But the bigger question on everyone's minds during the saga has been: just how has the son of the former Prime Minister made his fortune? For the first time, "Thatcher and Son" provides the answers. It reveals that Margaret Thatcher was far more involved in helping her son enrich himself - and indirectly their family - while she was Prime Minister than was realised. For most of the Thatcher decade, Mark lived in the USA, married to 'an ordinary Texan millionairess. From that base, he exploited his famous name for commercial gain. He was a middleman on a multi-billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, private security contracts in America and oil ventures in Africa. In recent years, Mark Thatcher has led a semi-secluded life in South Africa, although he continued to consort with arms dealers. Now, his connections with mercenaries who were attempting to topple the president of Equatorial Guinea have propelled him back on to the front pages. Packed with new revelations about Mark and Lady Thatcher's financial and commercial affairs, this book also provides an insight into the twilight worlds of international arms-dealing and oil trading.
But at its heart, Thatcher and Son is an insider's account of one of the world's most famous political dynasties.