The Pilot. A Tale of the Sea

James Fenimore Cooper

In The Pilot (1824), James Fenimore Cooper invented a new literary genre: the sea novel. Bold, vigorous, original, it is a tale of high adventure that vividly captures the majesty and power of the seafaring life. Cooper drew on his direct knowledge of ships and sailors to present a truer picture of life on the sea than had ever before achieved in literature. As a boy of seventeen he had experienced the life of a common seaman, learned the craft of sailing, encountered terrifying storms, was chased by pirates, and watched the impressment of crew members by a British man-of-war.The Pilot is loosely based upon stories of John Paul Joness daring hit-and-run tactics during the Revolutionary War. The shadowy hero, modeled on Jones, leads a squadron of the infant American navy in a series of raids on the English coast, braving fierce storms and the guns of hostile warships, yet never revealing his identity. In this novel Cooper introduced the character of the old salt, the seasoned deckhand happy only aboard ship.

The Pioneers. or The Sources of the Susquehanna

James Fenimore Cooper

The fourth of the Leatherstocking novels, we find Leatherstocking (Natty Bumppo) entering the last stages of his life. He has lost a great deal of his effectiveness with his musket and now relies a great deal on his dog to help him hunting. The main focus is one two things: 1. the reinstatement of Nattys old commander in his properties and wealth in the new US while believing he is the victim of treachery by his old friend the judge in this story; and 2. Nattys struggle with and disgust about the developing societal rules that limit his freedom in hunting, trapping and fishing in the wilderness as he has his whole life. Good story on both accounts. In The Pioneers, James Fenimore Cooper thematically debates the complexity of landscape within a new American frontier. The battle between nature and civilization is a constant and competing force within the minds of the characters and in the general surroundings.

The Prairie. A Tale

James Fenimore Cooper

The Prairie: A Tale (1827) is a novel by James Fenimore Cooper, the 3rd novel written by him featuring Natty Bumppo. Civilization drives old hunter Natty Bumppo (Leatherstocking) west of the Mississippi to the prairies, where he becomes a trapper and helps a band of emigrants in their conflicts with Indians, miscreants, and the harsh environment. We find Hawkeye removed to the uncharted territory which would become Wyoming and the Dakotas. Having fled the relentless sound of axes hewing down his beloved forests in the east, the Leatherstocking is now in his eighties and has isolated himself in the land of the Pawnee, the Sioux and countless herds of buffalo. Culminating in a magnificently written death scene, The Prairie brings the old hunter full circle with images of his youth and reminiscences of the remarkable life which made him the prototype of the American Hero.

The Redskins, or, Indian and Injin. Being the Conclusion of the Littlepage Manuscripts

James Fenimore Cooper

The unfolding struggle for land in North America prompted Cooper to write a series of novels about the life and fate of large landowners. The main character, American Hedges Littlepage, and his elderly uncle have been living in Europe for a long time. But suddenly events begin in America that force them to go on a long journey, to their homeland.

The Sea Lions. The Lost Sealers

James Fenimore Cooper

This is a gripping maritime story about two whaling ships on a long and cold journey to the shores of Antarctica in search of dangerous goods. Two Sea Lions two ships, two captains, two crews! Will they become enemies or friends in the prickly ice that threatens to crush them all. And only the scarlet blood of whales, majestic animals, mixes with the white waves of the ocean in the silence of snowy cliffs.

The Spy. A Tale of the Neutral Ground

James Fenimore Cooper

Inspired by accusations of venality leveled at the men who captured Major Andre (Benedict Arnolds co-conspirator, executed for espionage in 1780), Coopers novel centers on Harry Birch, a common man wrongly suspected by well-born Patriots of being a spy for the British. Even George Washington, who supports Birch, misreads the man, and when Washington offers him payment for information vital to the Patriots cause, Birch scorns the money and asserts that his action were motivated not by financial reward, but by his devotion to the fight for independence. Peopled with memorable characters, some of them real life heroes like George Washington, The Spy by James Fenimore Cooper is a great blend of fact and historical fiction, constructed on a magnificent scale.

The Two Admirals

James Fenimore Cooper

The novel Two Admirals tells about the events from the history of the naval war between England and France in the middle of the 18th century. At the center of the novel is a touching story of long-term friendship between two admirals, Jevers Oakes and Dick Bluewater. Their relationship is intertwined with another storyline the struggle for the inheritance left by the old baronet.

The Wing-and-Wing. Or, Le Feu-Follet

James Fenimore Cooper

The young French robber Raoul Ivar appeared with his ship in a small harbor in the city of Porto Ferraio. He introduced himself as Jack Smith, but he was exposed: the English officer Griffin recognized the bold robber Raul Ivar in Smith. The British decide to capture his ship. A desperate adventurer is waiting for new challenges, but he is full of hope, courage and a thirst for freedom will help him in this struggle.