500th letter

Letter from America by Alistair Cooke

Alistair Cooke remembers Lindsay Wellington, the BBC head who came up with the idea of weekly letters to help people in the UK understand American life in 1946.

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15 minutes

Last on

Sun 8 Sep 195721:00

Home Service & BBC Radio 4

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William Kapell (1922-1953)

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Audio Transcript
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See Alistair Cooke's original script
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Sun 8 Sep 195721:00
Home Service & BBC Radio 4

The Early Years (1940s, 1950s and 1960s)—Letter from America by Alistair Cooke
The assassination of JFK through to Vietnam and America’s shame at the My Lai massacre.

Why do Americans love their flag?

How The Stars and Stripes became an emotional symbol of a nation.