Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography, Volume Two: Everything She Wants

The Sensational Second Volume of Charles Moore's Bestselling Authorized Biography of the Iron Lady

In June 1983, Margaret Thatcher achieved an unparalleled milestone by winning the biggest increase in a government's Parliamentary majority in British electoral history. Over the next four years, as Charles Moore recounts in this central volume of his uniquely authoritative biography, Britain's first woman prime minister reshaped the course of her country's history—and that of the world—often through sheer force of will.

Key Highlights of Thatcher's Leadership

• Domestic Achievements:
  • Faced down the Miners' Strike.
  • Transformed relations with Europe.
  • Privatized the commanding heights of British industry.
  • Continued reinvigorating the British economy.
• Global Influence:
  • Recognized Mikhail Gorbachev as "a man to do business with" before he became leader of the Soviet Union.
  • Persistently pushed Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan—her great ideological soulmate—to shape world affairs according to her vision.
  • Ensured Britain had a central role in superpower negotiations, a feat unmatched since Churchill.

Challenges at Her Zenith

Even at the height of her power, Thatcher faced significant challenges:

• Betrayal by Allies: Reagan "two-timed" her during the US invasion of Grenada.
• Personal and Political Scandals: She lost her closest minister to scandal and nearly resigned over the Westland affair.
• Internal Struggles:
  • Isolated within her government over Europe.
  • At odds with the Queen over the Commonwealth and South Africa.
• Controversial Decisions:
  • Bullied senior colleagues.
  • Set in motion the poll tax, which would later prove politically fatal.

Unprecedented Access and Intimate Insights

Charles Moore's biography offers unparalleled access to Mrs. Thatcher's private and government papers. Through candid interviews with key participants, readers feel as though they are eavesdropping on pivotal conversations.

• Witness Thatcher's vigorous annotations on documents, revealing her detailed views on critical issues.
• Understand how she relied on a select group of trusted advisors to shape her decisions.
• See her as a multifaceted figure: a commanding public performer, an anxious mother, a relentless workaholic, and the first woman in Western democratic history to dominate her country during her era.

A Titanic Figure Under Fire

In the early hours of 12 October 1984, during the Conservative Party Conference in Brighton, the IRA attempted to assassinate Thatcher. Yet, within hours, she delivered her leader's speech at the conference and later signed the Anglo-Irish agreement.

One of her left-wing critics, observing her resilience that day, remarked:
"I don't approve of her as Prime Minister, but by God she's a great tank commander."

This titanic figure—with all her capacities and flaws—storms from these pages as from no other book.