Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) was the dominant British political leader of our age. No postwar prime minister has equalled the impact she made on modern British history, nor matched her influence on the European and world stages. But, as she becomes a historical figure, how to distinguish myth from reality? The daunting quantity (and variable quality) of literature already available on Thatcher makes it decidedly difficult to discriminate the significant from the tendentious, superficial, and otiose. Moreover, because no comparable British politician has had such profound effects on political and cultural life, valuable evaluations of Thatcher originate from a broad range of scholarly disciplines, as well as from serious sources outside the academy. To make some sense of these widely dispersed materials, Routledge announces the first in a projected new series of Critical Assessments of Key Political Leaders.

Edited by Tim Bale (Queen Mary, University of London), the author of a prize-winning history of the Conservative Party, Margaret Thatcher is a four-volume collection. It draws on the best work of modern historians and political scientists, as well as those working in gender and cultural studies. The collection allows users quickly and easily to access both established and cutting-edge assessments of Thatcher's life and work. With a comprehensive introductory essay providing essential background information and relating the various pieces to each other, Margaret Thatcher is destined to be an indispensable resource for research and study.