THE SPY - Vol. 1 & 2

by James Fenimore Cooper

Overview

Cooper's first major success, The Spy is also his first book set in the period of the American War of Independence. The story starts in 1870 in the area of the country which was between British-held New York and the Continental Army in the Hudson River Valley and upstate New York. The household of Mr. Wharton and his daughters is visited by the three main protagonists of the story: the mysterious Mr. Harper, an American loyalist; Captain Henry Wharton, the son of the house and an officer in the British Army; and Mr. Harvey Birch, suspected of being a British spy. The differing loyalties of these men are reflected in the differing loyalties of the household they visit with the father trying to remain neutral, his daughter Sarah a supporter of the British and his other daughter Frances supporting the American rebels. The futures of these characters become inextricably linked as they face not only the perils of war, but also the sufferings of the human heart. This is a compelling adventure which brings to life all the dangers, heartbreak and hope of a society at war with itself.

Author Biography: James Fennimore Cooper was born on September 15, 1789 in Burlington, New Jersey. In 1820 he published his first book, Precaution, a tale of manners and morals set in England. His next book, The Spy: A Tale of the Neutral Ground, was set in America, and this was to be the setting for the rest of his novels, including the five "Leatherstocking" novels for which he is best known (The Pioneers, The Last of the Mohicans, The Prairie, The Pathfinder and The Deerslayer).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781595471222
Publisher:	NuVision Publications
Publication date:	01/28/2004
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	573 KB

About the Author

The creator of two genres that became staples of American literature — the sea romance and the frontier adventure — James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) was born in New Jersey, raised in the wilderness of New York, and spent five years at sea before embarking on his successful writing career. Among Cooper’s many novels, his best-known books are the five "Leatherstocking" tales — including The Deerslayer and The Last of the Mohicans — each featuring the fictional hero Natty Bumppo.

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
	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