James Fenimore Cooper (15 September, 1789 – 14 September, 1851) was a popular American writer who is best known for his Leatherstocking Tales featuring Natty Bumppo. Books by James Fenimore Cooper* 1) Mr. Cooper was born in Burlington, NJ. He was the eleventh of 12 children. 2) In 1790 the family moved to upstate New York by Otsego Lake. The area would later be known as Cooperstown, NY. 3) At age 13 the author was enrolled in Yale University. In his third year, Mr. Cooper was expelled without completing his degree due to some stunts he pulled (blowing up a student’s door and locking a donkey in the recitation room among them). 4) Mr. Cooper went on the US Navy (a fledgling outfit at the time) and became a midshipman. The officer’s warrant confirming his rank was signed by Thomas Jefferson. Later in life he published The History of the Navy of the United States of America (1839), after 14 years of research. 5) After his father’s death, young James Cooper found himself a man of means and married the wealthy Susan Augusta de Lancey. The couple had seven kids, five of whom lived to adulthood. 6) The first novel Precaution (1820) was written because Mrs. Cooper bet her husband that he could…
I really appreciated how the author, Isabel Allende, took three disjointed stories and tried to weave them together during one winter snowstorm in New York City
Being embedded with American troops is no joke, as he soon finds out
This book took me a little longer than usual to read because I had a great time trying (emphasis on “trying”) to solve the puzzles, which come in a form of lists
The author weaves in true events with his story. The tragic case of the St. Louis, German transatlantic liner with 288 passengers escaping certain death
The story is, of course, dated and some of it seem downright laughable or cringe worthy if not keeping in mind the attitudes at the times towards women and minorities.
The author wrote a profound book which captures the helplessness against a great tragedy, but also the profound human relationships which can occur from such a tragedy.
Mr. Sjursen also shares his own personal views about the war, professional soldering, the ugly business of managing an occupation and the even uglier politics of inserting yourself in the middle of a sectarian civil war.
This novel is an exciting, fast paced page turner with many themes
This is one of those rare books which are intelligent, informative and entreating. Mr. Sidransky is an excellent author and I’m looking forward to reading more of his work.