Bill Clinton’s second term was dominated at home by the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the attempt to impeach him, but there were major events abroad with the al-Qaeda attack on US embassies in east Africa and the war in Kosovo. A fascinating social, cultural and political history of American life, through the words of British-American journalist and broadcaster, Alistair Cooke (1908 – 2004).
Episodes available:
Indefinitely 
Fri, 29 Dec 00
Duration:
14 mins
After the presidential election excitement, Alistair Cooke ponders the secrets to old age.
Fri, 22 Dec 00
Duration:
13 mins
The confirmation of the new president George Bush is discussed by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 15 Dec 00
Duration:
14 mins
Alistair Cooke contemplates the pros and cons of democracy.
Fri, 8 Dec 00
Duration:
14 mins
Are the doubts surrounding the presidential election results paralysing America's government?
Fri, 1 Dec 00
Duration:
14 mins
The voting irregularities of 1876 are compared to the current electoral crisis.
Fri, 24 Nov 00
Duration:
14 mins
After feasting on turkey and yams, Alistair Cooke delves into the origins of Thanksgiving
Fri, 17 Nov 00
Duration:
14 mins
Alistair Cooke uncovers the legal issues underlying the failure to elect a new President.
Fri, 10 Nov 00
Duration:
13 mins
After the close election, Alistair Cooke considers what authority the President will have.
Fri, 3 Nov 00
Duration:
14 mins
Who will be the next President? Alistair Cooke evaluates Al Gore and George W Bush.
Fri, 27 Oct 00
Duration:
14 mins
The bombardment of Presidential election adverts becomes too much for Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 20 Oct 00
Duration:
14 mins
A tribute to the life and work of diarist James Agate.
Fri, 13 Oct 00
Duration:
14 mins
How do conflicts in Jerusalem and Belgrade affect world trade? Alistair Cooke finds out.
Fri, 6 Oct 00
Duration:
14 mins
With a presidential election a month or so away, Alistair Cook ponders the history of the American presidential debates.
Fri, 29 Sep 00
Duration:
14 mins
The rising prices of gasoline leads Alistair Cooke to wonder who the culprit is.
Fri, 22 Sep 00
Duration:
14 mins
Prostitution at the Sydney Olympics makes Alistair Cooke reflect on idealism and reality.
Fri, 15 Sep 00
Duration:
14 mins
In the run up to the presidential election Alistair Cooke considers the affect of the poll ratings, Governor Bush's language gaffs and personality contests.
Fri, 8 Sep 00
Duration:
14 mins
The search for athlete perfection leads Alistair Cooke from exercise techniques to drugs.
Fri, 1 Sep 00
Duration:
13 mins
The use of the American constitution's religious right is questioned by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 25 Aug 00
Duration:
14 mins
Alistair Cooke considers the tragic sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk and what public reaction in Russia has revealed about the government's relationship with it's people.
Fri, 18 Aug 00
Duration:
14 mins
Colossal forest fires rage across the United States. Alistair Cooke explains how they've started to become an issue of political partisanship.
Fri, 11 Aug 00
Duration:
14 mins
The origins of the American political phrases "carpet bagger" and "running mate" are explained by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 4 Aug 00
Duration:
14 mins
The longest presidential nomination ballot in US history is remembered by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 28 Jul 00
Duration:
13 mins
On the eve of the political parties choosing a nominee for the presidency of the United States, Alistair Cooke remembers some previous party conventions.
Fri, 21 Jul 00
Duration:
13 mins
Alistair Cooke evaluates the effect of the news blackouts surrounding the Israel and Palestinian peace talks and reflects on their joint history and turbulent relationship.
Fri, 14 Jul 00
Duration:
14 mins
A tribute to George Gallup, the man whose scientific polling method changed the study of government and public opinion forever.
Fri, 7 Jul 00
Duration:
14 mins
Alistair Cooke bends his mind into a metaphysical helix to understand the human genome.
