Santa Claus or Father Christmas? The origin of the Patron saint of Christmas is explored.
Published on Friday, 27th December 1996.
A tribute to Mr Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former leader of the UN General Assembly.
Published on Friday, 20th December 1996.
Madeleine Albright as US Secretary of State, and the cost of Gulf War Syndrome.
Published on Friday, 13th December 1996.
Cults of California, tolerance in San Francisco, and the permissive parenting backlash.
Published on Friday, 6th December 1996.
From California, Alistair Cooke examines the un-politicised institution of Thanksgiving.
Published on Friday, 29th November 1996.
An examination of the revelation of sexual harassment in the US armed forces.
Published on Friday, 22nd November 1996.
America intervenes in the Rwandan refugee crisis.
Published on Friday, 15th November 1996.
Bill Clinton's presidential victory 1996
Published on Friday, 8th November 1996.
A chronicle of the origins of Halloween and the economy of pumpkins.
Published on Friday, 1st November 1996.
An examination of extreme weather in America.
Published on Friday, 25th October 1996.
The difficulty in predicting the outcome of presidential elections.
Published on Friday, 18th October 1996.
Bob Dole, Jack Kemp and Dan Quayle are profiled.
Published on Friday, 11th October 1996.
The beginning of the debates between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole.
Published on Friday, 4th October 1996.
A history of governance of by gravely ill leaders.
Published on Friday, 27th September 1996.
O J Simpson's very different trials.
Published on Friday, 20th September 1996.
The implications of the Defence of Marriage legislation to domestic partnerships.
Published on Friday, 13th September 1996.
The "unfinished" Gulf War and the use of cruise missiles.
Published on Friday, 6th September 1996.
The history of Chicago as the host city for the Democratic Party convention.
Published on Friday, 30th August 1996.
Third tri-mester abortions and the resurgence of Ross Perot.
Published on Friday, 23rd August 1996.
The move away from the convention as a way of choosing a presidential candidate.
Published on Friday, 16th August 1996.
The economy of sport and the 1996 Olympic Games.
Published on Friday, 9th August 1996.
The prominence of the welfare debate in presidential campaigns.
Published on Friday, 2nd August 1996.
The aftermath of the TWA flight 800 crash.
Published on Friday, 26th July 1996.
Trade with Cuba, and the importance of tobacco to the American south.
Published on Friday, 19th July 1996.
Lawyer Melvin Belli, whose clients included Mohammed Ali, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Mae West.
Published on Friday, 12th July 1996.
Boris Yeltsin wins the 1996 Russian presidential election.
Published on Friday, 5th July 1996.
Max Factor Jr, make-up artist and American businessman, remembered.
Published on Friday, 21st June 1996.
Bob Dole resigns from the Senate to run for president.
Published on Friday, 14th June 1996.
Timothy Leary, psychologist and writer and advocate of psychedelic drugs, remembered.
Published on Friday, 7th June 1996.
Remembering the military dead, from picnics to serious parades in Waterloo, New York
Published on Friday, 31st May 1996.
President Clinton's stance on gay marriage and the power of single issue groups.
Published on Friday, 24th May 1996.
The moral and legal debate over assisted suicide.
Published on Friday, 17th May 1996.
The Star Wars defence program and the response to overseas elections.
Published on Friday, 10th May 1996.
The secret ailments of President John F Kennedy.
Published on Friday, 3rd May 1996.
Memories of columnist Erma Bombeck (1927 -96).
Published on Friday, 26th April 1996.
America's anti-terror legislation and the South Florida University bomb.
Published on Friday, 19th April 1996.
The rise of the Montana Freemen and the opposition of the FBI.
Published on Friday, 12th April 1996.
Should the terminally be helped to die, and the trials of doctors who have done so.
Published on Friday, 5th April 1996.
The battle for the Republican presidential candidacy.
Published on Friday, 29th March 1996.
Alistair Cooke re-presents his first American Letter.
Published on Friday, 22nd March 1996.
Striking a balance between legislation and liberty.
Published on Friday, 15th March 1996.
Winston Churchill's predictions and the threat of communist China.
Published on Friday, 8th March 1996.
Middle America and Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan
Published on Friday, 23rd February 1996.
A look at various democracies around the world, and the US tax system.
Published on Friday, 16th February 1996.
