election as Prime Minister in 1979. Her youth and education are dealt with in the chapters Dutiful Daughter, Serious Schoolgirl and Oxford Tory, whilst the chapter Young Conservative recounts the story of her first job, her marriage to Denis Thatcher and her first spirited election campaigns in safe Labour seats.

The birth of her children, her life as a mother and housewife and her legal studies are discussed in chapter six: Superwoman. This chapter concludes with her stunning victory in the Finchley constituency in the 1959 election. The next two chapters describe her life as a backbencher and a junior minister. Between 1964 and 1970 with the Conservatives in opposition, Thatcher held many different portfolios: junior spokeswoman on pensions, housing and economic policy and member of the shadow cabinet for power, transport and finally education.

After the Tory victory in 1970 she was education secretary for more than three years. The Conservatives were defeated in 1974 and the next year she was elected leader of the opposition, the role dealt with in the chapter of the same name. The exciting election campaign of 1979 is covered in the chapter Into Downing Street, which also deals with the beginning of her long and glorious reign as Prime Minister.

The text is filled with quotes from newspapers and people who played a role in her life. The author has gone to great lengths to be as thorough and meticulous as possible; the research cannot be faulted. Furthermore, Campbell manages to capture the mood of the times very well in his analysis of British history and politics and succeeds in making the detail interesting. For example, the election results for Margaret's Finchley constituency are provided throughout the book, for every election.

As a great admirer of Thatcher, I do not agree with his every conclusion or every single point of opinion, but his work is exhaustive and impressive. It is also quite readable although the avalanche of facts, figures and analysis do sometimes reach overload.

Of the book's 33 black and white photographs, my favourites include a picture of Margaret aged 4 with her sister, the proud mother with twins in 1953 and the future Prime Minister holding a calf in the 1979 election campaign. The book includes 41 pages of notes and references, a vast bibliography and an index.

Along with volume 2, this excellent book will surely stand the test of time as the most authoritative biography of this remarkable woman. I also recommend Thatcher's book Statecraft, a highly readable and insightful look at world politics at the beginning of the 21st century.