The Iron Lady
and
The Fine Art
Of
Political Biography
With Margaret Thatcher getting the Hollywood treatment, courtesy of the remarkable Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady,” we're taking a look at the fine art of political biography and autobiography. Political figures who command the attention of multiple biographies tend to be the more controversial or most beloved or both, depending on your political perspective. Figures of recent history that fall into these categories include Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.
Margaret Thatcher wrote her own memoirs, which sought to settle scores with colleagues by whom she felt betrayed while also burnishing her legacy with a less than objective (or for that matter complete) version of her stormy tenure as British Prime Minister. Her books are essential reading, but one should probably arm oneself with a broader history of the era, such as “The State We’re In,” in order to have a more balanced perspective on events in Britain during her premiership.
Ronald Reagan’s Hollywood treatment was in his own hands, most memorably in “Bedtime for Bonzo,” where he co-starred with a chimpanzee (probably not bad training for a political career). But most impressive was his final screen appearance in “The Killers,” where Reagan played the part of a double-crossing villain (he hated the film). Reagan’s own account of his life and times appears in a number of books, from his memoir, “An American Life,” to his personal diaries and his collected letters. However, Reagan also authorized the fascinating biography “Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan,” a compelling book which uses fictional elements to more fully elucidate Reagan’s character. His son Ron Reagan’s book, “My Father at 100,” is well worth a look too, as it provides an intimate and unexpected perspective on Reagan.
No recent President more fully embodies a mixture of controversy and adoration than William Jefferson Clinton. As a political figure, there are few who have left office as popular, or who at the height of a scandal that threatened his presidency confounded his political foes had job approval ratings in the 60’s. He told his own story in the thorough and highly readable “My Life.” With his foundation and his book, “Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World,” he continues to show he is still relevant, and commands attention and respect on national and world stages. In Hollywood, however, he has been served, perhaps unfairly, with the most entertaining of portrayals - John Travolta’s depiction of Governor Jack Stanton (a fictionalized Clinton) in “Primary Colors.” In Anonymous’s (Joe Klein’s) book, the view of Clinton is far from flattering, but it is highly enjoyable, and, one suspects, contains more than a grain of truth.
And finally...for a unique insight on Bill and for the remarkable story of her own life, Hillary Clinton's excellent book, "Living History," is highly recommended. And while Hilary Clinton and Margaret Thatcher may appear to have very little in common - politically speaking - in the male dominated field of politics, they have more than earned the right to the last word as two of the most powerful and compelling women of their generations.
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