This is a selection of Alistair Cooke's finest radio Letters in chronological order from his earliest broadcasts. Alistair Cooke was a radio legend, entertaining millions of listeners for over fifty years in his weekly "Letter from America". It was the longest-running one-man series in radio history, and every show was a virtuoso performance. Wise and witty, informed and informal, Cooke was the doyen of foreign correspondents. In this selection of the very first Letters, Cooke reports on a memorable range of events, including the threat to the United States during World War II, the funeral of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the shocking occasion when a bomber hit the Empire State Building and the presidential election of 1948. He tells the incredible story of the missing Holden baby, explains the phenomenon of the 'summer bachelors' who stay in the city when their wives and families vacation in cooler climes, and pays tribute to American pianist William Kapell. The Letters are set in their historical context with a specially commissioned script narrated by the BBC's Washington correspondent Matt Frei.
As well as insights into cultural and political events of the time, we also get a charming sketch of the young Alistair Cooke. Whether the topics he explores are serious or humorous, Cooke's unique style of expression and analysis shines through in these classic broadcasts from the world's most famous letter writer and radio's greatest observer. 'Cooke's debonaire, transatlantic tones are unmistakable...' - "FT Magazine".
- ISBN10 1405677767
- ISBN13 9781405677769
- Publish Date 1 October 2007
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 17 June 2015
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher BBC Audio, A Division Of Random House
- Imprint BBC Physical Audio
- Format Audiobook
- Pages 2
- Language English