Fri, 30 Jun 00
Duration:
14 mins
On the 50th anniversary of the United Nation's Korean War Alistair Cooke remembers the conflict that was often called the "forgotten war", including how the veto clause was written into the UN charter.
Fri, 23 Jun 00
Duration:
14 mins
After enjoying his own Father's Day, Alistair Cooke becomes concerned by mass consumerism.
Fri, 16 Jun 00
Duration:
14 mins
In light of a new vedict surrounding the visiting rights of grandparents, Alistair Cooke reflects on the pace at which the Supreme Court makes its decisions.
Fri, 9 Jun 00
Duration:
14 mins
Bill Clinton’s recent treaty summits look to Alistair Cooke like a quick legacy polish.
Fri, 2 Jun 00
Duration:
14 mins
To eat meat, or to not eat meat? Alistair Cooke finds out the perfect diet for longevity.
Fri, 26 May 00
Duration:
14 mins
In the light of unions disagreeing to trade with China, Alistair Cooke reflects that all inventions meet with resistance at first, even dishwashers.
Fri, 19 May 00
Duration:
14 mins
After a shock announcement from New York City Mayor Giuliani, Alistair Cooke considers when the taboo of writing about the private life of prominent politicians was lifted.
Fri, 12 May 00
Duration:
14 mins
Whilst the House of Representatives vote on granting China permanent trading privileges, Alistair Cooke considers San Francisco's law against sizeism.
Fri, 5 May 00
Duration:
14 mins
The life and times of a colourful character in American theatre - David Merrick - are remembered by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 28 Apr 00
Duration:
15 mins
The legal battle to declare six year old Cuban Elian Gonzalez eligible for permanent asylum in the US and the political ramifications of the case are examined by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 21 Apr 00
Duration:
14 mins
After the New York stock exchange plunges more than 600 points, periods of boom and bust are remembered by Alistair Cook.
Fri, 14 Apr 00
Duration:
15 mins
Do questions on the US census invade individuals' privacy? Alistair Cooke explores the uses of private information.
Fri, 7 Apr 00
Duration:
14 mins
While technology stocks are puzzling financial experts, Alistair Cook wonders what alternative sources will be found to create energy.
Fri, 31 Mar 00
Duration:
14 mins
The ramifications of the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power station and the Pope's apology for the Catholic Church's sins against unbelievers are considered by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 24 Mar 00
Duration:
14 mins
The case of 6 year old Cuban Elian Gonzalez, the sole survivor of a group of would-be illegal immigrants whose boat capsized off the Florida coast.
Fri, 17 Mar 00
Duration:
14 mins
Recalling a misleading first impression of America, Alistair Cook examines St. Patrick's Day celebrations and the influence of Irish immigrants on the Democratic Party.
Fri, 10 Mar 00
Duration:
14 mins
The rise and fall of Senator John McCain - briefly a challenger to George W Bush to be the Republican party's candidate in the 2000 US election.
Fri, 3 Mar 00
Duration:
14 mins
America's tricky relationship with Taiwan is under the spotlight as the country enrages China by ordering $6bn of warships from the US.
Fri, 25 Feb 00
Duration:
14 mins
Why a meeting of Opec and the price of oil may ultimately affect the future of the US more than Republican primaries.
Fri, 18 Feb 00
Duration:
15 mins
The life of Charles Schultz, the creator of the comic strip characters Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Woodstock is commemorated by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 11 Feb 00
Duration:
13 mins
Considering America's financial situation, Alistair Cook remembers a forgotten lesson: the folly of economic prophecy.
Fri, 4 Feb 00
Duration:
15 mins
The history of how political parties choose their candidates is considered by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 28 Jan 00
Duration:
15 mins
Reviewing how the United Nations reacted to a scolding from Senator J Helms.
Fri, 21 Jan 00
Duration:
14 mins
The news that "Fur is back", leads Alistair Cook to explore why it never really went away.
