The History of the Navy of the United States of America (CLASSICS OF NAVAL LITERATURE)

James Fenimore Cooper is well known for many of his classic historical novels, including The Last of the Mohicans and The Deerslayer, but few people are aware that he was a serious historian as well. America's first major author, he was also the first to pen a history of the U. S. Navy that stood the test of time and continues to this day to offer significant insight into the nation's early maritime history. Not known for his conciseness, Cooper first published his history in multiple volumes in 1838, but later pared it down to this one-volume version. The narrative genius that he brought to his novels is evident despite the fact that this is serious history. Tales of buccaneers, colonial sea fights, the American Revolution, the Quasi-War with France, and the War of 1812 are all vividly recounted, and the original engravings have been retained to enhance the presentation of this new edition. No mere literary curiosity, the work deserves the attention of serious students of the period, both for its factual exposition and for the perspective Cooper brings to occurrences chronologically close to him. Like many historians, his interpretation of the facts was not accepted by all, and in his preface Cooper comments about attempts made to injure the book and his credibility. A classic in the finest sense of the word, this book has been a cornerstone in the ever-building corpus of American naval history.