An American's Guide To Failure

First broadcast 20040704. First repeated 20051211.

Failure - what is it good for? American satirist Joe Queenan grapples with old Europe, and the idea of gallant defeat.

At a re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings, Joe noticed everyone wanted to be King Harold, and no one William the Conqueror, the guy who actually won. A transatlantic gulf slid into view.

With contributions from John Sergeant, Armando Iannucci, George Bush senior's speech writer, and a Frenchman who believes his country won at Waterloo.