Maggie leads the way in new dictionary of notables: Former PM among 200 new additions alongside Sir David Frost and two of the Great Train Robbers 

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The ‘Iron Lady’ Margaret Thatcher leads over 200 new additions to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

The ‘Iron Lady’ Margaret Thatcher leads over 200 new additions to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography – with one of the longest entries to date.

She has joined the compendium of national names alongside the new biographies of broadcaster Sir David Frost and the Great Train Robbers Bruce Reynolds and Ronnie Biggs.

Her biography is the third longest in the latest edition of the dictionary which tells the life stories of over 60,000 notable people.

She is third only to Shakespeare who has the longest biography at 37,543words and Elizabeth I with the second longest at 35,557words.

The entry comes almost four years after the baroness’s death in April 2013 at the age of 87.

Her extraordinary life is explored by the book’s editor Sir David Cannadine in 33,648 words spanning over 54 pages.

This is more than the space dedicated to the lives of Winston Churchill (33,268) and Victoria (29,337).

The author and historian examines Thatcher’s life from her humble beginnings living above a grocer’s shop in Grantham to her dramatic downfall and legacy in British politics.

The biography is split into sections charting her success and failures, her relations with her colleagues, her impact on economic, social and foreign policy, and eventually her embittered retirement.

Sir David also dedicates a paragraph to Thatcher’s deep upset over Oxford University’s decision to not award her an honorary degree in 1984 because of protests over her cuts to education.

It was an unprecedented snub which meant she became the first Oxford-educated prime minister since 1946 to be denied the honour.

Sir David concludes the lengthy biography saying that ‘there are times when nations may need rough treatment. For good and for ill, Thatcher gave Britain plenty of it’.

An eponymous book on Thatcher written by Sir David including the biography with additional content is also being released by the Oxford University Press today (Thurs).

She has joined the compendium of national names alongside the new biography of broadcaster Sir David Frost

The Dictionary of National Biography is the national record of people who have made an impact on all walks of British life, in the UK and overseas, from the Roman occupation to the 21st century.

Entries range from the shortest of just 25 words for British printmaker R Carr known for an etched map of England dated 1668 to the longest of 37,543 words for Shakespeare.

The updated edition released today (Thurs) includes entries from a range of people from six of the best Nobel laureates to Paralympian Chris Hallam and heroic priest Alec Reid.

The ODNB includes the great and good alongside those of more dubious infamy, painting a full picture of British history through the lives of the people who shaped it.

This year has seen the entry of two villains made infamous by the Great Train Robbery of 1963 – the mastermind of the heist Bruce Reynolds and his accomplice Ronnie Biggs.

Their biographies by Stewart Tendler briefly examine their humble beginnings and how they first turned to petty crime.

A number of broadcasters have also been included in the dictionary led by Sir David Frost who enjoyed a successful career spanning over 50 years.

During his career he interviewed six British prime ministers and seven U.S presidents – most notably ex-president Nixon in 1977.

He is joined by Alan Whicker who enjoyed an even longer career in journalism and Sir Denis Forman.

The Oxford DNB, which is updated in January, May and September each year, is compiled by named, specialist authors.

It includes the life stories of 60,302 people written by 14,356 authors and comprises 72 million words.

The dictionary’s research editor Mark Curthoys said: ‘For over 130 years the Dictionary has been a standard point of reference for anyone interested in the lives of the peoples of the British Isles and their connections overseas.

‘It seeks to reflect the full range of national life, and includes noteworthy people of all kinds, whose lives, careers, and achievements are assessed by specialist contributors. Accessible through public libraries, it seeks to make the findings of current scholarship available to all.’

The Dictionary is a research project of the University of Oxford, published and funded by Oxford University Press.

Thatcher has more than the space dedicated to the lives of Winston Churchill (33,268) and Victoria (29,337)

It was based on the first volume of the Dictionary of National Biography appeared on 1 January 1885.

TV star Sir David Frosts’ biography which is more than 3,500 words long, was written by former BBC Chairman Lord Grade.

The veteran broadcaster died on a cruise where he was booked to do a talk in August 2013 after suffering a heart attack.

The biography briefly explored the talk show hosts’ childhood growing up in Kent and his efforts as a stand-up comedian before his big break on the satirical programme That Was The Week That Was.

It covers his ‘greatest hour’ in 1977 when he persuaded disgraced Nixon to be interviewed for the first time since being impeached and resigning.

Lord Grade concludes the concise biography, writing: ‘When the history of television is written, the name David Frost will dominate the index. It is a shame he will not be around to present the programme.’