The frauds of Phineas T Barnum, Hershel Geguzin and Ruldolph Walter Wanderone.
Published on Friday, 9th February 1996.
The 1996 New Hampshire primary election.
Published on Friday, 2nd February 1996.
Bill Clinton's 1996 State of the Union address.
Published on Friday, 26th January 1996.
A comparison of prominent first ladies.
Published on Friday, 19th January 1996.
The notable snowfalls of 1947, 1883 and 1996.
Published on Friday, 12th January 1996.
A halt on government services and no resolution to the budget bill.
Published on Friday, 5th January 1996.
The joys of absolute silence, as experienced during a Christmas in Vermont.
Published on Friday, 29th December 1995.
What makes a good government, and should prayers be read in American public schools?
Published on Friday, 22nd December 1995.
Does the power to declare war lie with Congress or, as many assume, with the President?
Published on Friday, 15th December 1995.
A tribute to the respected political columnist James Reston.
Published on Friday, 8th December 1995.
The freedom of speech within the school classroom, and the separation of Church and state.
Published on Friday, 1st December 1995.
The US role in the Bosnian peace treaty of signed in Dayton in November 1995.
Published on Friday, 24th November 1995.
The United States debt crisis and the shutdown of the federal government in 1995.
Published on Friday, 17th November 1995.
How broad is the public appeal of Colin Powell, and could he be a presidential candidate?
Published on Friday, 10th November 1995.
A brief history of Quebec and the American and Canadian relationship with France.
Published on Friday, 3rd November 1995.
Details of Yasser Arafat's speech at the 1995 meeting of the UN in New York City.
Published on Friday, 27th October 1995.
The importance of big business to President Clinton's re-election campaign.
Published on Friday, 20th October 1995.
An exploration of the issues of race surrounding the O J Simpson trial.
Published on Friday, 13th October 1995.
How Americans feel about the OJ Simpson trial following the delivery of the verdict.
Published on Friday, 6th October 1995.
The possible entrance of Colin Powell and Ross Perot in to the race for the presidency.
Published on Friday, 29th September 1995.
Does a reliance on computers mean the return of the Luddites?
Published on Friday, 22nd September 1995.
The resignation of Robert Packwood, and the workings of the lobbying system.
Published on Thursday, 14th September 1995.
A brief history of Labor Day, and what is holds for 1995.
Published on Friday, 8th September 1995.
Does the 'broken' nature of American politics necessitate a three party system?
Published on Friday, 1st September 1995.
Bill Clinton's summer holiday, and the private side of presidential life.
Published on Friday, 25th August 1995.
The California water wars of the 19th Century, and environmental policy in 1995.
Published on Friday, 18th August 1995.
The controversy surrounding the use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
Published on Friday, 11th August 1995.
Should a memorial statue of FDR include his omnipresent cigarette?
Published on Friday, 4th August 1995.
A reflection on the comment that ended the presidential campaign of George Romney.
Published on Friday, 28th July 1995.
The demise of the manual typewriter, as highlighted by the closure of Smith-Corona.
Published on Friday, 21st July 1995.
The United Nations intervention in Bosnia, and the hesitation of Bill Clinton.
Published on Friday, 14th July 1995.
The racial politics of George Gershwin's 1935 opera Porgy and Bess.
Published on Friday, 7th July 1995.
The ban of homosexuals and bisexuals from the St Patrick's Day parade by Boston veterans.
Published on Friday, 30th June 1995.
Tales from the first United Nations conference in San Francisco in 1945.
Published on Friday, 23rd June 1995.
What are the problems faced by American farmers in 1995?
Published on Friday, 16th June 1995.
How does modern-day America compare with the fall of Rome as described by Gibbon?
Published on Friday, 9th June 1995.
The lack of a clear objective in modern conflict, and the effect on the American public.
Published on Friday, 2nd June 1995.
A discussion on the closure of Pennsylvania Avenue to the public in 1995.
Published on Friday, 26th May 1995.
The factors causing difficulties for Encyclopedia Britannia and the Rockefeller Centre.
Published on Friday, 19th May 1995.
President Clinton's trip to dissuade Boris Yeltsin from sending nuclear aid to Iran.
Published on Friday, 12th May 1995.
The 50th anniversary of the victory in Europe during WWII.
Published on Friday, 5th May 1995.
