Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #826208 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-01
• Released on: 2007-11-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Customer Reviews

Satisfying entry to 1980's conservative duo
When I first saw the book it interested me instantly. I have always thought it a coincidence that both Reagan and Thatcher serving in the same period. Two leaders had so much in common but I had not thought about it like a political marriage. I realised after reading that the Sentinel Publishers which had published the book defines themselves as "tough-minded defenders of America's fundamental values and national interests". My objective look was beginning to fade.

The early lives of the leaders are dealt in a quite detailed way. Ronald being a free soul seeking his fortunes first in radio commentary then in acting while Margaret frequents with the Conservative club in her University. Both marry their beloved ones who will later become their personal advisers at home. The resemblances of the leaders' political lives are also intriguing. Both become their party's first choices then going on to win general elections. First Thatcher will get the post of prime minsitry and she will be still there when Reagan will complete two terms in US presidency. Ronald's destiny was full of detours however. After having lost to Nixon and Ford in the primaries he defeated Bush senior in his third attempt for presidency.

In the office both commanded small scale war operations namely Falklands and Grenada, both had a common enemy in Soviet Union and both had cut government funding in social security spendings much to popular critisation. They got on perfectly well and the writer having armed with all the personal correspondences prove that their's was like a true political marriage. Both were criticised bitterly and both have escaped from attempts on their lives. Reagan from a non-political assassin and Thatcher from an IRA bomb.

The US-UK alliance have suffered setbacks on the two small scale wars in the Latin America. In the Falklands War, the notorious Argentina junta was one of Reagan's important allies in the region with a poor human rights record. Reagan cautiously tried to negotiate between his Argentine dictator friends and NATO ally Thatcher. The same thing happened in Grenada where US attacked the island pre-emptively without informing UK. As the island was theoretically inside the Comonwealth the invasion seriously harmed the US-UK relations. However the soul mates and revolutionary conservatives Reagan and Thatcher managed get their relationship going.

Their common enemy was of course the "evil empire" Soviet Union. Reagan and Thatcher defiantly attacked the stagnant communist bloc, happily watching the older generation of general secretaries die one after the other. They financed the solidarity Movement in Poland, encouraged the West Germans to tear up the Berlin Wall in Berlin. Once Gorbachev was raised to the top post of the Soviet Union they found a partner who was not interested in keeping the socialist bloc countries in the Soviet sphere of influence. The tearing up wall started the process of break up of the union.

However their time has come also. After serving two terms in a row, now an Alzheimer patient Reagan quit politics gracefully while the disgraced Thatche ousted by popular uprisings like poll tax riots in 1990 still craved for the days long gone. The book is written in one view, conservative view that sees all the left movements as evil. The not so much detailed miners' strike and the 1990 riots could have been explained in a thorough way. An good book worth reading for preliminary purposes. The Cold War warriors Iron Lady and the tough guy from California deserve to be understood more deeper than this. Just a quick note, Gorbachev was also present in Reagan's funeral, like Thatcher.

It is interesting to see that ordinary people when raised to international scene are vulnerable to pompous circumstances and can be easily dazzled. Nancy Reagan for example loved the luxurios life style of the Royal family of England and was extremely overjoyed when invited to stay in the Windsor Castle or met with the Royal Family .

Interesting thing is their legacy. After Reagan, Bush will go on to take US presidency however the Democrats will pursue his policies. Same thing will happen in the UK after Thatcher's resignation. John Major will be a gray man but Labour Prime Minister Tont Blair will continue Thatcher's policies. Especially with regards to curb the power of the workers' unions and privatisation, the dismantling of the welfare state policies.

The book is easily read but as I said in the publishing issue it is biased unfortunately. However there is much to be learned from it. Give it a try...