Marcia Langton: “Patrick McCauley, speaking for the old Quadrant club of white men who lunch…”

Sam Sorbo: “The filmmakers, seemingly confused about Thatcher’s actual, incredible successes, focus on her dementia and femininity while categorically denying her capability.”

Miranda Devine: “The last movie I walked out of was a Reservoir Dogs video, during the dental torture scene. But I was pregnant at the time and squeamish. This time it was Iron Lady.”

Tim Blair: ‘Like most normal people, when I think of modern performance art I immediately want the world to end.’

John Nolte: ‘The overrated Meryl Streep (whose acting meter broke decades ago) proves once again that this current crop of actors the world is saddled with is about as classless a bunch as we’ll ever see (hopefully).’

John Stone: "The first draft of history, they say, is written by the journalists. It would be truer to say that it is written by the politicians and political advisers from whom most journalists obtain their copy. Given also the strong Labor Party affiliations of most Canberra press gallery journalists, the 'history' that initially gets written is invariably weighted towards Labor’s version of events."

Almost as good as Quadrant. The slaughter never stops. The take-over bids never end. Best read wearing protective clothing.

A year's reading.

Not to be missed. Action-packed, tender and tragic, it features magnificent acting, settings, costumes and extraordinary battle scenes.