This Companion provides a comprehensive overview of the life, work and legacy of Britain’s first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Expert contributors examine the major impact she had on British and global politics as the longest-serving Prime Minister in modern British history.
This Companion provides a comprehensive overview of the life, work and legacy of Britain’s first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Expert contributors examine the major impact she had on British and global politics as the longest-serving Prime Minister in modern British history.

Organised into three substantive parts exploring Thatcher’s political life before, during and after her premiership, this Companion guides the reader through the key periods of a unique and varied political career. Specialists from a range of fields explore how Thatcher ascended to become Prime Minister, the differences she made when in power, and her legacy after departing from high office. They include new perspectives and material on previously neglected areas of Thatcher’s work, presenting original reflections from those who worked with her. Chapters cover a breadth of Thatcher’s policies, from the environment to the economy, and reveal insights into her temperament as well as her pragmatic approach to politics and problem solving.

The Elgar Companion to Margaret Thatcher is an indispensable resource for scholars and students of British politics, political theory, international relations, and public policy. It is also a vital read for politicians and journalists.