Letter From America By Alistair Cooke: The Clinton Years (1993-1996)

President Clinton's speech on the relationship between the American armed forces and NATO, and the public perception of the lack of a clear objective in a modern conflict.

Great American inventions, Jackie Kennedy's overhaul of the official rooms of the White House, and the closure of Pennsylvania Avenue to the public in 1995.

With the Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Rockefeller Centre both experiencing financial difficulties, Alistair Cooke looks at the problems faced by both institutions.

The development of equality in New York City, and President Clinton's mission to dissuade President Yeltsin from sending nuclear aid to Iran, as discussed by Alistair Cooke.

The American press reports on the end of the war in Europe, and the comparatively minor celebrations in the US, as remembered by Alistair Cooke, fifty years after VE Day.

The impact of home-grown terrorism, and the conflicts that arise when discussing the First Amendment, in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing on 19th April 1995.

Are taxes one of only two inevitabilities in life? Alistair Cooke explores how have they have been reduced and simplified in modern-day America.

The passing of Franklin D Roosevelt (1882 -1945) and FDR's legacy 50 years after his death, the evolution of the breaking news story, and the only third-term in office.

The role that the extreme Christian right play in American politics, and whether any religious group has the power to bring a politian down are explored by Alistair Cooke.

Why Americans are obsessed with the OJ Simpson trial, the viewing habits of a sequestered jury member, and the real winner of the Oscars, are discussed by Alistair Cooke.

School dinners, gangsters, snow ploughs and the other problems faced by the Mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani, are explored by Alistair Cooke.

With a Republican majority in both houses of the Senate for the first time in 40 years, Cooke explores the parallels drawn between Newt Gingrich and President Roosevelt.

The role of 'ringers' to gain unfair advantage in both sport and business, as the baseball strike continues.

The beginnings of the American deficit and how the gap between the national income and outgoings has been allowed to widen are explored by Alistair Cooke.

What is the secret of longevity? Alistair Cooke investigates the factors that have been attributed to elongated lifespans and profiles the world's oldest woman Jeanne Calment.

Senator William Fulbright (1905-1995) is remembered by Alistair Cooke, including his work as a tenacious young politian and as an ambassador for American students studying abroad.

The events leading up to the 1994-95 baseball strike in America and the role that Congress could play in bringing the national pastime back from the brink.

George Abbott (1887-1995), the Broadway producer and director, is remembered, from his humble beginnings as a messenger through to becoming one of America's greatest playwrights.

With the jury selection for the OJ Simpson trial taking longer than expected, Alistair Cooke explores American dependency on red tape and the 'death' of common sense.

During the week of Martin Luther King's birthday holiday, Cooke remembers his 1956 visit to meet with people from both sides of the Montgomery bus boycott prompted by Rosa Parks.