The Spy: A Tale of the Neutral Ground

by James Fenimore Cooper

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781775453741
Publisher:	The Floating Press
Publication date:	07/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	571 KB

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

The strong, manly voice of Pete Cross breathes life into one of America's earliest bestselling novels (1821). This audiobook takes listeners to Westchester County, New York, in 1780 during the Revolutionary War, when this area was ravaged by both combatants. This historical novel is very much a literary product of its time, with racist and sexist passages, convoluted syntax, ponderous sentences, and pompous dialogue. If a listener can acclimate to the prose, there is an exciting action-filled story to enjoy. Cross cleverly portrays a diverse group of characters ranging from dashing officers, demure maidens, and the peddler/spy to the evil marauders. Cross’s mastery of regional accents and class differences, along with characters of both genders and divers ages, makes this cumbersome novel worthy of attention. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

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