BBC Sounds - Letter from America by Alistair Cooke - Available Episodes

The 1970s

1970s USA rediscovered through lost recordings of Alistair Cooke's Letter From America.

• 120 mins
• 30 Mar 2014

The atom bomb warning of 1939

How two refugees warned Roosevelt of the German nuclear threat.

• 15 mins
• 19 Nov 2008

Rudolph Valentino

The life of Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926).

• 15 mins
• 05 Dec 2007

Atlanta and Augusta

A history of the Augusta National Golf Club from its formation in 1777.

• 15 mins
• 04 Dec 2007

Kennedy's rocking chair

The secret ailments of President John F Kennedy.

• 15 mins
• 03 Dec 2007

How ice cream changed America

A profile of Reuben Mattus (1912-1994), the co-founder of Haagen-Dazs.

• 15 mins
• 30 Nov 2007

Groucho Marx and Bing Crosby

Profiles of entertainers Groucho Marx (1898-1977) and Bing Crosby (1903-1977).

• 15 mins
• 29 Nov 2007

Alistair Cooke's Last Letter

In his last letter, Alistair Cooke examines Iraq’s influence on the Presidential Election.

• 15 mins
• 20 Feb 2004

How WWI turned slimming into a fashion

How slimming became fashionable during the food shortages of the First World War.

• 15 mins
• 13 Feb 2004

Encounters with Intelligence

Alistair Cooke remembers the time he was mistaken for a spy during World War II.

• 15 mins
• 06 Feb 2004

Was Saddam a Threat or Not?

Alistair Cooke discusses the resignation of the US chief weapons inspector, Dr David Kay.

• 15 mins
• 30 Jan 2004

The Day of the GP is Over

Alistair Cooke remembers when doctors used to make house calls.

• 15 mins
• 23 Jan 2004

Temperatures Drop

Alistair Cooke remembers a Palm Beach winter, as Arctic weather hits the northern states.

• 15 mins
• 16 Jan 2004

Not Worth Talking About

Alistair Cooke refuses to exhaust himself describing all the presidential candidates.

• 15 mins
• 09 Jan 2004

The Problem with Sport

Alistair Cooke wonders what makes people favour athletic prowess over academic skill.

• 15 mins
• 02 Jan 2004

Pork Barrel Politics

Alistair Cooke examines how congressmen secure re-appointments during an election year.

• 15 mins
• 26 Dec 2003

Birth of a Christmas Fairy Tale

Charles Dickens’ Scrooge reminds Alistair Cooke of the uniting force of Christmas.

• 15 mins
• 19 Dec 2003

Looking for an Anniversary

An anniversary gets Alistair Cooke out from a sticky broadcasting situation.

• 15 mins
• 12 Dec 2003

Why the War Couldn't Wait

Alistair Cooke examines why it is so difficult to establish democracy in Iraq.

• 15 mins
• 05 Dec 2003

Healthy Eating

In light of new concerns about healthy eating, Alistair Cooke reflects on Thanksgiving.

• 15 mins
• 28 Nov 2003