Reagan and Thatcher, the Difficult Relationship

For three decades, historians have cited the long-term alliance of Reagan and Thatcher as an example of the special bond between the US and Britain.

But, as Richard Aldous argues, these political titans clashed repeatedly as they confronted the greatest threat of their time: the USSR.

Brilliantly reconstructing some of their most dramatic encounters, Aldous draws on recently declassified documents and extensive oral history to dismantle the popular conception of the Reagan-Thatcher diplomacy.

Richard Aldous, the author and editor of eight books including The Lion and the Unicorn, is Eugene Meyer Professor of British History and Literature at Bard College, New York.