In this work, the author surveys British foreign policy from 1984 to 1992, the last seven years of Margaret Thatcher's government and the first years of John Major's. The book offers a picture of the Downing Street setting, its personalities, the troubled relationship between No 10 and the Foreign Office, the way in which decisions were made, and the interplay between foreign policy and the secret world of intelligence. Topics covered include Margaret Thatcher's relations with Reagan and Gorbachev; the collapse of the Soviet empire; the reunification of Germany; Britain's quarrels with Europe; the Gulf War; and the beginnings of the Yugoslav tragedy. The book concludes with a judgement of the achievements of two Prime Ministers in the foreign-policy field and of the issues facing Britain as it struggles to decide its relations with Europe and its future place in the world.