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Perhaps the most influential woman in politics in the history of the world, Margaret Thatcher brought England out of its post World War II slump, correcting its economic issues and giving the diminishing superpower a strong presence on the world stage.
Few leaders can be credited for success at home and abroad. And she did all this at a time when women were far from accepted in the halls of power, making her achievements all the more impressive.
Thatcher’s economic policies were influenced by the likes of Milton Friedman and focused on reducing inflation, privatizing government run utilities, cutting government spending on social programs and the reduction of income tax. Critics and even (reportedly) the Queen thought the policies were too uncaring, but in the end the proved both practical and more empathetic, benefitting society overall.
Incredibly quotable, perhaps her most memorable comment came during a speech at the 1980 Conservative Party conference. Thatcher had faced severe criticism from insider her party for her economic policies and there arose discussion of the need for a U-turn. A sign of her confidence she said “To those waiting with bated breath for that favorite media catchphrase, the U turn, I have only one thing to say. “YouTur if you want to. The Lady’s not for turning.”
Abroad, Thatcher made a name for herself on the world stage, helped in part by her enemies. Her strong rebuke of Communism and reference to the Iron Curtain led to an article in the Soviet Army journal Red Star which ran he headline, “Iron Lady Raises Fears.” She immediately embraced the nickname and has ever since been known as the Iron Lady.
It’s no coincidence that as Thatcher’s role on the world stage diminished, England’s role did as well and the less-confident British leaders that followed were all too easily caught up in the notion of a European Union.
Her book “On Europe” is an excerpt from her larger work “Statecraft.” In it she gives a prophetic look at the ballooning power of a European government and the inevitable impact it would have on limiting the freedoms and economic prosperity of everyday UK citizens. Europe was not the answer to any problem. In fact, as Thatcher commented that in her lifetime, “most of the problems the world has faced have come, in one fashion or other, from mainland Europe, and the solutions from outside it.”
Margaret Thatcher’s first two books, her self-named autobiography and Downing Street Years (1993) are mostly biographical and give more of an inside look at her life, with the latter focusing on her years running the United Kingdom. In 1995 she published “Path to Power” detailing her early years from her childhood through her early political career.
“Statecraft” is Thatcher’s look at the issues of the day, from Islamic extremism to the rise of China, outlining the political, cultural and economic challenges to come and the role she sees Western democracies playing in them.
Margaret Thatcher Books
Margaret Thatcher: The Autobiography
