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Alistair Cooke's America BBC Documentary DVD Boxset NEW

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Last updated on 23 Sep, 2024 17:08:00 BSTView all revisionsView all revisions

Item specifics

Condition: New: An item that is still in its original shrink wrap from the manufacturer and the original ...

Boxed Set: Yes

Genre 2: Historical

Format: DVD

Region Code: DVD: 2 (Europe, Japan, Middle East...)

Video Format: PAL

Region: Region 2: Europe

Genre: Documentary

Studio: BBC

Film/TV Title: Alistair Cooke's America

Certificate: E

EAN: 5014503158224

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Buy CDs and DVDs from Gift Of Sound. We specialise in Music CDs from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s including K-Tel Memory Lane and The Ultimate Rock and Roll Jukebox. We also have a great range of TV Drama ...

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by filterguy2023
08 May, 2023Most favourable review
Cooke's engagingly-told history sees past the cliches to tell the story of the true movers & shakers and the innovations which made modern America
As BBC Controller in the new colour age of the late 60s, David Attenborough initiated a sequence of landmark 13-part historical, cultural, and scientific series which have rarely been equalled in quality, either before or since, except by the contemporary ITV production, World at War. The sequence started with Kenneth Clark's Civilisation, which charted the cultural history of Western Europe. It would continue with Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man, in which the broader history of Europe, the Middle East, and America were discussed from the point of view of scientific, mathematical, and engineering innovation. The high point would come later in Attenborough's own Life on Earth, the breadth and colour photography of which instantly made all previous natural history films obsolete. All of ... As BBC Controller in the new colour age of the late 60s, David Attenborough initiated a sequence of landmark 13-part historical, cultural, and scientific series which have rarely been equalled in quality, either before or since, except by the contemporary ITV production, World at War. The sequence started with Kenneth Clark's Civilisation, which charted the cultural history of Western Europe. It would continue with Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man, in which the broader history of Europe, the Middle East, and America were discussed from the point of view of scientific, mathematical, and engineering innovation. The high point would come later in Attenborough's own Life on Earth, the breadth and colour photography of which instantly made all previous natural history films obsolete. All of these landmark productions required money from the USA. Thus, it was natural that Attenborough should ask Alistair Cooke, the BBC's most distinguished American correspondent, to present a series on the history of the USA. Despite his 60 years, white hair, immaculate blue suit, his gentlemanly air and beautifully modulated mid-Atlantic accent, Cooke is still very fit and energetic here. In the first episode he nimbly jumps 3 feet off a moving tram in San Francisco, and it comes as no surprise that he lived deep into his 90s. By way of introduction, he promises us a presentation reflecting the values of the distinguished journalist HL Mencken, who prided himself on satirising the false glamour of the second-rate, corrupt men of power of the 1920s, but who did so in a gentlemanly and courteous manner, much appreciated by the young faculty of Yale, of which Cooke was then a member. The early 1970s was still the era of `impartial' reporting, and any political shading here is very light touch. But, there are hints of admiration for recent Democratic presidents and the highly liberal supreme court of the times. Cooke has an ambivalent view of dictatorial figures such as pioneer leader, John Smith, Bostonian puritan, John Winthrop, and father of the Mormon church, Brigham Young. He acknowledges their success in founding new communities in the wilderness, but deplores their autocratic methods. Washington's dedication and will to win the Revolutionary War are praised, but his vanity, monarchical ambitions, and insufferable social behaviour are also mentioned. He does, though, caution about applying today's morals to past events Although Franklin is one of his heroes, and he almost literally goes on bended knee before the Lincoln Memorial, relatively little time is allocated to these figures, the Civil War, or its origins. He addresses the origin sins of the negro & indian problems unsparingly, but he does so in the words of America's own visionaries, especially Thomas Jefferson. For modern tastes, he may spend too much time explaining the inevitability of the north american conquest and the necessity of cheap labour in the South, and not enough time chronicling the ethnic cleansing of Mexicans and Chinese in C19th California. At least Andrew Jackson is castigated for