Smith traces the course of the political partnership of Reagan and Thatcher from the moment when they first met in 1975, as right-wing opposition leaders. The political triumph of their shared ideology during the course of the next decade and a half and their active co-operation in events in the Falklands, Grenada and Libya are seen as one of the dominant themes of the era. Thatcher is portrayed as the chief architect of their joint strategy but at the same time respectful of the American president. Hitherto unpublished anecdotes, culled from advisers and aides, are used to show how the interaction of their personalities affected the political destinies of their respective countries and the rest of the world. The author is a long-time political and internatiomal correspondent of The Times.