My family exchanged gifts today. One book, which I both gave and received -- very happily in both cases, I might add -- was Letter from America: 1946-2004, a collection of Alistair Cooke's radio series.
I enjoyed Cooke's America, and his Memories of the Great and the Good; but I think I like this collection better than either of those. The letters span six decades, and many more than six topics: everything from sketches of famous and not-so-famous people to the city of Washington, DC, the vagaries of dress styles to the origin of Golden Gate Park -- it's all there. And it's all done with beautiful style.
I recommend it highly.