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

President Bush's 1989 speech at the United Nations, the sleeping menace of nuclear weapons and the president's unusually high popularity in his early days in office.

An analysis of the potential perils of a unified Germany, a profile of Edward Koch, the Mayor of New York, and a recollection of the reign of Mayor Fiorello La Guardia.

The Wall Street crash, an attempt on the life of Italy's Crown prince Humbert, Joseph R. Grundy's appearance in front of the Senate and other news items from October 1929.

President Reagan's failure to implement the National Narcotics Border Interdiction System, and President Bush's plan to tackle to Columbian cocaine lords.

The United States Open Golf Championship, the Wimbledon tennis tournament and the joys of air conditioning are pondered on by Alistair Cooke while on holiday in his beach house.

The possible inclusion of the phrase 'life, liberty and the protection of property' in the Declaration of Independence, and the outbreak of war in 1939.

A profile of Colin Powell, the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs appointed in 1989, and George Thomas "Mickey" Leland, the Congressman who worked to eradicate World hunger.

Secretary James Baker's meeting with Mexican president Carlos Salinas de Gortari to discuss improvements to border control and Mexico's prestigious debt to the US.

The capture and murder of Colonel William R Higgins by terrorists in Lebanon in August 1989, the response of President Bush and the danger of televising the grief of the family.

The ruling that allows Chinese students at UC Berkley to stay in America as refugees, the Sacramento conference on race relations, and the conservative panic over immigration.

Margaret Thatcher's comments on the two hundredth anniversary of the French revolution, and the role of President Bush at the 1989 economic summit in Paris.

The effect of the 1812 earthquake in New Madrid, Tennessee on the Eastern seaboard, and the inevitability of "the Big One", the earthquake predicted to devastate California.

Abortion arguments will continue to rage as Supreme Court fudges the issue and hands back control to states. 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 conditions that led to the 1989 New York City water shortage and the power of Congress to perform "corrective action" to bypass judgements made in by courts.

A ruling in Congress overturning the conviction of a Texan man for desecrating the American flag, the First Amendment and freedom of expression, and the customs of the flag.

President Nixon's 1972 visit to China, a complaint from a Chinese official about Letter from America, and the Chinese attitude towards liberty following Tiananmen Square.

Chinese military suppression of protests in Tiananmen Square, and the societal change brought about by student uprisings around the World.

The life and achievements of Congressman Claude Pepper, who became a champion for the rights of the elderly, as discussed by Alistair Cooke.

Gorbachev's offer to reduce Russian forces in Afghanistan, rebellions in Estonia and Lithuania, the student protests in Beijing, and the ethics hearing of Jim Wright.

The meeting of the Soviet and Chinese leaders at their 1989 summit, the relationship between the two countries and the threat their friendship poses to the West.