Fri, 14 Jan 00
Duration:
14 mins
The story of Rip Van Winkle is used by Alistair Cooke in an attemmpt to understand the Time Warner and America Online deal.
Fri, 7 Jan 00
Duration:
15 mins
Boris Yeltsin's resignation and Mr Putin's praise of the KGB are discussed by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 31 Dec 99
Duration:
14 mins
The precautions being taken by the US government to minimise the potential damage to the banking and administration services from the millennium bug are discussed by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 24 Dec 99
Duration:
15 mins
Festive fairy lights remind Alistair Cooke of a time when Christmas was less than holy.
Fri, 17 Dec 99
Duration:
14 mins
In a vintage Letter from America from 1967, Alistair Cooke tells a Christmas story.
Fri, 10 Dec 99
Duration:
15 mins
Passive smoking fears make Alistair Cooke evaluate the cleanliness of the air around us.
Fri, 3 Dec 99
Duration:
15 mins
Alistair Cooke discusses the protests against the World Trade Organisation convention in Seattle and argues that globalisation can no more be abolished than can the internet.
Fri, 26 Nov 99
Duration:
14 mins
Whilst turkeys roast and yams bake, Alistair Cooke reflects on traditions of Thanksgiving.
Fri, 19 Nov 99
Duration:
15 mins
Bill Clinton’s appearance at Yitzhak Rabin’s memorial service is criticised by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 12 Nov 99
Duration:
14 mins
To commemorate 10 years since the fall of the Berlin wall, Alistair Cooke explains why America paid so much attention to the city and the promise it held for democracy.
Fri, 5 Nov 99
Duration:
15 mins
Whilst visiting San Francisco, Alistair Cooke muses on the ego-centric lives of city folk.
Fri, 29 Oct 99
Duration:
13 mins
Amid the festivities of All Hallows’ Eve, Alistair Cooke ponders the origins of Halloween.
Fri, 22 Oct 99
Duration:
15 mins
After the US rejects a nuclear treaty, Alistair Cooke explains how easily political pacts can fail.
Fri, 15 Oct 99
Duration:
14 mins
A European plea to the US Senate reminds Alistair Cooke of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.
Fri, 8 Oct 99
Duration:
14 mins
From greed in golf to jingoism at judo, Alistair Cooke dislikes bad spectator behaviour.
Fri, 1 Oct 99
Duration:
14 mins
What is the etiquette of sport? Alistair Cooke reflects on the sad, infamous day that his beloved golf became a victim of audience hooliganism.
Fri, 24 Sep 99
Duration:
14 mins
The affects of Hurricane Floyd - the untold story of the rain it dumped on inland towns and how it lifted the rivers.
Fri, 17 Sep 99
Duration:
15 mins
The hysterical news reporting in Britain of a US parasitic virus astounds Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 10 Sep 99
Duration:
15 mins
Alistair Cooke reflects on his visit to a New York hospital, being exempt from jury service and Mayor Rudy Guiliani's recent stint as a juror.
Fri, 3 Sep 99
Duration:
15 mins
Alistair Cooke critiques a thesis which believes America’s new National Policy is following in the footsteps of the British policies that foreshadowed World War Two.
Fri, 27 Aug 99
Duration:
14 mins
Governor Bush's non-confession of over cocaine use is considered by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 20 Aug 99
Duration:
15 mins
The medical and social aspects of smoking cigars are contemplated by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 13 Aug 99
Duration:
15 mins
Congress predicts a $3 trillion Treasury surplus in 2010 but Alistair Cooke wonders how.
Fri, 6 Aug 99
Duration:
13 mins
Youth might be wasted on the young, but Alistair Cooke believes they have a bright future.
Fri, 30 Jul 99
Duration:
14 mins
Alistair Cooke discusses his admiration for Ernest Hemingway and provides his own comical parody of his writing style.
Fri, 23 Jul 99
Duration:
14 mins
The hysterical press coverage of John Kennedy Jr's plane crash is analysed by Alistair Cooke. Plus, how a NATO led environmental survey in Yugoslavia is a positive step forward.
