The Making and Remaking of Margaret Thatcher's Political Reputation: The Autobiography, the Biopic, and the Authorized Biography

This thesis analyzes how autobiography, biographical film, and biography have shaped Margaret Thatcher’s political reputation, as a Prime Minister and a personality. The thesis does so by focusing on important moments such as the Falklands War, the Miners’ Strike of 1984-1985, the Cold War, and Thatcher’s fight against the IRA. Themes such as image, personality, and leadership style are also highlighted and analyzed in order to understand who Thatcher was and who she wanted to be. Thatcher’s autobiography, The Iron Lady biopic, and Charles Moore’s biography have all contributed to the shaping of Thatcher’s political reputation. Therefore, this thesis compares some of the similarities and differences of their portrayal of Thatcher