Letter From America By Alistair Cooke: The Bush Sr Years (1989-1992)

Public smoking restrictions get Alistair Cooke investigating how the Food and Drug Administration are protecting the public health and he turns his eye on cholesterol.

President Bush's heart surgery causes a wave of media panic and scrutiny to fall on Vice-President Dan Quayle.

A May Day parade in Moscow gives Alistair Cooke a curious topic to discuss with UN Soviet Ambassador Andrei Gromyko before considering cummunists in America.

An unauthorised biography of ex-pesident's wife, Mrs Reagan makes Alistair Cooke question how gossip becomes news, whilst President Bush struggles to defend his Gulf War.

Gorbachev's visit to Japan to encourage investment is stalled by Soviet ownership of the Kuril Islands. Plus, a 1958 meeting between Soviet leader Mr. Khrushchev and Richard Nixon.

President George H W Bush has to defend his Gulf War actions against Saddam Hussein as the American public debate whether troops should have been sent to Saudi Arabia.

How CNN's constant Gulf War coverage has led to a post war malaise amongst some of the viewing public.

Gorbachev's banning of a Yeltsin rally in Moscow worries Alistair Cooke before he reflects on a rift between President Bush and General Schwarzkopf.

April Glaspie, American Ambassador to Iraq, is called to explain her pre-war conversations with Saddam Hussein. Could her words have aided the start of the 1990/1 Persian Gulf War?

J M Keynes' economic cure for President Roosevelt was to borrow and spend, but with pressing social problems and limited funds, how will Congress split their 1992 budget?

The Gulf War (1990-91) is over and President Bush Snr basks in its glory, but Cooke reflects on the fickle nature of opinion polls and whether public approval will be sustainable.

Kuwait, Riyadh and Baghdad are now known all over America. Alistair Cooke reflects on how war has added new locations to the public conscience.

Water conservation in Los Angeles, the first couples register their domestic partnerships in San Francisco, and Churchill's refusal of the term "impaired combatant personel".

In times of war how much care-free behaviour should we indulge in? Alistair Cooke ponders on what classifies as indecent behaviour.

Fears of terrorist attacks have reduced the number of people flying. Alistair Cooke considers if the Gulf War has exacerbated the situation and whether extra security is needed.

Should news from the Gulf War be censored? Alistair Cooke explores how public support for the war changes with each news report.

Whilst Saddam Hussein's Scud missiles attack Israel, Alistair Cooke considers how the 24/7 spontaneous news coverage is being viewed by both the allies and the Iraqis.

Aerial bombs dropping on Kuwait signal the start of the Gulf war. Reports of Operation Desert Storm reveal how the age of the instant satellite communication affects broadcasting.

Examining the iconic airline Pan Am's rise and fall, whilst considering how the US constitution has enforced tax payment and may protect a woman's right to strip.

Does legal firearm ownership increase the number of murders in America? Alistair Cooke reflects on what is causing the high volume of murders in New York City.