Fri, 16 Jul 99
Duration:
15 mins
Do sports contests ease international relations? Alistair Cooke is sceptical.
Fri, 9 Jul 99
Duration:
14 mins
Whilst under a heat induced house arrest, Alistair Cooke marvels at air conditioning.
Fri, 2 Jul 99
Duration:
15 mins
Alistair Cooke reflects on the golden parachute of retirement and Gloria Minoprio's first stand for women's liberty in the golf world.
Fri, 25 Jun 99
Duration:
14 mins
Why does it takes so long for the judges in the Supreme Court to reach a verdict?
Fri, 18 Jun 99
Duration:
15 mins
Do spontaneous protests occur? Alistair Cooke explores Rosa Parks’ infamous bus ride.
Fri, 11 Jun 99
Duration:
14 mins
GM crops remind Alistair Cooke of other scientific developments that caused controversy.
Fri, 4 Jun 99
Duration:
15 mins
How one man’s use of an electric golf buggy altered the meaning of a US disability law.
Fri, 28 May 99
Duration:
15 mins
With the Balkan wars still ongoing, Alistair Cooke relies on humour for some light relief.
Fri, 21 May 99
Duration:
14 mins
Male chivalry, the feminist movement and good manners are reflected on by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 14 May 99
Duration:
14 mins
After the bombing of a Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan, Alistair Cooke reflects on the subsequent souring of the American-Chinese relations.
Fri, 7 May 99
Duration:
15 mins
The Columbine High School massacre saddens Alistair Cooke. He reflects on the long running fight between gun controllers and the national rifle association.
Fri, 30 Apr 99
Duration:
14 mins
Alistair Cooke recalls his memories of 1949 when NATO was first created and considers the roles of the founding fathers.
Fri, 23 Apr 99
Duration:
14 mins
On the 50th anniversary of NATO, Alistair Cooke considers the power it wealds.
Fri, 16 Apr 99
Duration:
15 mins
Alistair Cooke considers why the only senator running for office who will acknowledge the NATO war is Senator John McCain.
Fri, 9 Apr 99
Duration:
15 mins
The power of television is considered by Alistair Cooke. How TV has been reflecting the real images of war and peace since the abolition of front-line censorship.
Fri, 2 Apr 99
Duration:
15 mins
In the aftermath of a NATO airstrike, Alistair Cooke reflects on the tactics of war.
Fri, 26 Mar 99
Duration:
14 mins
The power held by Alan Greenspan over the economic market plunge is considered by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 19 Mar 99
Duration:
15 mins
Why US Presidents keep flouting the War Powers Resolution.
Fri, 12 Mar 99
Duration:
14 mins
A tribute to the placid, talented, baseball player Joe DiMaggio.
Fri, 5 Mar 99
Duration:
14 mins
After revelations about the CIA in Iraq, Alistair Cooke ask; who watches the watchmen?
Fri, 26 Feb 99
Duration:
14 mins
How President Woodrow Wilson helped redmap Europe after WWI.
Fri, 19 Feb 99
Duration:
15 mins
The political fallout of President Clinton’s impeachment trial is explored by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 12 Feb 99
Duration:
15 mins
Alistair Cooke celebrates Americans who've coined famous lines and concludes that "it aint over, till it's over" for President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial.
Fri, 5 Feb 99
Duration:
15 mins
To commemorate the last wireless telegraph, Alistair Cooke remembers some Morse code.
Fri, 29 Jan 99
Duration:
14 mins
The ethical dilemmas that arise when the Pope visits the USA.
Fri, 22 Jan 99
Duration:
15 mins
The celebration of Rev. Martin Luther King Day are explored by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 15 Jan 99
Duration:
14 mins
Trials of the century, including President Clinton's impeachment are recalled by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 8 Jan 99
Duration:
15 mins
In light of Clinton's impeachment trial Alistair Cooke recalls the only other of its kind.
