Michael Elkins was, for many years, the BBC correspondent in Jerusalem. In conversation with Roy Plomley, he recalls his childhood in New York, where he became a pool-room hustler, his screen-writing career in Hollywood, and he talks about his active role in helping to set up a Jewish state in Palestine.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Spring by Antonio Vivaldi
Book: The Hero With the Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
Luxury: Electric typewriter