. >> host: "cheers, america," how an englishman loved to learn america, mr. webb, when were you in the states, and why? >> guest: i was sent to the united states in 2002. >> host: sounds like a sentence. >> guest: well, to be honest, at the time, it field like one. i didn't know anything about the united states. i was based in brussels for bbc, the bbc correspondent there, got a call, do you want to go to america? i thought, well, i don't know anything about america. i don't know anything about the politics. never had a particular interest in the place, but i do not one thing. i know this from films, it's sunny there. i'm sick of living in brussels where a friend said it's like the inside of a milk bottle. in the olden days, milk came in bottles that got clouded up, and that's what it's like to live in europe's capital. we give it a go. on the basis, frankly, of no knowledge, not a huge amount of interest, we decided to accept the offer of a job, and i say "we," my family, i had very young twins then, just born in brussels, so we went off to the u.s., and, obvious

supposed co-chairs america's name of the book how -- "cheers, america" sipri, justin webb is the author. mrww.when breathing the state's? >> guest: i was sent to the united states in 2002. to be honest at the time it sort of felt like one. i was actually based in brussels as bbc's correspondent there and i got a call saying do you want to go to america? i thought well i don't really know anything about america and about its politics and i don't have a particular interest in the place but one thing and i know this from elms it's quite sunny there. i was sick of being in brussels where one of my friends said it was like living on the inside of the note auto. basically milk came in autos and the bottles got clouded up and that is what it was like in europe's capital so we thought we would give it a go. on that basis frankly have no knowledge and not a huge amount of interest we decided to accept the offer of a job and i say we. my family had very young twins than, just bend born in brussels so we went up to the u.s. and obviously at a pretty grim time just after the attack of 9/11, the next ye