Fri, 1 Jan 99
Duration:
14 mins
Some memorable moments of 1998 are remembered by Alistair Cooke.
Fri, 25 Dec 98
Duration:
15 mins
The differing opinions of economists on the drop in personal savings to below zero.
Fri, 18 Dec 98
Duration:
14 mins
As the UN is refused access to weapons sites in Iraq, Operation Desert Fox begins.
Fri, 11 Dec 98
Duration:
15 mins
A discussion of the likely outcome of the hearing to decide on Clinton's impeachment.
Fri, 4 Dec 98
Duration:
14 mins
The history and traditions of Thanksgiving and the opposition to the celebration in 1998.
Fri, 27 Nov 98
Duration:
15 mins
A discussion on America's possible reaction to Saddam Hussein's nuclear stockpile.
Fri, 20 Nov 98
Duration:
15 mins
Alistair Cooke recalls some of his most memorable talks from the last 52 years.
Fri, 13 Nov 98
Duration:
13 mins
Hurricane Mitch strikes Honduras and Nicaragua and why trivial news can be so distracting.
Fri, 6 Nov 98
Duration:
14 mins
The Democrats make historical gains in the 1998 midterms and Clinton's confidence returns.
Fri, 30 Oct 98
Duration:
15 mins
Have Republican attempts to use the Lewinsky scandal against Clinton to have backfired?
Fri, 23 Oct 98
Duration:
14 mins
Remembering the televised spectacle of John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth.
Fri, 16 Oct 98
Duration:
14 mins
Jerome Weidman, America's first 'street-smart novelist' and peculiarities of US English.
Fri, 9 Oct 98
Duration:
14 mins
The modest history of presidential infidelity and how the impeachment process works.
Fri, 2 Oct 98
Duration:
14 mins
Asian economic problems spread to Brazil; the limits of the president's economic power.
Fri, 25 Sep 98
Duration:
15 mins
The life and music of George Gershwin and a post-Soviet boom in Russian immigration to NY.
Fri, 18 Sep 98
Duration:
14 mins
George Wallace,(1919 - 1998) Governor of Alabama and reformed segregationist, remembered.
Fri, 11 Sep 98
Duration:
15 mins
As the Lewinsky report is published the House starts considering an impeachment trial.
Fri, 4 Sep 98
Duration:
14 mins
The August 1998 financial crash is compared to Black Monday 1987 and Black Thursday 1929.
Fri, 28 Aug 98
Duration:
14 mins
US cruise missile strikes in Sudan and Afghanistan and Clinton makes a public appearance.
Fri, 21 Aug 98
Duration:
14 mins
President Clinton admits affair with Lewinsky to the grand jury and makes a TV apology.
Fri, 14 Aug 98
Duration:
14 mins
The threat posed by the Y2K computer glitch and what is being done to avert disaster.
Fri, 7 Aug 98
Duration:
14 mins
California passes proposition 227: to only teach Spanish speaking immigrants in English.
Fri, 31 Jul 98
Duration:
15 mins
Clinton subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury and the US grand jury system explained.
Fri, 24 Jul 98
Duration:
13 mins
Allegations that Clinton persuaded Monica Lewinsky to give false testimony examined.
Fri, 17 Jul 98
Duration:
14 mins
The emergency of the 1998 Texas heatwave and testimony from Clinton's Secret Service men.
Fri, 10 Jul 98
Duration:
15 mins
Remembering Roy Rogers and some other great cinema cowboys Wayne, Cooper, Hart and Canutt.
Fri, 3 Jul 98
Duration:
14 mins
The rise and fall of bad behaviour in tennis and golf, final refuge of sporting chivalry.
Fri, 26 Jun 98
Duration:
15 mins
President Clinton visits China, considering US - Chinese relations and Nixon's 1972 visit.
Fri, 19 Jun 98
Duration:
14 mins
The US intervenes to help Japan's economy and Louise Woodward returns to England.
