Alistair Cooke Reporting America Customer Review on Amazon

A reporter from the pre-internet age

In a box somewhere, in an attic somewhere I have half a dozen or so now tatty paperbacks of the writings of Alistair Cooke. Most of them are transcrips of his broadcasts for the BBC that started in 1946 and ending only shortly before his death in 2004. These broadcasts - Letter From America - became a broadcasting institution being heard the world over by virtue of the BBC World Service.

The title for this edition of Cooke's work couldn't be more appropriate for if the strength of Cook's reports could be condensed to one factor then it was his ability view the social life, economic and military ructions of The Superpower, from the ground up. Stripping the myth of America of its gloss he portrayed the powerful as real men with real characters and outlined the rel problems that they faced. His awareness of the problems faced by all those in positions of influence is a prominent feature of his reports.

The book itself is a superbly produced tome with each report being accompanied by relevant photographs. My copy is by my bed now and I read a report or three before getting my head down.

I imagine that most of who read this will already be familiar with Alistair Cooke for those of you who are not but are interested in America and it's post WW2 history then you must buy this book for the quality of its witness.

Brim (England)