Talk about America

by Alistair Cooke

rare

Genres: History, Nonfiction, The United States Of America, Essays

252 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1968

About the author

Books of British-American journalist and broadcaster Alfred Alistair Cooke include Around the World in 50 Years (1966) and Alistair Cooke's America (1973).

After the University of Cambridge graduated him, the British Broadcasting Corporation hired him. This legendary television host rose to prominence for his reports on London Letter on radio of National Broadcasting Corporation during the 1930s. Cooke immigrated to the United States in 1937. In 1946, he began his radio appearances on Letter from America on the British Broadcasting Corporation; this tradition that lasted nearly six decades.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alistai...

Reviews

[Artie LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are dated, of course: but give a fascinating insight into recent history and culture. The society that Cooke describes is shocking today for the racism and sexism - not Cooke's, but the broader society. A worthwhile read/

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A selection of Cooke's weekly BBC talks on America from 1951 to 1968. So wise and compelling. Hard to put down, even on the 2nd or 3rd reading

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

i enjoyed reading this book, up until my dog ate it (seriously). definitely a product of its time ('50s and '60s), but written with that timelessly wry british humor. (in case you're wondering, it is a collection of a series of radio addresses by a british ex pat on various aspects of mid-century american life).

[Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooke is a droll essayist, urbane, funny, telling some of the good lesser-known yarns from American life back then. Here he is in a piece describing how a Scot, John McLaren, struggled for years on the city's pay-roll to green San Francisco - "He was Scotch type familiar to most of us, a rather grim poet of a man with the single-mindedness of a mule .. ".