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Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

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    Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

    Well this is radio, but I'm sure that I can sneak it into this section.

    Is anybody fond of these letters which are now available to listen to on the BBC archive?

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00f6hbp

    I was vaguely aware of them whilst I was growing up, but I've only started listening to them over the past few months. They're a real treasure trove of information about America and her history and culture.

    As you'd expect from a journalist who led an eventful life, he has an array of anecdotes to keep you chuckling and to break up the facts and figures. Sometimes he waffles a bit too much, but I guess that's part of the letters' charm.

    I started at the Reagan years, and have just moved into the Bush senior administration. Some eventful times lie ahead.

    When he begins each letter with his customary 'Good Morning', I've often found myself saying it back to him.

    He seemed to be fondly remembered when he passed away back in 2004.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3581633.stm

    #2
    Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

    Firstly, there should be a "Radio" section if not a "Radio 4" section. Surprisingly, I don't think that Alistair Cooke has been mentioned on here much.

    My Dad was a big fan and I love the stuff I hear on I-player but haven't got the time to wade through everything. I find him slightly reactionary for me but only slightly and, politics notwithstanding, I love his stuff. He was the proto-"From Our Own Correspondent".

    An ex-boss of mine wanted to commission a statue of him and wanted to find out what cigarettes he smoked so got in touch with him. He refused to give this information as he had given up smoking.

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      #3
      Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

      On moving to North America I was surprised to find he was just as popular here — for explaining Britain to Americans — as he was in the UK for explaining America to Brits. He really was number one in a field of one, and pretty good at it too.

      One of my photography instructors spent a summer in the US in the early 60s. He sent most of the national papers a list of where he'd be, what he'd be shooting, and asking what they'd be interested in. The reply from The Guardian was, "Nothing, unless Alistair Cooke wants to write the copy."

      In his avuncular latter years he introduced Masterpiece Theatre on PBS. Explaining the British class system through Upstairs, Downstairs and the like. A huge part of the success of British TV over here was down to Cookie. A man who found his niche, and made the most of it.

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        #4
        Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

        We watched the history shows he narrated in 8th grade.

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          #5
          Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

          When I listen to the letters on my MP3 player, I feel that he's talking directly to me. His final comments in each letter are often thought provoking, and sometimes stay with you for a long time afterwards.

          If I had to give one example of what I mean from the letters that I've heard so far, then I'd pick this one: General Douglas MacArthur and the Japanese surrender.

          The final words, accompanied by the hiss of the analogue recording, sent a few shivers down my spine.

          http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/lfaregan/all

          The letter in question is about 3/4 of the way down the page.

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            #6
            Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

            Bored of Education wrote:

            Firstly, there should be a "Radio" section if not a "Radio 4" section.
            Definitely. I find myself lucky that I'm self-employed and spend a lot of time doing jobs on my own, and so many of the Radio 4 podcasts are priceless.

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              #7
              Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

              Lots here naturally

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                #8
                Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

                Reed John wrote: We watched the history shows he narrated in 8th grade.
                They really are outstanding. the last episode makes for some interesting watching. his concerns for the next 20-30 years are curious in hindsight.

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                  #9
                  Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

                  I used to listen to this on Sunday mornings. My mum, dad and brother would have gone out to church and I would be at home on my own eating brteakfast and listening to Letter from America.

                  If I think about it I can still picture the kitchen and the radio and hear his voice. He always spoke slowly enough to be clear, without ever being boring.

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                    #10
                    Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

                    The Awesome Berbaslug!!! wrote:
                    Originally posted by Reed John
                    We watched the history shows he narrated in 8th grade.
                    They really are outstanding. the last episode makes for some interesting watching. his concerns for the next 20-30 years are curious in hindsight.
                    Sometimes he calls things wrong. During one of his mid '80s letters, he predicted that the rise of the microwave oven would spell the end of BBQing, because no-one would have the patience to slow cook meat over charcoals when it could be microwaved in minutes.

                    We'll forgive him that.

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                      #11
                      Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

                      The BBC are making a big deal - and rightly so - over some 600 lost episodes of LFA that have recently turned up in two listeners' tape recordings.

                      There was a radio program on Sunday which discussed some of the highlights. All the lost episodes are being added to the online archive.

                      http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03zj367

                      I got a chance to listen to it yesterday. The letter broadcast at the time of Nixon's resignation was spooky.

                      The 30th March was the 10th anniversary of Cooke's death, so it's kinda appropriate that the tapes have surfaced at this time.

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                        #12
                        Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

                        I've just finished watching Alistair Cooke's America. There's a YouTube channel with every episode on it.

                        https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5JmuRq7zSGf832MKVHQPPA

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                          #13
                          Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

                          What did you think?

                          I thought it was great when it first aired, and was considering suggesting to ursus minor that he watch it over the summer as preparation for taking Advanced Placement US History next year.

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                            #14
                            Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

                            Some of the language was a little arcane - his somewhat free and easy use of the word "negro", for example, is obviously not something that would happen nowadays and was uncomfortable to my ears - and I didn't really agree with his conclusions, but I think you have to make an allowance or two for the passage of time. It's at its strongest on the first four or five episodes, on the real history stuff.

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                              #15
                              Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

                              once he starts he won't stop. Although it's more fascinating to see what america was like around 1970

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                                #16
                                Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

                                The thing is that 1970 is now very much a part of the AP US History course. It's a bit jarring to someone who took it in 1975 (when it stopped at WWII).

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                                  #17
                                  Alistair Cooke and his Letters From America

                                  hah, don't mention that to ursus minor. The youthful like to mock. The irish leaving cert course runs from 1871 to 1966. That finishing year is a carefully chosen one. (another thing is that since the late 1960's the Irish history education system switched from mostly being about oliver cromwell, to not mentioning him at all)

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