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Margaret Thatcher #1
Margaret Thatcher, Vol. 1: The Grocer's Daughter
The prize-winning biographer of Edward Heath re-examines the mythology surrounding Margaret Thatcher and suggests a more complex reality behind the idealized portrait accepted by her earlier biographers.
528 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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About the author
John Campbell
239 books27 followersJohn Campbell (born 1947) is a British political writer and biographer. He is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh. His works include biographies of Lloyd George, Roy Jenkins, F.E. Smith, Aneurin Bevan, Edward Heath, and Margaret Thatcher, the last consisting of two volumes, The Grocer's Daughter (2000) and The Iron Lady (2003). A one-volume abridgment prepared by David Freeman (a historian of Britain teaching at California State University, Fullerton) titled The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, From Grocer's Daughter to Prime Minister, was published in 2009 and reissued in paperback in 2011. He was awarded the NCR Book Award for his biography of Heath. He is married with two children and lives in London.
Campbell was consultant to the 2009 production of "Margaret", a fictionalisation of Margaret Thatcher's fall from power, and the 2012 film "The Iron Lady'.
Campbell was consultant to the 2009 production of "Margaret", a fictionalisation of Margaret Thatcher's fall from power, and the 2012 film "The Iron Lady'.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 14, 2017
Few prime ministers loom as large in the modern British historical imagination as does Margaret Thatcher. Idolized by her supporters and demonized by her detractors, her historical image is as much myth as it is reality, one created in part by Thatcher's own efforts to shape her public profile in politically appealing terms. One of the great achievements of John Campbell in his excellent first volume of his biography of Thatcher is his success in separating the myths from the story of her life and assessing their contribution to defining her image.
This Campbell does starting with the image from the subtitle, that of 'the grocer's daughter'. He skillfully deconstructs this legend, noting that Margaret Roberts's upbringing was neither as humble nor as idyllic as she made it seem and that her father, Alfred was not the hero she would later make him out to be. What emerges instead is a hard-working and determined young woman who pursued politics from a young age. Her career was facilitated greatly by her marriage to Denis Thatcher, who provided emotional and financial support that was indispensable to her rise in politics.
Thatcher's work ethic and drive soon won her office in Edward Heath's cabinet as Secretary of State for Education. Here she gained firsthand exposure to the Whitehall bureaucracy for the first time, an experience that left her less than impressed. Yet even after Heath's defeat in the two successive elections of 1974, his position appeared secure enough to make a challenge to his leadership of the Conservative Party seem foolhardy, and Thatcher's challenge came after more prominent Tory leaders passed on the opportunity. Yet her campaign tapped a deep vein of resentment, and she triumphed against all expectations.
Throughout this, Campbell notes the fortuitous confluence of events that aided her rise. This was best illustrated by her assumption of the Conservative Party leadership at the moment when an opening for her ideology emerged with the breakdown of the democratic socialist consensus. With unemployment swelling to levels not seen since the 1930s, Thatcher was able to exploit the inability of the Labour government to grapple with the problem. The book ends with the Conservative victory in the 1979 general election and Thatcher embarking on her transformative 11-year premiership, the subject of his next volume.
Impressively researched and absorbingly written, Campbell's book is a triumph of the biographical art. He succeeds in presenting a judicious portrait of Thatcher, one that approaches her with skepticism yet never fails to giver her her due. It is the indispensable starting point for understanding this complex and controversial figure, one that is unlikely to be bettered for its description of Thatcher's early years and their role in her political legend.
This Campbell does starting with the image from the subtitle, that of 'the grocer's daughter'. He skillfully deconstructs this legend, noting that Margaret Roberts's upbringing was neither as humble nor as idyllic as she made it seem and that her father, Alfred was not the hero she would later make him out to be. What emerges instead is a hard-working and determined young woman who pursued politics from a young age. Her career was facilitated greatly by her marriage to Denis Thatcher, who provided emotional and financial support that was indispensable to her rise in politics.
Thatcher's work ethic and drive soon won her office in Edward Heath's cabinet as Secretary of State for Education. Here she gained firsthand exposure to the Whitehall bureaucracy for the first time, an experience that left her less than impressed. Yet even after Heath's defeat in the two successive elections of 1974, his position appeared secure enough to make a challenge to his leadership of the Conservative Party seem foolhardy, and Thatcher's challenge came after more prominent Tory leaders passed on the opportunity. Yet her campaign tapped a deep vein of resentment, and she triumphed against all expectations.
