'Ambassador without portfolio' Alistair Cooke's America on the British airwaves

Raised in Britain, journalist Alistair Cooke received American citizenship in 1941. From his adopted home in New York, Cooke dedicated his career to protecting the Anglo-American alliance. Through his BBC radio broadcast, Letter from America, Cooke tried to combat British anti-Americanism with honest discussion of America. Utilizing his knowledge of Britain, Cooke tailored the tone and content of his discussions to a British audience. In the Cold War period he transferred discussion of Anglo-American relations from Washington and London to the sitting room, in an effort to encourage real friendship between the two nations. Unaffiliated with the American government, Cooke was free to discuss any aspect of American life and he focused on the American people. His lack of affiliation, and unique position as a British-born American citizen, made Cooke a successful, albeit unofficial, ambassador for Anglo-American relations.