But am I, as a British commentator, attributing too much significance to Thatcher's role in ending the Cold War? That was a question I put to Alexander Yakovlev, one of Gorbachev's closest advisors, in a conversation some years ago. "No", he told me, "you are not exaggerating. She was the link weapon", a happy description of the Iron Lady. Then he went on, "Reagan, Gorbachev, Thatcher, they all made mistakes, big mistakes. But together they changed the world." A fitting epitaph and a fair verdict.

Essay Types: Book Review