Fri, 12 Jun 98
Duration:
14 mins
Religious freedom, anti-Catholic feeling, same-sex marriage and El Niño.
Fri, 5 Jun 98
Duration:
14 mins
Remembering Barry Goldwater, the most influential presidential runner-up in US history.
Fri, 29 May 98
Duration:
15 mins
Considering what happens if immigrants don't want to be assimilated into American culture.
Fri, 29 May 98
Duration:
15 mins
Considering what happens if immigrants don't want to be assimilated into American culture.
Fri, 22 May 98
Duration:
14 mins
Microsoft faces legal challenenges to its alleged Internet Explorer web browser monopoly.
Fri, 15 May 98
Duration:
15 mins
India launches a series of nuclear tests, taking the American government by surprise.
Fri, 8 May 98
Duration:
14 mins
Groundless promises of the media's daily medical miracle and the desire for a quick-fix.
Fri, 1 May 98
Duration:
14 mins
Homogenisation of US life and why California leads in creating new social legislation.
Fri, 24 Apr 98
Duration:
14 mins
US anti-smoking legislation, teenage smoking and the efforts of the pro-smoking lobby.
Fri, 17 Apr 98
Duration:
15 mins
Financial regulation in Asia and the US and the uncertain future of the investment bubble.
Fri, 10 Apr 98
Duration:
14 mins
Practical consequences of the US act banning discrimination against the disabled.
Fri, 3 Apr 98
Duration:
14 mins
Paula Jones' civil prosecution of Clinton for an alleged 1991 sexual assault thrown out.
Fri, 27 Mar 98
Duration:
14 mins
Constitutional rights and violation of the American flag.
Fri, 20 Mar 98
Duration:
15 mins
Controversies behind the NYC St Patrick's Day parade: Gay rights and Northern Ireland.
Fri, 13 Mar 98
Duration:
14 mins
Examining America's responsibilities for protecting life and 'liberty' around the world.
Fri, 6 Mar 98
Duration:
14 mins
Bill Gates appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a monopoly investigation.
Fri, 27 Feb 98
Duration:
14 mins
Jerome Murray inventor of myriad conveniences, from the high speed dentist's drill to covered aeroplane boarding ramps, and the UN weapons inspection agreement with Saddam Hussein.
Fri, 20 Feb 98
Duration:
14 mins
Outlining the investigation which has led to the Clinton and Lewinsky allegations.
Fri, 13 Feb 98
Duration:
15 mins
UN refusal to act against Saddam Hussein and the problems of a US war against Iraq.
Fri, 6 Feb 98
Duration:
14 mins
Contrasting Clinton's high approval rating with the widespread belief that he's lying.
Fri, 30 Jan 98
Duration:
14 mins
The first evidence of the scandal of Monica Lewinsky's affair with Clinton, mulled over.
Fri, 23 Jan 98
Duration:
15 mins
Cuba's remarkable post-Soviet economic survival and Pope John Paul II's 1998 visit.
Fri, 16 Jan 98
Duration:
15 mins
Social change in America and the continual cycles of New York's 'high society'.
Fri, 9 Jan 98
Duration:
15 mins
The problems with predicting the future, from Westbrook Pegler to today.
Fri, 2 Jan 98
Duration:
15 mins
Considering the complexity of homelessness and the failure of ideology to address it.
Fri, 26 Dec 97
Duration:
15 mins
The story of Zebby Adams, the real Santa Claus, and how his joyride got him into trouble – and his Christmas spirit got him out of it
Fri, 12 Dec 97
Duration:
15 mins
The danger that a financial crisis in Asia poses to the global economy.
Fri, 5 Dec 97
Duration:
15 mins
An examination of what American tourists expect to see when on vacation.
Fri, 28 Nov 97
Duration:
15 mins
How Alistair Cooke convinced the state of Idaho to celebrate George Washington's birthday.
