Thatcher's fortunes - Mark Hollingsworth

The world was intrigued when Mark Thatcher was arrested for helping to fund a secret plot to overthrow the president of the oil-rich African state of Equatorial Guinea. He was implicated in a secret coup d'tat which had all the hallmarks of a Frederick Forsyth thriller: a gang of South African mercenaries led by Simon Mann, an Old Etonian former SAS officer, had conspired to depose President Teodoro Obiang, a ruthless tyrant who has been accused of being a cannibal, in an audacious operation to grab the country's extensive oil wealth.

Suddenly, the spotlight was back on the controversial multimillionaire son of the former prime minister and his dubious business ventures. But his involvement in the attempted putsch revived an even more enticing mystery: just how has Mark Thatcher accumulated his large pot of gold? For the first time,Thatcher's Fortunesprovides the answers. It reveals that while she was prime minister Lady Thatcher was more active in lobbying for contracts in which her son had a commercial interest than is realised. As this book meticulously chronicles, her involvement went far beyond the indulgence of a devoted mother.

As soon as Margaret Thatcher entered 10 Downing Street, her son set about exploiting his famous name with energetic rapacity. Despite the embarrassment he caused, and the potential damage to her government, Margaret Thatcher allowed him to use her office to enrich himself. He made millions out of arms deals in the Middle East, construction contracts in the Gulf and oil ventures in Africa.

After his mother was ousted as prime minister, and while personally dogged by lawsuits and tax investigations, Mark Thatcher moved to South Africa. It was here, in the tranquil beauty of the Cape, that his association with gun-runners and mercenaries led to his involvement in the dramatic attempt to topple the president of Equatorial Guinea.

Packed with new revelations about Mark and Lady Thatcher's commercial and financial affairs, this book also provides an insight into the twilight worlds of international arms dealing, oil trading and offshore banking. But at its heart,Thatcher's Fortunesis an insider's account of one of the world's most famous political dynasties.