The Spy: A Tale of the Neutral Ground (Penguin Classics) - Softcover

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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER (1789-1851) was the Walter Scott of America: he wrote romances of the American Revolution and of the Indian wars on the American frontier, including the series known as the Leatherstocking Tales, which included THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS and THE DEERSLAYER (all of which are available in Penguin Clasics).

WAYNE FRANKLIN is the David Distinguished Professor of American Literature at Northeastern University, USA.

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Inspired by accusations of venality leveled at the men who captured Major Andre (Benedict Arnold's co-conspirator, executed for espionage in 1780), Cooper's novel centers on Harry Birch, a common man wrongly suspected by well-born Patriots of being a spy for the British. Even George Washington, who supports Birch, misreads the man, and when Washington offers him payment for information vital to the Patriot's cause, Birch scorns the money and asserts that his action were motivated not by financial reward, but by his devotion to the fight for independence. A historical adventure tale reminiscent of Sir Walter Scott's Waverley novels, The Spy is also a parable of the American experience, a reminder that the nation's survival, like its Revolution, depends on judging people by their actions, not their class or reputations.