Fri, 21 Nov 97
Duration:
15 mins
A profile of British political theorist and historian Sir Isaiah Berlin (1909-1997).
Fri, 14 Nov 97
Duration:
14 mins
The reduction in the severity of the verdict in the Louise Woodward trial by Judge Zobel.
Fri, 7 Nov 97
Duration:
14 mins
President Clinton's ground breaking meeting with President Jiang of China.
Fri, 31 Oct 97
Duration:
15 mins
The events leading up to the 1929 Wall Street crash.
Fri, 24 Oct 97
Duration:
15 mins
The release of the Kennedy tapes, and what they tell us about the Cuban missile crisis.
Fri, 17 Oct 97
Duration:
15 mins
An overview of El Niño and the Queen's visit to California.
Fri, 10 Oct 97
Duration:
15 mins
President Clinton's use of line-item vetos on projects he deemed wasteful.
Fri, 3 Oct 97
Duration:
14 mins
A profile of George Gallup, the inventor of the Gallup poll.
Fri, 26 Sep 97
Duration:
14 mins
An examination of the stereotypes of American life as portrayed in Hollywood movies.
Fri, 19 Sep 97
Duration:
15 mins
The life of Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926).
Fri, 12 Sep 97
Duration:
14 mins
Megan's Law, and other laws named after people, and a protest at Yale.
Fri, 5 Sep 97
Duration:
15 mins
The American reaction to the death of Princess Diana.
Fri, 22 Aug 97
Duration:
14 mins
Do union strikes bring change? UPS and Air Traffic Controllers find out.
Fri, 15 Aug 97
Duration:
14 mins
Status symbol mania, and the demand for bottled water.
Fri, 8 Aug 97
Duration:
15 mins
The low outcomes for black and the Latin American students, contrasts with Asian ones.
Fri, 1 Aug 97
Duration:
14 mins
The prosperity and popularity of President Clinton.
Fri, 25 Jul 97
Duration:
15 mins
Woolworth stores in America close their doors to the public.
Fri, 18 Jul 97
Duration:
14 mins
Memories of actor James Stewart (1908-1997).
Fri, 11 Jul 97
Duration:
14 mins
The mystery of illegal donations to President Clinton's re-election campaign.
Fri, 4 Jul 97
Duration:
14 mins
How the US see the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong back to China.
Fri, 27 Jun 97
Duration:
15 mins
What really happened at Roswell, New Mexico in the summer of 1947?
Fri, 20 Jun 97
Duration:
15 mins
The Watergate scandal and the eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon.
Fri, 13 Jun 97
Duration:
14 mins
A look at the trend for health scares in the media when the economy is booming.
Fri, 6 Jun 97
Duration:
14 mins
A look at the life and work of William Clayton, the official who assessed the state of post-war Europe, and returned to the US to play a major role in drafting the Marshall Plan.
Fri, 30 May 97
Duration:
15 mins
The cases of Kelly Flinn and Paula Jones, two women at the heart of sex scandals that could change US military law, or even the Constitution.
Fri, 23 May 97
Duration:
15 mins
Alistair Cooke reflects on the differences between the American and British methods of presenting and debating a budget.
Fri, 16 May 97
Duration:
15 mins
The 1997 UK general election, viewed from across the Atlantic, and the story of Sir Lionel Sackville-West, the man whose fatuity lost the Democrats the 1888 presidency.
Fri, 9 May 97
Duration:
15 mins
The unveiling of a Franklin D Roosevelt monument in Washington DC reminds Alistair Cooke of the problems that arise when erecting statues of notable figures.
Fri, 2 May 97
Duration:
15 mins
Tiger Woods, the golfing wonder whose ethnicity proves hard to pigeonhole – and, as fellow golf champion Fuzzy Zoeller discovers, can't be joked about.
Fri, 25 Apr 97
Duration:
15 mins
How television has become a valuable historical archive, and how film can be replayed to haunt those taped, not least the tobacco industry bosses who lied about nicotine addiction.
