Drawing upon a wide range of interviews with many of the key actors, Andrew Dorman examines how defence policy was formulated and implemented during the premiership of Margaret Thatcher. This period witnessed major transformations in international and domestic politics, with defence emerging from its traditional postwar position of relative insignificance to become one of the key issues at the 1983 and 1987 general elections. Dorman provides a new understanding of policymaking by analysing defence policy in terms of three constituent parts: declaratory policy; military strategy and procurement policy.

ANDREW DORMAN is Lecturer in Defence Studies at King's College London, based at the British Joint Services Command and Staff College. He was formerly a Senior Lecturer at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich and a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Birmingham. He is co-editor of The Changing Face of Military Power, The Changing Face of Maritime Power and co-author of Britain and Defence, 1945-2000: A Policy Re-evaluation.