Alistair Cooke
Alistair Cooke (Alfred Cooke) was born on November 20th, 1908. Alistair passed away March 30th, 2004 at 95 years old. Alistair Cooke was born in Salford, Lancashire, England. Cooke attended Jesus College, Cambridge where he received an honours degree in English. He also attended Yale University and Harvard University.
Alistair Cooke was a writer whose work as a TV personality, journalist, and radio broadcaster was done mostly in America. He was best known as the host from 1971 to 1992 of PBS
Masterpiece Theater.
After he held the job for 22 years, and having worked in TV for 42 years, he retired in 1992, although he kept presenting
Letter From America until right before he died.
His first visit to America was in 1932 on a 2 year Commonwealth Fund Fellowship to Harvard and Yale, where his music and acting abilities came to the fore with visits to Hollywood.
He saw a newspaper headline that said Oliver Baldwin was sacked by the BBC as film critic. So Alistair sent a telegram to the Director of Talks, asking if he’d be considered for the job. He got invited for an interview and took this Cunard liner on back to Britain, and arrived 24 hours late to his interview. He suggested typing a film review out on the spot, and just a few minutes later, he got a job offer.
In 1935, he became London Correspondent for NBC. Every week, he recorded this 15 minute radio dialogue for American listeners on what life was like in Britain, under the series
London Letter. In 1936, he intensively reported on the Edward VIII abdication crisis for NBC. He made numerous talks on the topic every day to listeners in many parts of America. Alistair made a calculation that in 10 days he spoke some 400,000 words on the topic. During this crisis, he was aided by a 20 year old Rhodes Scholar, named Walt Rostow, who’d become Lyndon B. Johnson’s national security advisor.
The American Home Front, 1941-1942 is a portrait of the United States at World War II’s start.
In almost 3,000 BBC broadcasts over 58 years, Alistair reported on America, illuminating our country for a global audience. Right before he past away, this long-forgotten manuscript resurfaced in a closet in his New York apartment. It was this travelogue of America during World War II’s early days which sat for 60 years.
Published to acclaim, his book is a valentine to his adopted country by somebody that loved it as well as anybody and knew it better than most. A portrait frozen in time, the book offers this charming glimpse at the era while it journeys through big cities, small towns, and the American landscape like they used to be. It’s also a brilliant piece of reportage, a historical gem which affirms his own enduring place as a great 20th century reporter.
Alistair Cooke: Lists & Other Mentions
- Alistair Cooke's America was a New York Times: #1 Nonfiction Best Seller in 1973 and 1974.
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Alistair Cooke: F.A.Q
When was Alistair Cooke Born?
Alistair Cooke was born on November 20th, 1908.
When did Alistair Cooke die?
Alistair Cooke died on March 30th, 2004 at 95 years old.
Where was Alistair Cooke Born?
Alistair Cooke was born in Salford, Lancashire, England.
What was the first book Alistair Cooke wrote?
The first book written by Alistair Cooke was Commencement Address, published in 1954.
What was the most recent book Alistair Cooke wrote?
His most recently released work was Letter from America: 1946-2004 on August 5th, 2021.
How many books has Alistair Cooke written?
Alistair Cooke has written 31 books. 31 books in the Non-Fiction Books, 1 book in the H. L. Mencken's Collections.