A definitive new biography of James Fenimore Cooper, early nineteenth century master of American popular fictionAmerican author James Fenimore Cooper (1789'Äì1851) 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 ...

James Fenimore Cooper (17891851) invented the key forms of American fiction-the Western, the sea tale, the Revolutionary War romance. Furthermore, Cooper turned novel writing from a polite diversion into a paying career. He influenced Herman Melville, Richard Henry Dana, Jr., Francis Parkman, and even Mark Twain-who felt the need to flagellate Cooper for his literary offenses.” His novels mark the starting point for any history of our environmental conscience. Far from complicit i...

A historical adventure reminiscent of Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley romances, Cooper’s novel centers on Harvey Birch, a common man wrongly suspected of being a spy for the British.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide aut...

“Exceptional talent….I am one of his most ardent admirers. I admired Mr. Irving’s work so much, in fact, that I gave it the ultimate praise; I ‘borrowed it.’”—Edgar Allan PoeSage, storyteller, and wit, Washington Irving created such staples of American fiction as the stories “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” He earned his preeminence in early American literature with the masterpieces in miniature collected here: dozens of stories, travel essays, b...

Everything a resident or clinician needs-to-know about pediatric medicine in a concise bulleted format. Written by a preeminent team of clinicians from the top children’s hospitals in the country, this quick-reference and board review is organized according to the clinical issues tested on the Board of Pediatrics Examination.

Benjamin Franklin was not only one of America's Founding Fathers—he was also a fascinating character who lived an exciting life. Whether carousing with prostitutes in Paris, taunting lightning bolts with kites, or founding America's first volunteer firefighting organization, Franklin was always at the center of activity. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin details this American's early years, his career, and his conflicted relationship with his son.

This is the original 1928 story of Hunting for Hidden Gold: The Hardy Boys Book 5. The book has undergone one major revision since its original publication in 1928, resulting in two significantly different stories bearing the same title.Fenton Hardy requests his sons, Frank and Joe, to help him solve a case of stolen gold in Montana. The gang who stole the gold attempts to thwart their train ride from their home in Bayport on Barmet Bay on the Atlantic coast to Lu...

This is the original 1928 story of The Missing Chums: The Hardy Boys Book 4. The book has undergone one major revision since its original publication in 1928, resulting in two significantly different stories bearing the same title.Chet and Biff, chums of Frank and Joe Hardy, intend to take a pleasure trip down the coast in Biff’s new boat. They start during an ominous storm and then disappear. Mr. Hardy leaves to capture a dangerous criminal he has been tracking. ...

This is the original 1927 story of The Secret of the Old Mill: The Hardy Boys Book 3. As such, it is different than later versions of this book with the same title. Frank and Joe Hardy, brothers who are high school students, help a stranger at the train station to exchange a five-dollar bill—only to find out later that it was counterfeit. Bayport seems to be flooded with counterfeit money, and people are on guard. But many innocent people, including Mrs. Hardy, lose money in seemingly reas...

This is the original 1930 story of The Great Airport Mystery: The Hardy Boys Book 9. The book has undergone one major revision since its original publication in 1930, resulting in two different stories bearing the same title.Frank and Joe Hardy drive to see the new Bayport Airport. Before even getting there the boys are almost run over by an airplane flown by the airmail pilot Giles Ducroy. As a result of the event, Ducroy loses his job, blames the boys, and then ...

This is the original 1929 story of The Secret of the Caves: The Hardy Boys book 7. The book has undergone one major revision since originally published in 1929, resulting in two different stories bearing the same title.While enjoying a summer day boating on Barmet Bay, Frank and Joe end up saving Mary Todd from downing. She was on her way to see their father, Fenton Hardy about the mysterious disappearance of her brother. While Fenton Hardy went to search for him, Frank an...

This is the original 1928 story of The Shore Road Mystery: The Hardy Boys book 6. The book has undergone one major revision since originally published in 1928, resulting in two different stories bearing the same title.Car thieves are busy in Bayport, the home of Frank and Joe Hardy. After cars and trucks are stolen, they seem to simply disappear somewhere along the Shore Road. Then their chum, Jack Dodd, and his father are arrested even though they claim innocence. Are the...