Other titles:AMERICA - A PERSONAL HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES [Series Title]
Summary: Alistair Cooke's episode in his history of America dealing with the nuclear arsenal of present day America and its background.
Description: Cooke's main thesis is that until World War II America was essentially isolationist and only possessed a small army, and the concept of the citizen militia was deeply rooted. Since the Second World War America has possessed "the ultimate weapon" in the atom bomb and her nuclear arsenal of 46 bases over the world. The programme includes footage from the 1940s including isolationist rallies, the war effort, Roosevelt speaking of America as "the great arsenal of democracy", Einstein in America, Oppenheimer and his scientists at their secret New Mexico base. From the 1960s there is footage of Kennedy making his Berlin speech and of American involvement in SE Asia. Cooke explains the detailed workings of the nuclear deterrent and visits the Strategic Air Command HQ underground in Nebraska as well as one of the missile bases when the round-the-clock guard is changing. There is also film of a B-52 squadron scrambling.
Alternative Title:AMERICA - A PERSONAL HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES [Series Title]
Colour:Colour
Digitised:No
Object_Number:MGH 574 - FOR DISPOSAL
Sound:Sound
Access Conditions:NON-IWM
Featured Period:
Production Date:1972
Production Country: GB
United States of America
Production Details: BBC Television (Production company)
Time/Life (Production company)
Heycock, David (Production individual)
Gill, (George) Michael (Production individual)
Cooke, Alistair (Production individual)
Turner, Ann (Production individual)
Meheux, Phil (Production individual)
Wyatt, John (Production individual)
Thomas, David (Production individual)
Brogan, Denis (Production individual)
Curtiss, Joy (Production individual)
Evans, Sally (Production individual)
Richardson, Ivor (Production individual)
Brown, Ron (Production individual)
Hale, John C C (Production individual)
Cooke, Alistair (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations:
Keywords: United States of America (geography)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Subtitle language: None
Technical Details: Format: 16mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 1848 ft; Running time: 50 mins