Fri, 18 Apr 97
Duration:
15 mins
A tribute to Jackie Robinson (1919 – 1972) the first black Major League baseball player who ended racial segregation when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
Fri, 11 Apr 97
Duration:
15 mins
How the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia became the home of golf in America. Alistair Cooke explores the history of his beloved golf course.
Fri, 4 Apr 97
Duration:
15 mins
Vice President Al Gore oversees the Boeing 777 jetliners deal with China. Plus, should presidential candidates get free television publicity?
Fri, 28 Mar 97
Duration:
14 mins
A profile of Alan Greenspan, economist and former Chairman of the Federal Reserve. The most powerful man in the world who no one is ever likely to recognise in public.
Fri, 21 Mar 97
Duration:
14 mins
How does the US restrict children accessing pornography on the internet – without tripping over the Constitution? Does the 1st amendment cover the internet?
Fri, 14 Mar 97
Duration:
15 mins
President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore have been caught soliciting money from inside the White House for use in the presidential campaign. How will the scandal unfold?
Fri, 7 Mar 97
Duration:
15 mins
The House of Representatives vote in favour of the Ten Commandments. The legal contest between the American Civil Liberties Union's and Judge Moore over the freedom of speech.
Fri, 28 Feb 97
Duration:
15 mins
John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit Earth, retires after a lifetime in the public eye.
Fri, 21 Feb 97
Duration:
15 mins
President Clinton forgets about upsetting organised labour and chooses instead to keep American business flying by forcing a stop to the airline pilots strike.
Fri, 14 Feb 97
Duration:
15 mins
Is the $33.5m damages a fair sum for guilty OJ Simpson to pay, or simply the price of revenge masquerading as justice?
Fri, 7 Feb 97
Duration:
14 mins
Why the jury found OJ Simpson guilty on his second trial. The black-and-white pattern which lies behind the second trial verdict, described as a 'reasonable response to the facts'.
Fri, 31 Jan 97
Duration:
14 mins
The instillation of Pope John Paul II in 1978 caused a flutter amongst the Polish immigrants in Long Island who worship at Our Lady of Ostrobrama.
Fri, 24 Jan 97
Duration:
15 mins
The history of Washington D.C as the capital city of the United States, and the effect of the reign of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani on the crime rate in New York City in 1997.
Fri, 17 Jan 97
Duration:
14 mins
Presidential inaugurations - from George Washington's 1789 pomp and parade, to Andrew Jackson's drunken brawl, to finally Bill Clinton's home-grown vegetable dinner.
Fri, 10 Jan 97
Duration:
14 mins
The various roles of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the future of Newt Gingrich following his guilty plea to the charge of misinforming the subcommittee in 1997.
Fri, 3 Jan 97
Duration:
15 mins
How an engraving by Paul Revere exaggerated the 1770 riot at Boston's Customs House into the Boston Massacre. Plus, the unsolved mystery of why flight TWA 800 crashed in 1996.
The BBC Podcasts are for your personal non-commercial use only.
All title, ownership rights and intellectual property rights in and to the BBC Podcasts shall remain the property of the BBC or third parties. You may not edit, alter, adapt or add to the BBC Podcast in any way. The BBC Podcasts are made available by the BBC on an "as is" and "as available" basis and the BBC gives no warranty of any kind in relation to the BBC Podcast. To the maximum extent permitted by law the BBC will not be liable for any loss or damage which you may suffer as a result of, or connected to, the download or use of the BBC Podcasts.
You need Javascript enabled and Flash version 10 installed to access this audio. Please view our BBC Webwise guide.
A podcast offering Radio 4's award winning, flagship investigative series File on 4.
Tue, 26 Mar 13
37 minutes
Uncovering the real stories behind the news. Simon Cox and fellow reporters delve beneath the headlines. The Report airs every Thursday evening at 8pm on Radio 4 for 38 weeks a year. The programme…
Thu, 16 May 13
28 minutes
BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.
