The Spy: A Tale of the Neutral Ground. by J. Fenimore Cooper.

by James Fenimore Cooper

Overview

Published in 1821, THE SPY took for its theme the American Revolutionary War. Cooper vividly describes the conflicting interests of British and Americans in this tale of valor, fortitude and danger.

Harvey Birch is the hero, a true American and patriot. Birch's various disguises and incredible escapes rivet our attention. He is one of the most memorable characters in American literature, drawn so realistically that many men claimed to be the actual person Cooper had depicted. Flight and hot pursuit, contrasting styles of gentlemen and country folk, and the exciting historical events surrounding our revolution make this story as stirring today as it was on its publication more than a century and a half ago.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781425560836
Publisher:	University of Michigan Library
Publication date:	09/13/2006
Pages:	552
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 1.12(d)

About the Author

James P. Elliott is Professor of English at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. James H. Pickering is Professor of English at the University of Houston. Lance Schachterle is Professor of English in the Department of Humanities and Arts at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Jeffrey Walker is Professor of English at Oklahoma State University.

Date of Birth:

September 15, 1789

Date of Death:

September 14, 1851

Place of Birth:

Burlington, New Jersey

Place of Death:

Cooperstown, New York

Education:

Yale University (expelled in 1805)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Historical Introduction xiii

Illustrations xliii

To James Aitchison [1821] 1

Preface [1821] 2

Preface to the Second Edition [1822] 6

To James Aitchison [1822] 8

Preface to the Third Edition [1822] 9

Introduction [1831] 12

Introduction [1849] 17

The Spy 22

Explanatory Notes 425

Textual Commentary 435

Textual Notes 458

Emendations 460

Rejected Readings 546

Word-Division 550

Editorial Reviews

Written in 1821, this historical novel is Cooper's paean to the Revolutionary War, as protagonist Harry Birch finds himself wrongly accused of selling vital information to the British. The book incorporates several real characters, including George Washington.

Library Journal