The Enemy Within

Margaret Thatcher branded the leaders of the 1984-85 miners strike “the enemy within.” In this classic account, Seumas Milne reveals the astonishing lengths to which her government and its intelligence machine were prepared to go to destroy the power of Britain’s miners union. In this 30th anniversary edition new material brings the story up to date with further revelations about the secret war against organized labour and political dissent, and the devastating price paid for the Thatcher administrations onslaught by communities across Britain.“Riveting. It knocks spots off the usual ‘whodunnit.’”—Guardian

“One of the most remarkable demolition jobs ever.”—Spectator

“An astonishing book.”—The Nation

“The most important expose of contemporary political Britain I have read.”—John Pilger

“A tribute to detailed journalistic investigation ... strips away the myths and lies.”—New Statesman

“A real-life thriller.”—Evening Standard

“Ground-breaking ... Milne reveals the extreme lengths to which the Conservative government was willing to go to crush the miner’s union.”—Independent

“The definitive account of the strike–the best book on the Thatcher era”—Naomi Klein
 Seumas Milne is a columnist and Associate Editor on the Guardian and the paper’s former Comment Editor. He was previously the Guardian’s Labour Editor and a staff journalist on the Economist. He is the author of The Enemy Within and co-author of Beyond the Casino Economy.