Lady Margaret Thatcher "The Collected Speeches" Leather-Bound, Signed Limited First Edition No. 767 of 2,000 w/COA

Personally signed by the former Prime Minister of England, Lady Margaret Thatcher . Her impact on economics, society, and global politics marks her as a pivotal figure in the late 20th century.

Easton Press, Norwalk CT. 1998. Lady Margaret Thatcher "The Collected Speeches" Signed Limited First Edition. Full genuine leather. No Jacket as issued. A handsome dark blue leather limited edition SIGNED by the author, Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of England. "Signed First Edition" as stated on the title page. A beautiful leather bound collectible book that would make an elegant addition to your political library. Includes the original COA as issued, signed by Margaret Thatcher along with a witness.

Born in 1925, Margaret Thatcher 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.

This is number 797 of only 2,000 produced.

Margaret Thatcher is an important figure in history for several reasons:

First Female Prime Minister of the UK: Serving from 1979 to 1990, she was the first woman to hold this position, breaking significant gender barriers in politics.

Economic Policies: Known for her neoliberal policies, Thatcher championed deregulation, privatization of state-owned industries, and reducing the power of trade unions. Her economic reforms reshaped the British economy and influenced global economic policies.

Cold War Stance: Thatcher was a staunch ally of the United States during the Cold War, particularly under President Ronald Reagan. Her strong anti-communist stance and support for NATO were significant in the geopolitical landscape of the time.

Social Change: Her tenure saw significant social changes, including a shift towards individualism and away from collectivist policies. This created a lasting impact on British society and politics.

Controversial Legacy: While some praise her for revitalizing the British economy, others criticize her for increasing inequality and social division. Her legacy remains contentious and is widely debated.

Influence on Global Politics: Thatcher's policies and leadership style have inspired conservative movements around the world, making her a significant figure in the broader narrative of modern political history.

Features

Includes all the classic Easton Press qualities:

* Premium Leather
* Silk Moire Endleaves
* Distinctive Cover Design
* Hubbed Spine, Accented in Real 22KT Gold
* Satin Ribbon Page Marker
* Gilded Page Edges
* Long-lasting, High Quality Acid-neutral Paper
* Smyth-sewn Pages for Strength and Durability
* Beautiful Illustrations

"The Collected Speeches"

By the time she stepped down in 1990, Margaret Thatcher had become one of her generation's outstanding political leaders, and perhaps the most powerful woman in the world. Possessing an iron will, she matched words with action in confronting the crises of the day in economic affairs, in the Falklands War, in Northern Ireland, in the great twilight struggle of the Cold War and finally in Europe. Under her leadership, Britain broke out of its decline and self-doubt to emerge once more as a major player on the international stage.

Margaret Thatcher put intense effort into her major speeches. As a result, they are uniquely revealing of how she developed that clear vision which would transform Britain and help shape international politics in the late 20th century. They begin with the speeches she made as part of her campaign to mold the ideas of the Conservative Party in Opposition. They continue with the famous addresses in which she expressed her convictions as prime minister and include recent lectures in which she gives her current, and controversial, thoughts about the world today.

This book of speeches is an essential companion volume to the two books of Margaret Thatcher's memoirs, as well as a masterly study of one of the great political figures of our time.

Lady Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, DStJ, PC, FRS, HonFRSC (13 October 1925 – 8 April 2013) was a British stateswoman and Conservative politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to hold the position. As prime minister, she implemented economic policies known as Thatcherism. A Soviet journalist dubbed her the "Iron Lady", a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style.

Thatcher studied chemistry at Somerville College, Oxford, and worked briefly as a research chemist before becoming a barrister. She was elected Member of Parliament for Finchley in 1959. Edward Heath appointed her secretary of state for education and science in his 1970–1974 government. In 1975, she defeated Heath in the Conservative Party leadership election to become leader of the opposition, the first woman to lead a major political party in the UK.

On becoming prime minister after winning the 1979 general election, Thatcher introduced a series of economic policies intended to reverse high inflation and Britain's struggles in the wake of the Winter of Discontent and an oncoming recession.[nb 2] Her political philosophy and economic policies emphasised greater individual liberty, the privatisation of state-owned companies, and reducing the power and influence of trade unions. Her popularity in her first years in office waned amid recession and rising unemployment. Victory in the 1982 Falklands War and the recovering economy brought a resurgence of support, resulting in her landslide re-election in 1983. She survived an assassination attempt by the Provisional IRA in the 1984 Brighton hotel bombing and achieved a political victory against the National Union of Mineworkers in the 1984–85 miners' strike. In 1986, Thatcher oversaw the deregulation of UK financial markets, leading to an economic boom, in what came to be known as the Big Bang.

Thatcher was re-elected for a third term with another landslide in 1987, but her subsequent support for the Community Charge (also known as the "poll tax") was widely unpopular, and her increasingly Eurosceptic views on the European Community were not shared by others in her cabinet. She resigned as prime minister and party leader in 1990, after a challenge was launched to her leadership, and was succeeded by John Major, her chancellor of the Exchequer.[nb 3] After retiring from the Commons in 1992, she was given a life peerage as Baroness Thatcher (of Kesteven in the County of Lincolnshire) which entitled her to sit in the House of Lords. In 2013, she died of a stroke at the Ritz Hotel, London, at the age of 87.

A polarising figure in British politics, Thatcher is nonetheless viewed favourably in historical rankings and public opinion of British prime ministers. Her tenure constituted a realignment towards neoliberal policies in Britain; the complex legacy attributed to this shift continues to be debated into the 21st century.