The fallout of Oklahoma City bombing, and the rise in domestic terrorism.
Published on Friday, 28th April 1995.
The simplification and reduction of tax in America in 1995.
Published on Friday, 21st April 1995.
The 50th anniversary of the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Published on Friday, 14th April 1995.
What role does the extreme Christian Right play in American politics?
Published on Friday, 7th April 1995.
Why are Americans obsessed with the OJ Simpson trial?
Published on Friday, 31st March 1995.
The social problems faced by the Mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani.
Published on Friday, 24th March 1995.
Republicans have a majority in both houses of the Senate for the first time in 40 years.
Published on Friday, 17th March 1995.
The latest developments in the baseball strike explained.
Published on Friday, 10th March 1995.
How the gap between the national income and outgoings has been allowed to widen.
Published on Friday, 3rd March 1995.
Jeanne Calment, the world's oldest woman celebrates her 120th birthday.
Published on Friday, 24th February 1995.
Former Arkansas Senator William Fulbright remembered.
Published on Friday, 17th February 1995.
El Nino; and the events leading up to the 1994-95 baseball strike in America.
Published on Friday, 10th February 1995.
A tribute to director, theatre producer and playwright George Abbott (1887-1995).
Published on Friday, 3rd February 1995.
American dependency on red tape and the 'death' of common sense.
Published on Friday, 27th January 1995.
Recollections of the Montgomery bus boycott prompted by Rosa Parks in 1955.
Published on Friday, 20th January 1995.
How abstract votes will affect the nomination of Democratic presidential candidate.
Published on Friday, 13th January 1995.
Newt Gingrich becomes Speaker of the US House of Representatives.
Published on Friday, 6th January 1995.
The state of the Republican Party in 1994 and the importance of a speech by Ronald Reagan.
Published on Friday, 30th December 1994.
How have the security arrangements of the president changed since the 1960s?
Published on Friday, 23rd December 1994.
The OJ Simpson trial, and the Long Island commuter train shootings.
Published on Friday, 16th December 1994.
Has the rise in cable television made the local news story a thing of the past?
Published on Friday, 9th December 1994.
Is NATO becoming a redundant entity as the war in Bosnia continues?
Published on Friday, 2nd December 1994.
Newt Gingrich's appointment as the Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1994.
Published on Friday, 25th November 1994.
The North American Free Trade Agreement, and Clinton's failure on welfare reform.
Published on Friday, 18th November 1994.
Can Clinton push ahead with medical reform following a Republican victory in the Senate?
Published on Friday, 11th November 1994.
How are a rise in street crime and Christian objections affecting Halloween?
Published on Friday, 4th November 1994.
The history of an American political powerhouse, the Kennedy family.
Published on Friday, 28th October 1994.
A profile of new American ally, Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti.
Published on Friday, 21st October 1994.
The drama of Congressional voting, as highlighted by Diane Feinstein's forestry bill.
Published on Friday, 14th October 1994.
Are Jimmy Carter's diplomatic discussions the best deterrent to North Korean developments?
Published on Friday, 30th September 1994.
American intervention in Haiti, Clinton's motivations, and Jimmy Carter's diplomacy.
Published on Friday, 23rd September 1994.
How will President Clinton's popularity be affected by the 1994 Congressional elections?
Published on Friday, 16th September 1994.
The cancellation of Labor Day in New York City, and an examination of US workers.
Published on Friday, 9th September 1994.
The final withdrawal of Allied troops from Berlin in September 1994.
Published on Friday, 2nd September 1994.
The housing of Cuban refugees at the American military base at Guantanamo bay.
Published on Friday, 26th August 1994.
Can a crook be a national hero, and who was Johnny Madison Williams Jnr?
Published on Friday, 19th August 1994.
Following the riots in Harlem Heights, Alistair Cooke discussed community policing.
Published on Friday, 12th August 1994.
Does America have an historic obligation to protect peace and defend the innocent?
Published on Friday, 5th August 1994.
Dr. Kathleen Bailey's speech on nuclear deterrence before the Senate at Livermore.
Published on Friday, 29th July 1994.
A discussion on comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, and the thinning of the Ozone layer.
Published on Friday, 22nd July 1994.
A brief history of Haiti, and President Clinton's attempts to connect with Germany.
Published on Friday, 15th July 1994.
