Letter From America By Alistair Cooke: The Reagan Years (1981-1988)

White House lunch celebrates Roosevelt's centenary - as Reaganomics removes his legacy. The sound quality on this recording is variable/poor.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

The 100th anniversary of the birth of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the origin of the New Deal, and FDR's political turnaround on the size of the welfare state.

President Reagan scores lowest ever popularity rating as he prepares for his first State of the Union address. The sound quality on this recording is variable/poor.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

Trying to tell fact from fiction in reports coming from Poland under General Jaruzelski.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

President Reagan's Middle Eastern concerns, the view of Poland as a Russian satellite nation, and an assessment of what news is vital to everyone but not important to some.

President Reagan faces unpleasant forecast of further deficits over his plans for the economy.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

US administration warns Soviets over martial law in Poland - but accepts its own impotence to intervene.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

West Coast view of China leads to double standard over question of dissidents in Communist states. The sound quality on this recording is variable/poor.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

Japanese firm Atari sweeps US with new game craze - and a whole new industry. The sound quality on this recording is variable/poor.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

Emergency bill allows government workers to be paid after President Reagan vetoes budget. The sound quality on this recording is variable/poor.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

Protests prompt President Reagan to suggest US and Soviet re-think on deploying land-based missiles.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

Attorney General's anti-abortion suggestion could alter constitutional powers.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

Film studios copyright claim against video taping criminalises recorder users.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

President Sadat of Egypt is killed in a year in which assassination attempts have been made on political figures including Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II and Queen Elizabeth II.

Bias questions over US report on Soviet military strength.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

Presidents of US and Mexico to discuss growing problem of illegal immigrants.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

Reagan appointment Sandra Day O'Connor confirmed as first woman judge to Supreme Court panel.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

New York power outage highlights nationwide problem of creeping decay of urban infrastructure.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

California's billion-dollar fruit crops threatened by a tiny fly. The sound quality on this recording is variable/poor.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

President Reagan flexes his international muscles over US-Libyan air intercepts.This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.