Eminent Elizabethans: Murdoch, Thatcher, Jagger & Prince Charles

A sharp and witty analysis of four characters who have illuminated the age of Elizabeth II: Rupert Murdoch, Prince Charles, Margaret Thatcher, and Mick Jagger

Modeled on Lytton Strachey's classic portrayal of eminent Victorians, Piers Brendon's cameo biographies shed dazzling new light on the age of Queen Elizabeth II. All four of his characters have loomed large in the annals of their time. All have aroused controversy in the uttermost corners of the earth, stirring passions as much by personality as by performance. And all have promoted revolt yet championing continuity, flirting with radicalism yet embracing conservatism. Brendon's cast list is as follows: Margaret Thatcher—the first female Prime Minister, who dedicated herself with messianic zeal to breaking the mold of post-war British politics. Rupert Murdoch—the billionaire media mogul whose empire, built on an ethical void, has polluted the channels of communication from London to Sydney, from New York to New Guinea. Prince Charles—the royal dilettante whose erratic exploits shook the throne and put his own succession to it at risk. Mick Jagger—lead singer of the Rolling Stones, who embodied the 1960s counter-culture of sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll yet aspired to be a gentleman and accepted a knighthood at the behest of Tony Blair. Each is vividly and vitally depicted through pungent anecdote, piquant quotation, and mordant commentary. In short, these striking miniatures are as entertaining as they are illuminating.