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

Surveys question what we think must be so - which is why we should never make general assumptions.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.

Computers are changing the way we live - but can they work out how we can live together?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.

Not extinct, just hiding - California's sea otters return to their native waters.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.

This time of remembrance begs the question of whether there is a set amount of time before old hatreds fade away. 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.

Tennessee judge demands that state resolves prison overcrowding so he can continue sentencing. 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.

Labour unions lose power as disputes are settled by agreement rather than coercion.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.

Spectacle of world leaders competing for limo one-upmanship sums up the problem of the United Nations.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.

University of Texas duo win Nobel prize for their work on cause of cholesterol build-up.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.

Americans seen to condone Israel attack on PLO following hijacking of Achille Lauro cruise ship.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.

Living through Hurricane Gloria - thanks to the warnings from the weather forecasters. 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 aftermath of the 1985 earthquake in Mexico, the Canadian concern over the sulphur emissions from power plants in the American Mid-West, and the threat of hurricane Gloria.

The 40th anniversary of the United Nations, the history of the organisation, and the security arrangements for the 1985 meeting of the Security Council in New York.

End of summer sees the holiday cottages empty and normal life resume in the coastal towns.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.

Hurricane Elena's path of destruction along the Florida coast, and the proposed raise in the legal drinking age from 18 or 19 to 21 in all but fifteen states.

The defeat of Kevin Curren by Boris Becker at the 1985 Wimbledon tennis tournament, and the controversy surrounding the new home of the US tennis championship at Flushing Meadows.

Soviets admit to using chemical powder to trace movements and contacts of Americans living in Moscow.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 40th anniversary of the surrender of the Japanese at the end of the Second World War, the devastating hurricane in Galveston, Texas, and a profile of General Douglas MacArthur.

The president's skin cancer removal prompts reminders on the perils of sun bathing.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.

A profile of Francis Perkins, the first woman cabinet officer in America, and columnist William Safire's grim evaluation of President Reagan's plan for the mounting US deficit.

Zulu chief Buthelezi wades US row over South Africa business boycott.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.