The media coverage of the OJ Simpson trial and the parallels with Edward VIII.
Published on Friday, 8th July 1994.
Are Americans being too impatient while waiting for the verdict of the OJ Simpson trial?
Published on Friday, 1st July 1994.
The start of the World Cup 1994 in the US, and an overview of the state of American sport.
Published on Friday, 24th June 1994.
The parallels between the leadership of President Clinton and Felipe Gonzalez of Spain.
Published on Friday, 17th June 1994.
Does Bill Clinton's lack of military service affect his position as Commander-in-Chief?
Published on Friday, 10th June 1994.
The 50th anniversary of D Day, and the Polish contribution in Normandy.
Published on Friday, 3rd June 1994.
A profile of the silent movie actress Pearl White (1889-1938).
Published on Friday, 27th May 1994.
Clinton's health bill, Brown v Board of Education and its impact.
Published on Friday, 20th May 1994.
The rise of progressive schools, and the idea of home schooling as a viable alternative.
Published on Friday, 13th May 1994.
A potential crisis in Haiti, and President Clinton's ability to deal with conflict abroad.
Published on Friday, 6th May 1994.
A profile of Richard Nixon, the only president in US history to resign from office.
Published on Friday, 29th April 1994.
What can the arrest of Michael Fay, an American in Singapore, tells us about the country?
Published on Friday, 22nd April 1994.
President Clinton's portrayal in the foreign press in light of the Whitewater scandal.
Published on Friday, 15th April 1994.
The good, the bad, and the senile aspects of law making in America.
Published on Friday, 8th April 1994.
An overview of the Clintons' involvement in the Whitewater scandal unfolding in 1994.
Published on Friday, 1st April 1994.
A profile of Admiral William J. Crowe, the American ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Published on Friday, 25th March 1994.
The 'time saving' plea bargain of Tonya Harding and the future of the US tobacco industry.
Published on Friday, 18th March 1994.
The demographic makeup of Boston in the 1930s, and the survival of immigrants in the US.
Published on Friday, 11th March 1994.
Looking back to the Letter from America written after President Nixon's resignation.
Published on Friday, 4th March 1994.
A continuation of the war in Bosnia, and President Clinton's attitude on intervention.
Published on Friday, 25th February 1994.
A brief history of chocolate and the properties that make it an unlikely health food.
Published on Saturday, 19th February 1994.
Did Bill Clinton use family and political influence to avoid being drafted during Vietnam?
Published on Friday, 11th February 1994.
A profile of Reuben Mattus (1912-1994), the co-founder of Haagen-Dazs.
Published on Friday, 4th February 1994.
The trail of Lorena Bobbitt and the legal definition of insanity.
Published on Friday, 28th January 1994.
The extreme weather of 1994, and the end of the Iran-Contra investigation.
Published on Friday, 21st January 1994.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O'Neill (1912-1994), a profile.
Published on Friday, 14th January 1994.
Alistair Cooke looks at the changing fashions in New Year's resolutions.
Published on Friday, 7th January 1994.
Alistair Cooke's trepidation upon meeting a computer that already knows all about him.
Published on Thursday, 30th December 1993.
Does the constitution make it difficult to celebrate a religious festival in America?
Published on Friday, 24th December 1993.
Peace talks Northern Ireland, and the threat posed by nuclear weapons in North Korea.
Published on Friday, 17th December 1993.
Does a multiple murder on a Long Island train prove that America has a problem with guns?
Published on Friday, 10th December 1993.
A chronicle of the reactions to the first World AIDS day in 1993.
Published on Friday, 3rd December 1993.
The 30th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Published on Friday, 26th November 1993.
The revelations of the televised debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot.
Published on Friday, 19th November 1993.
Congress passes the 1993 Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act.
Published on Friday, 12th November 1993.
President Clinton's dilemmas over Bosnia, Somalia, free trade and healthcare.
Published on Friday, 5th November 1993.
Does the American constitution actually guarantee the right to bear arms?
Published on Friday, 29th October 1993.
Does increased violence on television have an effect on society as a whole?
Published on Friday, 22nd October 1993.
Details of the study of aphasia and the effect of the music of Mozart on the human brain.
Published on Friday, 15th October 1993.
In less than a year, Clinton has been confronted by a flood of foreign disasters.
Published on Friday, 8th October 1993.
