Book description
The history of Britain in the last thirty years, under both
Conservative and Labour governments, has been dominated by one figure
- Margaret Thatcher. Her election marked a decisive break with the
past and her premiership transformed not just her country, but the
nature of democratic leadership. In his 'argued history' Simon Jenkins
analyses this revolution from its beginnings in the turmoil of the
1970s through the social and economic changes of the 1980s. Was
Thatcherism a mere medicine for an ailing economy or a complete
political philosophy? And did it eventually fall victim to the
dogmatism and control which made it possible?
This is the story of the events, personalities, defeats and
victories which will be familiar to all those who lived through them,
but seen through a new lens. It is also an argument about how
Thatcher's legacy has continued down to the present. Not just John
Major, but Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are her heirs and acolytes. And
as the Conservative party reinvents itself as a viable political force
once again, is the age of Thatcher finally over?
Simon Jenkins writes for
The Sunday Times
and the
Guardian
. He has edited both the
Evening Standard
and
The Times
, and has written books on politics, history and architecture in London
including
England s Thousand Best Churches
and
England s Thousand Best Houses
, published by Penguin. He was knighted in 2004.
