Margaret Thatcher: The Autobiography

A newly edited, single-volume commemorative edition of The Path to Power and The Downing Street Years; this is Margaret Thatcher in her own words.

Margaret Thatcher was the towering figure of late-twentieth-century British politics. Now following her death in 2013, this is her own account of her remarkable life.

Beginning with her upbringing in Grantham, she goes on to describe her entry into Parliament. Rising through the ranks of this man’s world, she led the Conservative Party to victory in 1979, becoming Britain's first woman prime minister.

Offering a riveting firsthand version of the critical moments of her premiership – the Falklands War, the miners' strike, the Brighton bomb and her unprecedented three election victories, the book reaches a gripping climax with an hour-by-hour description of her dramatic final days in 10 Downing Street.

No other single book can offer this personal perspective on her formative years, her political convictions and the unique position she came to hold in public life; Margaret Thatcher’s frank and compelling autobiography stands as a powerful testament to her influential legacy.

Reviews

Tributes to Margaret Thatcher:

‘She fought against the clubby, cosy, male-dominated consensus of both main parties – and she won.’ Boris Johnson, Mayor of London

‘She will be remembered as a unique figure. She reshaped the politics of a whole generation. She was Britain's first woman prime minister. She moved the centre ground of British politics and was a huge figure on the world stage.’ Ed Miliband, Leader of the Labour Party

‘The world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and liberty, and America has lost a true friend. She stands as an example to our daughters that there is no glass ceiling that can't be shattered. She helped restore the confidence and pride that has always been the hallmark of Britain at its best.’ Barack Obama, President of the United States of America

About the author

Margaret Thatcher's political career was one of the most remarkable of modern times. Born in Grantham in 1925, she rose to become the first woman to lead a major Western democracy. She won three successive general elections and served as prime minister for more than eleven years, from 1979 to 1990, a record unmatched in the twentieth century. She died in 2013.