Politician scientist George F. Kennan's opinion on US foreign policy in 1993.
Published on Friday, 1st October 1993.
25 years after The Feminine Mystique, how has feminism progressed in America?
Published on Friday, 24th September 1993.
The deaths of 9 tourists in 1992 lead Florida to suspend tourism advertising.
Published on Friday, 17th September 1993.
The adoption of "old world" identities by new immigrants to New York City.
Published on Friday, 10th September 1993.
The causes of the public school closures of summer 1993.
Published on Friday, 3rd September 1993.
Alistair Cooke answers readers' letters on the Korean War and presidential vacations.
Published on Friday, 27th August 1993.
Bill Clinton's holiday to Martha's Vineyard and the public view of presidential vacations.
Published on Friday, 20th August 1993.
The struggle of the National Endowment for the Arts to spend public money wisely.
Published on Friday, 13th August 1993.
An examination of the bizarre weather across the United States in 1993.
Published on Friday, 6th August 1993.
A profile of General Matthew Ridgeway 1895-1993.
Published on Friday, 30th July 1993.
How will Clinton pay for his Mississippi flood relief package during a time of austerity?
Published on Friday, 23rd July 1993.
The planned replacement of Raymond Stiles with William Crowe as ambassador to London.
Published on Friday, 16th July 1993.
A recap of the 1992 G8 summit in Tokyo and the proposed solutions to unemployment.
Published on Friday, 9th July 1993.
An examination of US foreign policy in Bosnia and Iraq, July 1997.
Published on Friday, 2nd July 1993.
The history of immigration to New York and the impact of new Haitian refugees.
Published on Friday, 25th June 1993.
Are President Clinton's proposed rises in taxes on alcohol and tobacco morally motivated?
Published on Friday, 18th June 1993.
What is the future of advertising, and can it be as bleak as some imagine?
Published on Friday, 11th June 1993.
The complexity of state law on the death penalty and the need for a credible witness.
Published on Friday, 4th June 1993.
How is Bill Clinton's approval rating affected by news of his $200 haircut?
Published on Friday, 28th May 1993.
The closing of the San Francisco Presidio military base is examined by Alistair Cooke.
Published on Friday, 21st May 1993.
Can the racial tensions in New York City ever be calmed, or even understood?
Published on Friday, 14th May 1993.
President Clinton's first 100 days in office in comparison to that of Roosevelt.
Published on Friday, 7th May 1993.
Clinton's military spending cuts and their possible effect on the state of California.
Published on Friday, 30th April 1993.
Rodney King's second trial for civil rights violations after being beaten by police.
Published on Friday, 23rd April 1993.
Will prisoner rehabilitation solve the problem of overcrowding in US prisons?
Published on Friday, 16th April 1993.
What is the purpose of the American-Russian summits following the Cold War?
Published on Monday, 5th April 1993.
Expensive Britain, Bill Clinton's Presidential Honeymoon and Screen Violence.
Published on Friday, 2nd April 1993.
Raymond G H Seitz becomes the US Ambassador to the Court of St. James's.
Published on Friday, 26th March 1993.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians, and their attempt to censor the St. Patricks Day Parade.
Published on Friday, 19th March 1993.
Cult leaders David Koresh and Reverend Jim Jones are compared.
Published on Friday, 12th March 1993.
The aftermath of the explosion in the basement of the World Trade Centre.
Published on Friday, 5th March 1993.
Can President Clinton deliver on his campaign promises and how much does healthcare cost?
Published on Friday, 26th February 1993.
Childcare in America and the "Nannygate" scandal surrounding the Attorney General.
Published on Friday, 19th February 1993.
Is it inevitable that a new President will announce cuts to White House spending?
Published on Friday, 12th February 1993.
Truman and Clinton's attempts to transform the US armed forces.
Published on Friday, 5th February 1993.
President Clinton's encounter with the military in his first week in office.
Published on Friday, 29th January 1993.
A look at the history of presidential inaugurations.
Published on Friday, 22nd January 1993.
United Nations weapons inspectors enter Iraq and Clinton's focus on America.
Published on Friday, 15th January 1993.
President Clinton's cabinet selection and the English language in hospitals.
Published on Friday, 8th January 1993.
The deaths of John Cage, Wilbur Mills and Oliver Franks.
Published on Friday, 1st January 1993.