initiating the post-revolutionary woes of the indian, contrary to a ruling by the supreme court. Having covered C20th American politics for decades, it's surprising that Cooke resists the temptation to delve deeply into C19th politics. Instead, we learn of the innovations which made American expansion possible: tobacco, sugar, & cotton farming, the tobacco drying shed, the cotton gin, the steam riverboat, the wind-powered aquifer water-pump, robust Russian wheat, industrial mass production, the steel plough, the Pacific railroad, the long-trail cattle drive, sod houses, and barbed wire. Cooke also goes out of his way to acknowledge America's debt to the French and the C17th explorer hero, La Salle, whose achievements anticipate those of Lewis & Clark. These history lessons are made all the more engaging, not just by the quality and vision of the writing, but also by Cooke's personal style. His weekly `Letters from America' were listened to avidly for 60 years by postwar listeners of Radio 4 and the Home Service, because Cooke was king of the 15-minute report, full of penetrating journalism, sprinkled with amusing anecdotes, and spoken in measured, melodious tones. He has had no worthy British successor in that niche medium, and this series is presented with all the panache one would expect from such a giant in his field. Overall, one can trace two main themes. First, expansion, allied to industrial progress. Second, the broad tolerance and inclusiveness of the Jeffersonian vision of America versus narrower, more proscriptive views represented by John Winthrop.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-ownedSold by: worldofbooks08
by dgod4592
26 Jul, 2023
A past memory - welcomed.
What a trooper ! What a series ! Wonderful stuff, sit back and let Alistair Cook's mid-Atlantic tones wash over one. Go back to his weekly issue of "Letter from America", lying in bed on a Sunday morning, listening to his dulcet tones, before breakfast is ready downstairs.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-ownedSold by: worldofbooks08
by 17woolman20
22 Jun, 2016
Timelessly excellent.
I'm very glad to have this really great production to watch whenever I feel like it. Not every moment rings my chimes, but that would be asking too much. Personal comments: He was mistaken in saying that Robert Owen took over New Harmony community from a failed project - they had just moved on to a better site and were much more successful than Owen. Also, Cooke seemed to have nothing but praise for FDR who could be criticised for missing many opportunities to save Jews from Europe.I'm very glad to have this really great production to watch whenever I feel like it. Not every moment rings my chimes, but that would be asking too much. Personal comments: He was mistaken in saying that Robert Owen took over New Harmony community from a failed project - they had just moved on to a better site and were much more successful than Owen. Also, Cooke seemed to have nothing but praise for FDR who could be criticised for missing many opportunities to save Jews from Europe.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: NewSold by: JKBzvwRdRRi@Deleted
by gardener44angela
17 Feb, 2021
Informative and fascinating
A thoroughly interesting and informative series. I have learnt so much, and will look forward to watching it again. I wish there were more series like this- and that Alistair Cooke was still with us to bring the series up to date.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-ownedSold by: jatop-932
by peteh45
31 Aug, 2016
Still relevant, late 20th century viewpoint on the USA
Alistair Cooke delivers a succinct personal view of the birth of the United States. He is engaging, informative and above all interesting. You can't wait to get into the next chapter. Don't miss this excellent series.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-ownedSold by: davi-rost

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Cooke's engagingly-told history sees past the cliches to tell the story of the true movers & shakers and the innovations which made modern America

A past memory - welcomed.

Timelessly excellent.

Informative and fascinating

Still relevant, late 20th century viewpoint on the USA

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Gift_Of_Sound

100% positive Feedback•77K items sold

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Alistair Cooke's America BBC Documentary DVD Boxset NEW

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Item description from the seller

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Gift_Of_Sound

100% positive Feedback•77K items sold

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Most relevant reviews

Cooke's engagingly-told history sees past the cliches to tell the story of the true movers & shakers and the innovations which made modern America

A past memory - welcomed.

Timelessly excellent.

Informative and fascinating

Still relevant, late 20th century viewpoint on the USA

More to explore:

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