Alistair Cooke Libri

Alastair Cooke's Letter from America: 1946-2004 is a remarkable collection of his BBC Radio broadcasts, chronicling nearly sixty years of American life. This compilation interprets significant events, from the assassination of Kennedy to September 11 and the Iraq War, while anticipating the 2004 elections. Each broadcast offers a vivid portrait of the nation, featuring influential figures like Charlie Chaplin and Martin Luther King, alongside diverse topics such as civil rights, golf, and the beauty of New England's autumn. Cooke's unique insights and personal touch provide a captivating view of America, making him an unparalleled chronicler of his time. His work was not only influential in the UK but also resonated with audiences worldwide, explaining the complexities of a nation that was both familiar and foreign. With an impressive career as The Guardian's Senior Correspondent in New York and as the host of pioneering cultural programs, Cooke's legacy is defined by his weekly broadcasts, which spanned 2,869 episodes and became the longest-running radio series in history before his retirement in 2004. His blend of experience, wisdom, and education remains unmatched in journalism.

Talks selected from Cooke's radio broadcasts reveal his incisive, illuminating, and witty observations on Watergate, Vietnam, and other news events of the last decade

Photographs taken from the air present striking views of the buildings and monuments in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area

Provides a visual record of London through unique aerial photographs and accompanying text.

When Alistair Cooke retired in March 2004 and then died a few weeks later, he was acclaimed by many as one of the greatest broadcasters of all time. His Letters from America, which began in 1946 and continued uninterrupted every week until early 2004, kept the world in touch with what was happening in Cooke's wry, liberal and humane style. This selection, made largely by Cooke himself and supplemented by his literary executor, gives us the very best of these legendary broadcasts. It is a remarkable portrait of a continent - and a man.

Alistair Cooke, recognized a great story to be told in investigating at first hand the effects of the Second World War on America. Within weeks of the Pearl Harbor attack, Cooke set off on a circuit of the entire country to see what the war had done to people. This unique travelogue celebrates an important American character and the indomitable spirit of a nation that was to inspire Cooke's reports and broadcasts for some sixty years.

Alistair Cooke's essays about the history, personalities and literary works that shaped the programs that have appeared on Masterpiece Theatre.