Alistair Cooke, KBE (born Alfred Cooke on 20 November 1908, died 30 March 2004), was a British-American journalist, author, and broadcaster whose career flourished mainly in the United States. He became best known for Letter from America and America: A Personal History of the United States, and for presenting PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre from 1971 to 1992. His calm, intelligent delivery and distinctive voice made him one of the most recognisable broadcasters of his time. Even after retiring from television following more than four decades in broadcasting, he continued recording Letter from America until shortly before his death. Cooke was born…