Published by Hutchinson, part of Cornerstone Publishing
Format: Hardback
£25.00
Author:
Richard Aldous
Format: Hardback
EAN: 9780091926083
£25.00
Available for dispatch within 1-2 working days
EAN: 9780091926083
Published: 1 Mar 2012
For decades, historians have perpetuated the myth of a 'Churchillian' relationship between Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, citing their longtime alliance as an example of the 'special' bond between the U.S. and Britain.
But, as Richard Aldous argues in this penetrating dual biography, Reagan and Thatcher clashed repeatedly - over the Falklands war, the invasion of Grenada, and SDI and nuclear weapons - while carefully cultivating a harmonious image for the public and the media. With the stakes enormously high, these political titans struggled to work together to confront the greatest threat of their time: the USSR.
Brilliantly reconstructing some of their most dramatic encounters, Aldous draws on recently declassified documents and extensive oral history to dismantle the popular conception of Reagan-Thatcher diplomacy. His startling conclusion-that the weakest link in the Atlantic Alliance of the 1980s was the association between the two principal actors-will mark an important contribution to our understanding of the 20th century.
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An important study, based on a wealth of recently-released documents, which puts the Thatcher-Reagan friendship in a wholy new (and more sombre) light. It should be essential reading for anyone who cares about the history, the health and the future of the Anglo-American 'special relationship'
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Aldous deserves nothing but credit for the masterly way in which he weaves accounts from published memoirs and recently declassified US material into a pacey, almost thriller-like account of the meetings and telephone calls between these two political giants. This is a work of history that can be read at one sitting — a page-turner more than a page-folder.
- Sunday Times
Richard Aldous, the author and editor of eight books including The Lion and the Unicorn, is Eugene Meyer Professor of British History and Literature at Bard College, New York.