Throughout this, Campbell notes the fortuitous confluence of events that aided her rise. This was best illustrated by her assumption of the Conservative Party leadership at the moment when an opening for her ideology emerged with the breakdown of the democratic socialist consensus. With unemployment swelling to levels not seen since the 1930s, Thatcher was able to exploit the inability of the Labour government to grapple with the problem. The book ends with the Conservative victory in the 1979 general election and Thatcher embarking on her transformative 11-year premiership, the subject of his next volume.
Impressively researched and absorbingly written, Campbell's book is a triumph of the biographical art. He succeeds in presenting a judicious portrait of Thatcher, one that approaches her with skepticism yet never fails to giver her her due. It is the indispensable starting point for understanding this complex and controversial figure, one that is unlikely to be bettered for its description of Thatcher's early years and their role in her political legend.
July 18, 2013
This biography was well researched and thorough, but ultimately I hated the condescending attitude of the writer towards his subject. He couldn't leave her sex out of it. For heaven's sake this is a person who had to make the decision to send men to their deaths In the Falkland's war but the writer can't resist making the old tired remarks about her headmistress attitude and her shrill voice. She deserves better than this biography.
April 15, 2009
A well-written biography of Margaret's early years. I met her in person when I was still working in a British company here in the Philippines so I read this biography. I think Ms. Thatcher should be the role model of our current president - Mrs. Arroyo. During Ms. Thatcher's years in power, she was able to sideline Mr. Thatcher who chose not to share the limelight with his wife.
February 22, 2021
Good overview of The Grocer's Daughter from 1925 to her election as Prime Minister in 1979.
However there is some "fill" to the book to make it lengthy enough, the penultimate chapter "Thatcherism under Wraps" could be skipped as it doesnt add much.
But interesting insight to her growing up in Grantham, Oxford University, research chemist, meeting Dennis, marrying, becoming a mother and her rise to being the first female leader of a major party in the uk.
Will read vol 2 The Iron Lady, which is about twice as long, sometime later in the year.
However there is some "fill" to the book to make it lengthy enough, the penultimate chapter "Thatcherism under Wraps" could be skipped as it doesnt add much.
But interesting insight to her growing up in Grantham, Oxford University, research chemist, meeting Dennis, marrying, becoming a mother and her rise to being the first female leader of a major party in the uk.
Will read vol 2 The Iron Lady, which is about twice as long, sometime later in the year.
September 2, 2023
This book is very dry, almost too researched and too unbiased. Yet the author makes some assumptions about Thatcher with seemingly no evidence to support them. Whilst I really enjoyed learning about Margaret Thatcher I would not recommend this book to anyone, there must be better biographies out there. The author almost seems contemptuous to Thatcher which is strange, why would you write a very long book about someone you dislike?
March 1, 2023
Quite thin on detail; lots of filler
April 7, 2013
An excellent, well researched and written book about Margaret Thatcher. This one tracks her life from being a grocer's daughter, through to her election as the first female Prime Minister.
It is an interesting insight into her life, her motives, her strengths and weaknesses, and the trials she faced in what was and still is to an extent, a male dominated arena.
If you enjoy reading about politics and politicians, then I would highly recommend this book. It is a great accompaniment to her own biographies, Path to Power and The Downing Street Years.
It is an interesting insight into her life, her motives, her strengths and weaknesses, and the trials she faced in what was and still is to an extent, a male dominated arena.
If you enjoy reading about politics and politicians, then I would highly recommend this book. It is a great accompaniment to her own biographies, Path to Power and The Downing Street Years.
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April 20, 2011Bit dry in style but a thorough history of the arly career and rise to fame. Interesting insights into a dogged determination not to be bettered by others, as distinct from an instinctive or prodigious politician.
May 11, 2018
Took me ages to read but I did enjoy it immensely, maybe a little bit too wordy but hardly a massive criticism. Massively insightful, I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in modern politics
July 25, 2011
A bit dense, but can't be criticised for not being detailed enough. Yay capitalism
July 11, 2015
Good but have read it all before !!!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews