BBC Radio Podcasts from Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: The Clinton Years (1993-1996)
A history of Father Christmas
Santa Claus or Father Christmas? The origin of the Patron saint of Christmas is explored.
UN Leader Mr Boutros Boutros-Ghali
A tribute to Mr Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former leader of the UN General Assembly.
Gulf War Syndrome
Madeleine Albright as US Secretary of State, and the cost of Gulf War Syndrome.
Permissive California
Cults of California, tolerance in San Francisco, and the permissive parenting backlash.
Thanksgiving in California
From California, Alistair Cooke examines the un-politicised institution of Thanksgiving.
Sexual harassment in the armed forces
An examination of the revelation of sexual harassment in the US armed forces.
US intervention in Rwanda
America intervenes in the Rwandan refugee crisis.
The 1996 presidential election
Bill Clinton's presidential victory 1996
Halloween, 1996
A chronicle of the origins of Halloween and the economy of pumpkins.
Forest fires, tornadoes and earthquakes
An examination of extreme weather in America.
The science of electoral predictions
The difficulty in predicting the outcome of presidential elections.
Vice-presidential responsibilites
Bob Dole, Jack Kemp and Dan Quayle are profiled.
The 1996 presidential debates
The beginning of the debates between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole.
Boris Yeltin's heart surgery
A history of governance of by gravely ill leaders.
OJ Simpson's civil trial
O J Simpson's very different trials.
The Defense Of Marriage Act 1996
The implications of the Defence of Marriage legislation to domestic partnerships.
Cruise missile strike in Iraq
The "unfinished" Gulf War and the use of cruise missiles.
Chicago and the Democratic convention
The history of Chicago as the host city for the Democratic Party convention.
The return of Ross Perot and US social concerns
Third tri-mester abortions and the resurgence of Ross Perot.
The 1996 Republican convention
The move away from the convention as a way of choosing a presidential candidate.
Atlanta Olympics 1996
The economy of sport and the 1996 Olympic Games.
The welfare and healthcare reform debate
The prominence of the welfare debate in presidential campaigns.
The TWA Flight 800 crash
The aftermath of the TWA flight 800 crash.
The Helms-Burton Bill
Trade with Cuba, and the importance of tobacco to the American south.
Melvin Belli (1907-1996)
Lawyer Melvin Belli, whose clients included Mohammed Ali, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Mae West.
1996 Russian presidential elections
Boris Yeltsin wins the 1996 Russian presidential election.
Max Factor Jr and make-up (1904 - 1996)
Max Factor Jr, make-up artist and American businessman, remembered.
Bob Dole to run for president
Bob Dole resigns from the Senate to run for president.
Timothy Leary (1920 -1996)
Timothy Leary, psychologist and writer and advocate of psychedelic drugs, remembered.
Memorial Day, 1996
Remembering the military dead, from picnics to serious parades in Waterloo, New York
Single issue groups
President Clinton's stance on gay marriage and the power of single issue groups.
The debate over assisted suicide
The moral and legal debate over assisted suicide.
Diplomacy and the Star Wars defence program
The Star Wars defence program and the response to overseas elections.
Kennedy's rocking chair
The secret ailments of President John F Kennedy.
Erma Bombeck
Memories of columnist Erma Bombeck (1927 -96).
The South Florida University bomb
America's anti-terror legislation and the South Florida University bomb.
The Montana Freemen
The rise of the Montana Freemen and the opposition of the FBI.
Euthanasia and the terminally ill
Should the terminally be helped to die, and the trials of doctors who have done so.
Perot, Buchanan and Dole
The battle for the Republican presidential candidacy.
The first Letter from America 1946
Alistair Cooke re-presents his first American Letter.
Lockerbie and anti-terror laws
Striking a balance between legislation and liberty.
Churchill's Soviet warning and the Chinese threat
Winston Churchill's predictions and the threat of communist China.
Pat Buchanan and divisions with the Republican Party
Middle America and Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan
The US tax system
A look at various democracies around the world, and the US tax system.
Great American frauds
The frauds of Phineas T Barnum, Hershel Geguzin and Ruldolph Walter Wanderone.
The 1996 New Hampshire primary
The 1996 New Hampshire primary election.
Clinton's State Of The Union address
Bill Clinton's 1996 State of the Union address.
Hilary Clinton, Eleanor Roosevelt and Abigail Smith
A comparison of prominent first ladies.
The snow of 1996, 1947 and 1888
The notable snowfalls of 1947, 1883 and 1996.
Government services and the budget bill
A halt on government services and no resolution to the budget bill.
Christmas 1995
The joys of absolute silence, as experienced during a Christmas in Vermont.
School prayers
What makes a good government, and should prayers be read in American public schools?
US troops enter Bosnia, 1995
Does the power to declare war lie with Congress or, as many assume, with the President?
James Reston (1909-1995)
A tribute to the respected political columnist James Reston.
Church and state
The freedom of speech within the school classroom, and the separation of Church and state.
Bosnia and the Dayton Agreement
The US role in the Bosnian peace treaty of signed in Dayton in November 1995.
1995 Shutdown of the federal government
The United States debt crisis and the shutdown of the federal government in 1995.
General Colin Powell
How broad is the public appeal of Colin Powell, and could he be a presidential candidate?
Quebec and French relations
A brief history of Quebec and the American and Canadian relationship with France.
Arafat visits New York
Details of Yasser Arafat's speech at the 1995 meeting of the UN in New York City.
New York taxi drivers
The importance of big business to President Clinton's re-election campaign.
OJ Simpson and race
An exploration of the issues of race surrounding the O J Simpson trial.
The OJ Simpson verdict, 1995
How Americans feel about the OJ Simpson trial following the delivery of the verdict.
Colin Powell and Ross Perot
The possible entrance of Colin Powell and Ross Perot in to the race for the presidency.
Online America
Does a reliance on computers mean the return of the Luddites?
Senator Robert Packwood
The resignation of Robert Packwood, and the workings of the lobbying system.
Labor Day 1995
A brief history of Labor Day, and what is holds for 1995.
Third parties
Does the 'broken' nature of American politics necessitate a three party system?
Political vacations
Bill Clinton's summer holiday, and the private side of presidential life.
The American aqueduct scandal
The California water wars of the 19th Century, and environmental policy in 1995.
The atomic bomb
The controversy surrounding the use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
The American relationship with tobacco
Should a memorial statue of FDR include his omnipresent cigarette?
George Romney, Mitt’s father
A reflection on the comment that ended the presidential campaign of George Romney.
Smith-Corona typewriters
The demise of the manual typewriter, as highlighted by the closure of Smith-Corona.
Clinton and Tiberius
The United Nations intervention in Bosnia, and the hesitation of Bill Clinton.
Porgy and Bess
The racial politics of George Gershwin's 1935 opera Porgy and Bess.
St Patrick's parade ban
The ban of homosexuals and bisexuals from the St Patrick's Day parade by Boston veterans.
The first UN Conference
Tales from the first United Nations conference in San Francisco in 1945.
American farmers
What are the problems faced by American farmers in 1995?
Bob Dole and the fall of Rome
How does modern-day America compare with the fall of Rome as described by Gibbon?
Objectives in modern conflict
The lack of a clear objective in modern conflict, and the effect on the American public.
The White House
A discussion on the closure of Pennsylvania Avenue to the public in 1995.
Rockefeller and Britannica
The factors causing difficulties for Encyclopedia Britannia and the Rockefeller Centre.
Equality in New York, Clinton in Russia
President Clinton's trip to dissuade Boris Yeltsin from sending nuclear aid to Iran.
VE Day, fifty years on
The 50th anniversary of the victory in Europe during WWII.
Oklahoma City bombing
The fallout of Oklahoma City bombing, and the rise in domestic terrorism.
US taxation in 1995
The simplification and reduction of tax in America in 1995.
Remembering FDR
The 50th anniversary of the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The Christian right in politics
What role does the extreme Christian Right play in American politics?
The OJ phenomenon
Why are Americans obsessed with the OJ Simpson trial?
Rudolph Giuliani's New York
The social problems faced by the Mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani.
Gingrich and Roosevelt
Republicans have a majority in both houses of the Senate for the first time in 40 years.
Ringers
The latest developments in the baseball strike explained.
The American deficit
How the gap between the national income and outgoings has been allowed to widen.
The secrets of a long life
Jeanne Calment, the world's oldest woman celebrates her 120th birthday.
William Fulbright (1905-1995)
Former Arkansas Senator William Fulbright remembered.
Baseball strike 1994-5
El Nino; and the events leading up to the 1994-95 baseball strike in America.
George Abbott remembered
A tribute to director, theatre producer and playwright George Abbott (1887-1995).
Dependency on red tape
American dependency on red tape and the 'death' of common sense.
Montgomery bus boycott
Recollections of the Montgomery bus boycott prompted by Rosa Parks in 1955.
A Nation of hair stylists
How abstract votes will affect the nomination of Democratic presidential candidate.
Clinton and 'Me too' Democrats
Newt Gingrich becomes Speaker of the US House of Representatives.
Barry Goldwater, and Reagan's speech
The state of the Republican Party in 1994 and the importance of a speech by Ronald Reagan.
Carter's diplomacy and White House security
How have the security arrangements of the president changed since the 1960s?
OJ Simpson and the legal process, 1994
The OJ Simpson trial, and the Long Island commuter train shootings.
Cable TV and local news
Has the rise in cable television made the local news story a thing of the past?
Bosnia and the power of NATO
Is NATO becoming a redundant entity as the war in Bosnia continues?
Newt Gingrich and the constitution
Newt Gingrich's appointment as the Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1994.
Clinton on welfare and free trade
The North American Free Trade Agreement, and Clinton's failure on welfare reform.
Clinton's medical reforms
Can Clinton push ahead with medical reform following a Republican victory in the Senate?
Halloween 1994
How are a rise in street crime and Christian objections affecting Halloween?
The Kennedy Family
The history of an American political powerhouse, the Kennedy family.
Jean-Bertrand Aristide
A profile of new American ally, Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti.
Diane Feinstein's forestry bill
The drama of Congressional voting, as highlighted by Diane Feinstein's forestry bill.
North Korean nuclear development
Are Jimmy Carter's diplomatic discussions the best deterrent to North Korean developments?
American troops in Haiti
American intervention in Haiti, Clinton's motivations, and Jimmy Carter's diplomacy.
American political underdogs
How will President Clinton's popularity be affected by the 1994 Congressional elections?
Employment in America
The cancellation of Labor Day in New York City, and an examination of US workers.
Allied troops leave Berlin in 1994
The final withdrawal of Allied troops from Berlin in September 1994.
USA, Cuba, and Guantanamo Bay
The housing of Cuban refugees at the American military base at Guantanamo bay.
Johnny Madison Williams
Can a crook be a national hero, and who was Johnny Madison Williams Jnr?
Community policing, protest and riots
Following the riots in Harlem Heights, Alistair Cooke discussed community policing.
Preserving the peace in Serbia
Does America have an historic obligation to protect peace and defend the innocent?
Nuclear non-proliferation
Dr. Kathleen Bailey's speech on nuclear deterrence before the Senate at Livermore.
Shoemaker-Levy 9 and Arthur C Clarke
A discussion on comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, and the thinning of the Ozone layer.
Haiti
A brief history of Haiti, and President Clinton's attempts to connect with Germany.
OJ Simpson media coverage
The media coverage of the OJ Simpson trial and the parallels with Edward VIII.
OJ Simpson trial
Are Americans being too impatient while waiting for the verdict of the OJ Simpson trial?
American sport
The start of the World Cup 1994 in the US, and an overview of the state of American sport.
Clinton and Gonzales
The parallels between the leadership of President Clinton and Felipe Gonzalez of Spain.
Clinton and the military
Does Bill Clinton's lack of military service affect his position as Commander-in-Chief?
50th anniversary of D Day, 1994
The 50th anniversary of D Day, and the Polish contribution in Normandy.
Pearl White
A profile of the silent movie actress Pearl White (1889-1938).
Health bill and Brown v Board Board of Education
Clinton's health bill, Brown v Board of Education and its impact.
American education
The rise of progressive schools, and the idea of home schooling as a viable alternative.
President Clinton's first 15 months
A potential crisis in Haiti, and President Clinton's ability to deal with conflict abroad.
Richard Nixon: his great work
A profile of Richard Nixon, the only president in US history to resign from office.
Michael Fay in Singapore
What can the arrest of Michael Fay, an American in Singapore, tells us about the country?
Clinton’s global reputation
President Clinton's portrayal in the foreign press in light of the Whitewater scandal.
Justice Blackman retires
The good, the bad, and the senile aspects of law making in America.
Whitewater
An overview of the Clintons' involvement in the Whitewater scandal unfolding in 1994.
Admiral William J Crowe
A profile of Admiral William J. Crowe, the American ambassador to the United Kingdom.
The tobacco industry, and Tonya Harding
The 'time saving' plea bargain of Tonya Harding and the future of the US tobacco industry.
The survival of immigrants in America
The demographic makeup of Boston in the 1930s, and the survival of immigrants in the US.
Nixon, 'and the rest you know'...
Looking back to the Letter from America written after President Nixon's resignation.
Military intervention in Bosnia
A continuation of the war in Bosnia, and President Clinton's attitude on intervention.
History of chocolate
A brief history of chocolate and the properties that make it an unlikely health food.
Clinton’s draft dodge
Did Bill Clinton use family and political influence to avoid being drafted during Vietnam?
How ice cream changed America
A profile of Reuben Mattus (1912-1994), the co-founder of Haagen-Dazs.
The Bobbitt case
The trail of Lorena Bobbitt and the legal definition of insanity.
Freezing weather and earthquakes in 1994
The extreme weather of 1994, and the end of the Iran-Contra investigation.
Tip O'Neill
Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O'Neill (1912-1994), a profile.
New Year's Resolutions
Alistair Cooke looks at the changing fashions in New Year's resolutions.
Christmas, and Alistair Cooke meets a computer
Alistair Cooke's trepidation upon meeting a computer that already knows all about him.
The constitution and religious festivals in America
Does the constitution make it difficult to celebrate a religious festival in America?
The GATT agreement and peace talks in Northern Ireland
Peace talks Northern Ireland, and the threat posed by nuclear weapons in North Korea.
The Long Island train shootings and gun control
Does a multiple murder on a Long Island train prove that America has a problem with guns?
The first World AIDS Day
A chronicle of the reactions to the first World AIDS day in 1993.
Thirtieth anniversary of Kennedy assassination, 1993
The 30th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Personality in politics
The revelations of the televised debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot.
The 'Brady Bill' and the New England fall
Congress passes the 1993 Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act.
Balancing domestic and foreign policy
President Clinton's dilemmas over Bosnia, Somalia, free trade and healthcare.
America's problem with gun ownership
Does the American constitution actually guarantee the right to bear arms?
The social effect of TV violence
Does increased violence on television have an effect on society as a whole?
Aphasia and studying the human brain
Details of the study of aphasia and the effect of the music of Mozart on the human brain.
Clinton's foreign policy issues
In less than a year, Clinton has been confronted by a flood of foreign disasters.
The health reform bill
Politician scientist George F. Kennan's opinion on US foreign policy in 1993.
Feminism in American 1993
25 years after The Feminine Mystique, how has feminism progressed in America?
Deaths of tourists in Florida
The deaths of 9 tourists in 1992 lead Florida to suspend tourism advertising.
US immigrants and identity
The adoption of "old world" identities by new immigrants to New York City.
Labor Day and school closures
The causes of the public school closures of summer 1993.
The Korean war and political holidays
Alistair Cooke answers readers' letters on the Korean War and presidential vacations.
Presidential recreation
Bill Clinton's holiday to Martha's Vineyard and the public view of presidential vacations.
Obscenity and public art funding
The struggle of the National Endowment for the Arts to spend public money wisely.
America's exceptional weather
An examination of the bizarre weather across the United States in 1993.
General Matthew Ridgeway
A profile of General Matthew Ridgeway 1895-1993.
Mississippi relief package
How will Clinton pay for his Mississippi flood relief package during a time of austerity?
Choosing a US ambassador to London
The planned replacement of Raymond Stiles with William Crowe as ambassador to London.
The Tokyo G8 summit and unemployment
A recap of the 1992 G8 summit in Tokyo and the proposed solutions to unemployment.
US foreign policy in Bosnia
An examination of US foreign policy in Bosnia and Iraq, July 1997.
The Haitian refugees enter America
The history of immigration to New York and the impact of new Haitian refugees.
President Clinton's alcohol and tobacco taxes
Are President Clinton's proposed rises in taxes on alcohol and tobacco morally motivated?
The future of advertising
What is the future of advertising, and can it be as bleak as some imagine?
Gary Graham and the death penalty
The complexity of state law on the death penalty and the need for a credible witness.
Hair Force One
How is Bill Clinton's approval rating affected by news of his $200 haircut?
The closing of the San Francisco Presidio
The closing of the San Francisco Presidio military base is examined by Alistair Cooke.
Racial tensions in New York
Can the racial tensions in New York City ever be calmed, or even understood?
President Clinton's first 100 days in office
President Clinton's first 100 days in office in comparison to that of Roosevelt.
Economic recession and military spending cuts
Clinton's military spending cuts and their possible effect on the state of California.
Rodney King trial
Rodney King's second trial for civil rights violations after being beaten by police.
Prisoner rehabilitation
Will prisoner rehabilitation solve the problem of overcrowding in US prisons?
The history of US-Russia summits
What is the purpose of the American-Russian summits following the Cold War?
Bill Clinton's Presidential Honeymoon
Expensive Britain, Bill Clinton's Presidential Honeymoon and Screen Violence.
Ambassador Raymond G H Seitz
Raymond G H Seitz becomes the US Ambassador to the Court of St. James's.
The Irish in New York City
The Ancient Order of Hibernians, and their attempt to censor the St. Patricks Day Parade.
David Koresh and Reverend Jim Jones
Cult leaders David Koresh and Reverend Jim Jones are compared.
World Trade Centre basement explosion
The aftermath of the explosion in the basement of the World Trade Centre.
James Baker and Clinton's deficit
Can President Clinton deliver on his campaign promises and how much does healthcare cost?
Zoe Baird and American childcare
Childcare in America and the "Nannygate" scandal surrounding the Attorney General.
Government waste and White House job cuts
Is it inevitable that a new President will announce cuts to White House spending?
Reforming the military
Truman and Clinton's attempts to transform the US armed forces.
President Clinton's first week in office
President Clinton's encounter with the military in his first week in office.
President Clinton's inauguration
A look at the history of presidential inaugurations.
UN weapons inspectors in Iraq
United Nations weapons inspectors enter Iraq and Clinton's focus on America.
Bill Clinton's first cabinet and multiculturalism
President Clinton's cabinet selection and the English language in hospitals.
John Cage, Wilbur Mills and Oliver Franks
The deaths of John Cage, Wilbur Mills and Oliver Franks.