Margaret Thatcher

Sound Bite

This biography of Lady Thatcher relates in warm detail the life of Margaret Thatcher, her achievements as British Prime Minister, and her life since retirement. Written in a vigorous, no-nonsense style, Lady Thatcher provides a succinct portrait of the Iron Lady, illustrating what the terms 'Thatcherite' and 'Thatcherism' really mean. Blundell shows why Thatcher was such an outstanding world leader and such an inspiration for women leaders in particular.The book begins with contrasting scenes ' the desolation of Britain in the 1978-9 'Winter of Discontent' prior to Thatcher's premiership, and the economic buoyancy and national self-confidence that prevailed by the end of her period in office 11 Ã?½ years later. The body of the text provides a chronological, strongly narrative treatment of Thatcher's life, from childhood through to current times.John Blundell has been one of the most effective champions of the free- enterprise economic model which has delivered progress and prosperity around the world. Therefore he is very well placed to explain to Americans the beliefs and principles which underpinned what became known as "Thatcherism". 'Lady Thatcher, Summer 2008

About the Book

This book is John Blundell's personal portrait of Margaret Thatcher, the woman who was the pivotal point of the rescue of a country, a woman who woke up her nation and made it once again a world leader. It is not only the story of her life but also an examination of the ideas, interests, and circumstances surrounding key events.The author illustrates Thatcher's decisive style in handling potentially explosive issues, her sang-froid, and her charm through numerous vignettes and quotes. He relates the facts of Margaret Thatcher's terms in power and explains how policy reforms and political perspectives that are now taken for granted in Britain had to be fought for.The transformation she brought to the United Kingdom was stunning on many fronts. Pre-Thatcher, Blundell says, a sclerotic union-dominated economy was typified by surly service, poor products and a "craven" business class. Post-Thatcher even the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), an exemplar of what Americans call the "liberal media," extended its coverage of the private business sector quite considerably, such is the emphasis on the values of capitalism in today's society. Service and product quality have been improved many times over. The choice and level of quality and service that had so impressed the author on his first visits to the U.S. in 1974 was becoming commonplace in the UK by the end of her terms as Prime Minister.When Margaret Thatcher donated $3m to the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, to establish the Thatcher Center, it was John Blundell who proposed the toast to her in front of the 500+ audience assembled to mark the occasion. As the Iron Lady said, herself, John is very well placed to explain to Americans the beliefs and principles which underpinned what became known as "Thatcherism".

Table content

Part I : THE ROAD TO DOWNING STREET 1. Childhood 2. University 3. Starting Out 4. Elected 5. Opposition 6. Education 7. Reflection 8. Becoming Leader 9. Leading the Opposition 10. Winning Power Part II : GETTING THE JOB DONE 11. Liberating The Economy 12. Privatizing The Commanding Heights 13. Selling Off Public Housing 14. Going To War 15. Beating The Miners 16. Reforming The Unions 17. Battling The IRA 18. Friendship with America 19. Kicking Down The Wall 20. Dealing With Brussels Part III : THE NEXT TWO DECADES 21. Resignation 22. In Retirement 23. Family: Denis, Carol, Mark 24. Men: Alf, Keith, Ronald, Alfred, Alan, Ralph 25. Ten Lessons 26. Margaret In Interview I. Timeline including all of MargaretÃ??'s elections II. British General Elections 1945 Ã??' 2005 III. Sources and Further Reading

Information

Margaret Thatcher, Meryl Streep, & The Iron Lady: Fact vs. FictionCLICK TO WATCH: Watch Reason.TV (About 5.30 minutes. Produced and edited by Meredith Bragg.)"When I first heard of this movie," says John Blundell, "I immediately was a little worried because of Meryl Streep's own ideas and polices and so on that are very distinctly not Thatcherite."As a longtime Margaret Thatcher ally, few people are in a better position than John Blundell to assess the veracity of the Oscar-nominated bio-pic, The Iron Lady. The former head of influential free-market organizations such as The Institute of Economic Affairs, The Institute for Humane Studies, and the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, Blundell is also the author of Margaret Thatcher: A Portrait of the Iron Lady (2007) and the new Ladies for Liberty: Women Who Made a Difference in American History.On the eve of the 2012 Academy Awards ceremony, Blundell sat down with Reason.tv to discuss the controversy surrounding the film (which depicts its titular character in the throes of dementia), Streep's widely praised performance, and the continuing power of Thatcher's social and political legacy."I must admit," he says, "to being pleasantly surprised. I think overall Margaret comes out of this process with her reputation enhanced and, of course, Meryl Streep's reputation hugely enhanced."(Visit http://www.reason.tv for downloadable versions)