James Fenimore Cooper
The Last of the Mohicans is the second book in Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales pentalogy, and remains his best-known work. It is a historical novel set in the French and Indian war in New York, and centers around the massacre of surrendered Anglo-American troops. The two daughters of the British commander are kidnapped, but rescued by the last two Mohicans. The title comes from a quote by Tamanend: "I have lived to see the last warrior
...Get set for an exhilarating nautical adventure that pits one of the world's most notorious pirates against a ragtag crew of black and white sailors who must overcome their differences and band together for the fight. Although The Red Rover shares the fast pace and detailed plotting of Cooper's more famous books, such as The Last of the Mohicans, it's a more humorous take on the historical novel than many of his other works.
3) The Lake Gun
In this parable-like short story from American author James Fenimore Cooper, a sage Native American relates the tragic tale of a young upstart named See-wise who bucks tribal tradition and tries to convince his fellow fisherman to flout seasonal restrictions on fishing. For this transgression, he is doomed to an eternal punishment.
Renowned American author James Fenimore Cooper had a lifelong fascination with the sea—and a deep appreciation for the brave men who spent their lives traversing it. In the novel Miles Wallingford, the sequel to Cooper's Afloat and Ashore, Cooper focuses on the life story of one remarkable sailor, the Wallingford of the title, who recounts his exploits on the sea as a young man.
Written under the pseudonym "Jane Morgan," the two tales collected in this volume reflect the profound influence that British author Jane Austen had on Cooper's early development as a writer. Geared toward younger audiences, these romances strive to impart important moral lessons.
In what may be a first among maritime action-adventure novels, the vessels at the center of this fast-paced tale from James Fenimore Cooper spend virtually the entirety of the story in harbor off the coast of New York. When a band of rowdy pirates abduct an heiress, her beau gives chase in a thrilling standoff. But when national tensions intervene, the story takes an unexpected turn.
Part of a trilogy of works by the author of The Last of the Mohicans, The Headsman is regarded by many critics to be one of James Fenimore Cooper's most accomplished novels. With the action of the novel divided between the Swiss Alps and a series of sea voyages, The Headsman is a must-read for fans of Cooper's unique brand of adventure fiction.
From the author of The Last of the Mohicans comes this classic nautical adventure tale that follows a sea voyage gone horribly awry. When a group of well-born British aristocrats set sail for the United States, they couldn't possibly imagine the mishaps that lie ahead of them when they find themselves coming ashore in Africa.
Looking for a stiff dose of seat-of-your-pants wartime action and adventure? Check out The Spy from American literary master James Fenimore Cooper. This extensively researched tale of the Revolutionary War focuses on the exploits of protagonist Harry Birch, who is passionately devoted to the cause of American independence but nonetheless finds himself falsely accused of treason.
10) Precaution
Though he would later rise to prominence as one of the most important American writers of his generation, James Fenimore Cooper's first literary effort was inspired by a wager with his wife, to whom he had offhandedly remarked that he could probably write a more exciting book than the English domestic novels that were the bestsellers of the day. Strongly influenced by Jane Austen, Precaution was initially published under a female pseudonym.
...11) Home as Found
The sequel to his earlier novel, Homeward Bound, James Fenimore Cooper's Home as Found was inspired by events in the author's own life. After living abroad for a number of years, Cooper and his family returned to the U.S., only to be appalled by what he regarded as a marked devolution in the national character. An in-depth exploration of this decline is the central focus of Home as Found.
This sensational tale from action-adventure master James Fenimore Cooper takes the form of the life story of a rugged old sailor, Miles Wallingford. As a youth, Miles, his brother, and their slave Neb ran away from the family home to become seamen, dashing the family's hopes that Miles will become a respectable lawyer. Veering wildly from calamities to courageous feats and back again, Afloat and Ashore is one sea tale you won't soon forget.
...The setting is the American Revolutionary War, and the action begins as two ships enter a bay in England to pick up a pilot. Who is the mysterious figure who they will be plucking from the rocky cliffs, and what role will he play in the battles ahead? Take off with James Fenimore Cooper's The Pilot if gripping nautical adventure is your desired destination.
The Deerslayer is the last book in Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales pentalogy, but acts as a prequel to the other novels. It begins with the rapid civilizing of New York, in which surrounds the following books take place. It introduces the hero of the Tales, Natty Bumppo, and his philosophy that every living thing should follow its own nature. He is contrasted to other, less conscientious, frontiersmen.
15) The Two Admirals
Sail out for adventure on the high seas with famed author James Fenimore Cooper. The Two Admirals is a gripping tale of nautical warfare set during the Jacobite rebellion of 1745. Parallel with the plotline of naval conflict is a puzzle of inheritance, as Sir Wycherly Wychecombe struggles to identify the true heir of his family's wealth and legacy.
Perhaps more than any other nineteenth-century American author, James Fenimore Cooper sought to represent the culture and struggles of Native Americans. Although his depictions of indigenous tribes still bear traces of the endemic racism that was part of the larger American culture at the time, they did represent a literary breakthrough in the era. In the novel The Wept of Wish-Ton-Wish, Cooper shifts the focus to the earliest encounters
...American author James Fenimore Cooper achieved widespread literary acclaim with his sweeping epics that often sought to pin down the nascent country's emerging and evolving ethos. In the novel The Chainbearer, which is the second entry in his Littlepage trilogy, Cooper focuses on the displacement of Native American populations that occurred as a result of westward expansion.
In spite of the fact that he is the author of many quintessentially American novels, including The Last of the Mohicans, James Fenimore Cooper spent a significant portion of his life in France, where he moved his family in the hopes of boosting his writing income. This volume of essays focuses on Cooper's impressions of and experiences in Europe.
19) Ned Myers
Quebec-born Ned Myers was a fascinating character who knew he was destined for a life on the sea from an early age. Orphaned as a young boy, Myers ran away to New York City at the tender age of 11 to fulfill his dream. On one of his voyages, Myers made the acquaintance of American author James Fenimore Cooper, who was so taken with this salty sea dog that he was compelled to write this full-length biography.
20) The Monikins
When several of his novels were met with mixed critical and popular reactions, American author James Fenimore Cooper took a break from the romantic epics that had long been his stock-in-trade and tried his hand at Swiftian satire. The fantastical creatures who populate thinly veiled versions of England and America in the novel have one thing in common with humans: an abiding preoccupation with money.