TRUMPED — BY MRS THATCHER

I FIND strong women fascinating. I enjoy their independence, their self-containment and self-belief.

Margaret Thatcher, who everyone knows as the Iron Lady, was determined to always be number one, to be the best at whatever she turned her hand to. I remember the time I went to a stock signing at my publisher Macmillan’s Basingstoke warehouse to sign copies of my latest novel before they were sent out to the bookstores. I sat down at a table and signed 3,000 books in their stockroom. Ten days later, Maggie Thatcher went to the same warehouse to sign her book — the first volume of her autobiography, I believe it was. The staff said to her: ‘Oh, Wilbur Smith was here last week.’

Maggie frowned and asked: ‘How many books did he sign?’ and they said: ‘Three thousand, which is a lot!’ She looked at them and said: ‘Give me 4,000!’