A collection of 12 Alistair Cooke broadcasts from between 1946 and 1968. He offers his opinions and reflections on topics which range from the decisions of presidents and prime ministers to sporting triumphs, cultural changes, and the mores of society world-wide.
Letter from America: 1946-2004
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Cooke's debonaire, transatlantic tones are unmistakable... -- FT Magazine, March 8, 2008
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Publisher
Many will have felt great sadness at hearing about the death of Alistair Cooke earlier this year. His long broadcasting career spans spanned the greater part of the 20th century and his weekly Letter From America gave generations a marvellous insight into our powerful ally.
BBC Audiobooks is proud to be publishing this box set that includes Alistair Cooke at the BBC, plus three volumes of Letter From America and the tribute programme that Radio 4 broadcast to commemorate Cooke’s eventful life as an English journalist reporting for most of his life from America. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
BBC Audiobooks is proud to be publishing this box set that includes Alistair Cooke at the BBC, plus three volumes of Letter From America and the tribute programme that Radio 4 broadcast to commemorate Cooke’s eventful life as an English journalist reporting for most of his life from America. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
When I left England to live in the United States for one year last August, there was only one book I took with me - Alistair Cooke's 'Letter From America'. What else could I have taken? Cooke saw into America like no other Brit (or no other non-American, for that matter).
Starting at the mid 1940s, the book winds its way through post-war America nearly right up until the authors death in 2004, picking out the best of his weekly broadcasts. The subject matters range from politics, history, current affairs, entertainment and topics from the New England fall, jazz, Robert Kennedy's assassination (which he witnessed first-hand) and the O.J Simpson trial.
But it is not the subject matter that makes this book so special (for we already know about most of them anyway) it is none other than Cooke's insight and writing style. The articles flow like the finest novel or poem (which is probably attributed to Cooke's background in theatre). Each time you come back to read the book again it feels as though you are receiving the opinions of a familiar friend, and not some distant journalist.
There are drawbacks. Cooke was often criticised, and quite rightly so, for ignoring the darker side of the American dream. The other possible drawback, depending on your viewpoint, is that Cooke was a committed conservative, particularly in the latter half of his career. Many of the final articles from the late 90's and early 00's lament the current position of America and (what he saw as) the sliding standards of journalism. Maybe, but you also can't help feel that by this point he was slightly out of touch.
These minor quibbles, however, cannot undermine Cooke's overall achievement of helping us better understand this important nation, which could more accurately be described as love letters to America.
Starting at the mid 1940s, the book winds its way through post-war America nearly right up until the authors death in 2004, picking out the best of his weekly broadcasts. The subject matters range from politics, history, current affairs, entertainment and topics from the New England fall, jazz, Robert Kennedy's assassination (which he witnessed first-hand) and the O.J Simpson trial.
But it is not the subject matter that makes this book so special (for we already know about most of them anyway) it is none other than Cooke's insight and writing style. The articles flow like the finest novel or poem (which is probably attributed to Cooke's background in theatre). Each time you come back to read the book again it feels as though you are receiving the opinions of a familiar friend, and not some distant journalist.
There are drawbacks. Cooke was often criticised, and quite rightly so, for ignoring the darker side of the American dream. The other possible drawback, depending on your viewpoint, is that Cooke was a committed conservative, particularly in the latter half of his career. Many of the final articles from the late 90's and early 00's lament the current position of America and (what he saw as) the sliding standards of journalism. Maybe, but you also can't help feel that by this point he was slightly out of touch.
These minor quibbles, however, cannot undermine Cooke's overall achievement of helping us better understand this important nation, which could more accurately be described as love letters to America.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By G. Wake
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
I have been listening to Alastair Cooke's broadcasts for many years, always finding something rewarding in them: a reference to an age before I was born, a different view point about an issue or something everyone else appeared to have missed. Cooke brought the ordinary into the major world events, showed the human side to many a major story and gave others the chance to see a perspective only obtainable through many years of hard work and intelligent inquiry. This book only contains a tiny number of the vast quantities of Letters from America but they are worthwhile letters; reading these samples of nearly sixty years of broadcasting provides a special insight into many issues, historical events and people largely forgotten or interpreted differently by a modern audience. Much of the most interesting content of the book is simply that of an old man explaining how the world changed in his lifetime: Cooke tells of the constants that he believed would last forever that new generations have never even heard of. It's worth reading for that warning alone. Regardless of the fading of the world Cooke knew his letters are both timeless reflections on people's nature and historically important records of a not so distant past. Some of the letters are included in the BBC audio CD collection but most are not so even if you have those recordings this book is still a worthwhile read. It's a different kind of America to that seen on the TV and movie theatre screens.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Caterkiller
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
To be blunt: Alistair Cooke's writing is of the highest quality. It surpasses most fiction and non-fiction writings in these terms. The key characteristic of "Letters from America" is that they were meant to be read aloud and so adopt a more authoratative tone than most published writings. Cooke's America is fascinating; it shows what has been forgotten as well as documenting the present. Past luminaries such as HL Mencken, who is now largely forgotten, are described in detail under the assumption that their memory would live forever. The one criticism is that Cooke covers the news with too light a touch. At least in this collection, the civil rights movement, the attrocities of the Johnson and Nixon administrations in Vietnam and Cambodia are only briefly referred to. Apart from that his writing on summers in Long Island, the death of the Kennedies and Clintongate are an absolute pleasure.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
fascinating book
An excellent history of contemporary American politics from one of the great commentators of his time. A must for anyone with an interest in American and international affairs.
Published 3 months ago by StuartDM
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the greatest
I loved listening to "Letter from America" in the old days and reading this beautiful book reminded me of the many enjoyable and most interesting hours spent listening to... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mark Dene
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful to indulge in some nostalgia!
I am a longstanding fan of Alistair Cook and his letters from America. I used to listen to his weekly report on the radio.on Sunday afternoons.
Published 3 months ago by Chelsea Boy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Present for myself
I have read Alister Cooke's letters before and also listened to him for years, you can imagine him talking as you read.
Published 3 months ago by Mrs. Kathleen Heywood
5.0 out of 5 stars
Letter from America: 1946-2004
Wonderful,Wonderful,Wonderful...
I guess I'm of an age where I can clearly recall with many happy memories listening each week to Alistair Cooke talking about America on... Read more
I guess I'm of an age where I can clearly recall with many happy memories listening each week to Alistair Cooke talking about America on... Read more
Published 3 months ago by C. ANTJOULE
5.0 out of 5 stars
From Our Own Correspondent
The late Alistair Cooke's 'Letter From America' was a weekly slot on BBC Radio Four, in which Cooke, an Englishman, proffered his impressions, views and opinions on the United... Read more
Published 5 months ago by T. T. Rogers
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exellent
Sublime!!! The master at work. Effortlessly.. Every story a pleasure. all set around the events of their time.
Listen and learn ... He's the voice...
Listen and learn ... He's the voice...
Published 13 months ago by Paul
5.0 out of 5 stars
Letter from America - Alastiar Cooke
Very pleased with prompt delibery and price - excellent service. I would have no hesitation in using this seller again.
B McGonigal
B McGonigal
Published on 24 April 2011 by B. McGonigal
5.0 out of 5 stars
FIRST CLASS DELIVERY
Here are 102 of the 2869 letters for over fifty years presented by Alistair Cooke until weeks of his death at the grand old age of 95. Read more
Published on 11 July 2010 by Mr. D. L. Rees
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Inspiration
Wishing to take a break from just listening to music, I was looking for something different to load onto my MP3 player. Read more
Published on 13 April 2010 by John Russell
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