James Fenimore Cooper: The Later Years (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780300135718)

A definitive new biography of James Fenimore Cooper, early nineteenth-century master of American popular fiction

"It will be the definitive biography and foremost study of Cooper's fiction and nonfiction for the foreseeable future."-- Allan Axelrad, California State University, Fullerton

American author James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) has been credited with inventing and popularizing a wide variety of genre fiction, including the Western, the spy novel, the high seas adventure tale, and the Revolutionary War romance. America's first crusading novelist, Cooper reminds us that literature is not a cloistered art; rather, it ought to be intimately engaged with the world.

In this second volume of his definitive biography, Wayne Franklin concentrates on the latter half of Cooper's life, detailing a period of personal and political controversy, far-ranging international travel, and prolific literary creation. We hear of Cooper's progressive views on race and slavery, his doubts about American expansionism, and his concern about the future prospects of the American Republic, while observing how his groundbreaking career management paved the way for later novelists to make a living through their writing. Franklin offers readers the most comprehensive portrait to date of this underappreciated American literary icon.

Author: Wayne Franklin
ISBN-10: 0300135718
ISBN-13: 9780300135718
Publisher: Yale University Press
Language: English
Published: 04/25/2017
Pages: 840
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 2.90lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.40w x 2.00d

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 02/01/2017 pg. 84
Choice 09/01/2017