- Hardcover: 240 pages
- Publisher: Mainstream Publishing; 1st Edition edition (8 Sep 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 184018972X
- ISBN-13: 978-1840189728
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.4 x 4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 932,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
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.
About the Author
Mark Hollingsworth is an investigative journalist and writer. He is the author of eight books, notably Defending the Realm: MI5 and the Shayler Affair and Saudi Babylon: Torture, Corruption and Cover-Up Inside the House of Saud. Paul Halloran was the chief investigative reporter of Private Eye from 1980 until 1992. He is also the co-author of A Bit On the Side: Politicians and Who Pays Them.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Mrs Thatcher made numerous bon mots, one of which said that "there is no such thing as society, only individual men and women and...families". This book shows that her acts matched her words, as she permitted and assisted her son to receive what in any banana republic or oil state would be bribes simply for being the son of the prime minister. The book goes on to detail his generally failed business career later (when much of the loot was lost, we read, though on Wikipedia the view is different and says that he has as much as £60M) and his pathetic attempt to be the "mastermind" behind the failed Equatorial Guinea coup.
Mark Thatcher was sent to Harrow School, infamous for turning out obnoxiously overconfident people who display bracshness and discourtesy everywhere, particularly to those with less power or money. Mark T. fitted and fits right into that mould, being horribly rude to people like waiters who cannot answer back. Even his friends quoted in this book find it hard to praise him: Tim Bell, his mother's PR guru, manfully defended him for years, but unfortunately was taped at a reception saying that Mark T. was an idiot, a disaster etc. Others quoted in the book say he was/is a "moron", "totally useless", "no good to anyone", "incompetent", "incapable" etc etc. It just goes on.
I was amused by many of the encounters, as when Peter Mandelson was greeted by him in Cape Town "Oi, you! Mandelson! I know you. I want to speak to you!" etc. Mandelson said he came over like a cross between 1940's spiv and 1980's barrow boy.
Even Thatcher himself seems to have become aware of his personality defects, calling himself to strangers "charmless Mark". He was blackballed from the most prestigious clubs and country clubs in several countries, even those in such places as South Africa or Texas, which are usually open to those with money and not much background so long as they do not jar. Thatcher jars.
The book's main story is that of Thatcher's "bung" from the Saudis (for jollying along Mrs T. in arms sales). His whack was, allegedly, around £12 million. Since then, he tried several businesses, including minor loan sharking in SA. All or almost all failed miserably.
"Lady" Thatcher made sure that her husband would become a baronet (i.e. hereditary "sir") so that Mark would eventually become "Sir Mark". Her provincial snobbism failed to understand that, in an age of dozens of West Indian, Indian and fake "Pakistani "baronesses", "lords" etc, an unmeritorious Anglo "sir" goes in every way both unnoticed and unrespected.
I recall tales of him relating to his time in Baku in the mid-1990's. Superficially the Azeris gave him VIP respect, but laughed at him and kept him out of serious oil-related business.
A great read.
Mark Thatcher was sent to Harrow School, infamous for turning out obnoxiously overconfident people who display bracshness and discourtesy everywhere, particularly to those with less power or money. Mark T. fitted and fits right into that mould, being horribly rude to people like waiters who cannot answer back. Even his friends quoted in this book find it hard to praise him: Tim Bell, his mother's PR guru, manfully defended him for years, but unfortunately was taped at a reception saying that Mark T. was an idiot, a disaster etc. Others quoted in the book say he was/is a "moron", "totally useless", "no good to anyone", "incompetent", "incapable" etc etc. It just goes on.
I was amused by many of the encounters, as when Peter Mandelson was greeted by him in Cape Town "Oi, you! Mandelson! I know you. I want to speak to you!" etc. Mandelson said he came over like a cross between 1940's spiv and 1980's barrow boy.
Even Thatcher himself seems to have become aware of his personality defects, calling himself to strangers "charmless Mark". He was blackballed from the most prestigious clubs and country clubs in several countries, even those in such places as South Africa or Texas, which are usually open to those with money and not much background so long as they do not jar. Thatcher jars.
The book's main story is that of Thatcher's "bung" from the Saudis (for jollying along Mrs T. in arms sales). His whack was, allegedly, around £12 million. Since then, he tried several businesses, including minor loan sharking in SA. All or almost all failed miserably.
"Lady" Thatcher made sure that her husband would become a baronet (i.e. hereditary "sir") so that Mark would eventually become "Sir Mark". Her provincial snobbism failed to understand that, in an age of dozens of West Indian, Indian and fake "Pakistani "baronesses", "lords" etc, an unmeritorious Anglo "sir" goes in every way both unnoticed and unrespected.
I recall tales of him relating to his time in Baku in the mid-1990's. Superficially the Azeris gave him VIP respect, but laughed at him and kept him out of serious oil-related business.
A great read.
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