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Alistair Cooke had been of the BBC's most enduring voices since the 1930s.

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In 1937 he returned to the US, beginning a correspondent's stint that would span many of the most important decades in the "American Century". He was a special correspondent for The Times and then The Guardian's American bureau chief for 25 years.

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In 1946, Cooke's Letter from America began, a weekly essay on US culture and politics. Cooke has entered the record books as the longest-serving programme host in radio history.

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Cooke's career has also spanned TV as well as radio. He hosted Masterpiece Theatre on US TV for 22 years, and in 1972 he hosted the show America: A Personal History of the United States.

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The radio legend's other books have included A Generation on Trial: The USA v. Alger Hiss; Memories of the Great and the Good; One Man's America; Talk About America; The Americans and America Observed.

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To honour his "his outstanding contribution over many years to Anglo-American mutual understanding", Cooke was made an honorary Knight Bachelor in 1973.