The Essential Letters from America

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 yet informal, Cooke was the doyen of foreign correspondents. In this collection of "Letters", Cooke reports on the attempt to rescue the American hostages in Iran, President Reagan's inauguration, the Challenger space shuttle explosion and Black Monday. In addition, he talks about political speechwriting, muses on the silly season, discusses the difference between the American and English use of language, celebrates the 100th birthday of Irving Berlin and considers the effects of the catastrophic San Francisco earthquake.