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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:PREFACE.At this distant period, when Indian traditions are listened to with the interest that we lend to the events of a dark age, it is not easy to convey a vivid image of the dangers and privations that our ancestors encountered, in preparing the land we enjoy for its present state of security and abundance. It is the humble object of the tale that will be found in the succeeding pages, to perpetuate the recollection of some of the practices and events peculiar to the early days of our history.The general character of the warfare pursued by the natives is too well known to require any preliminary observations; but it may be advisable to direct the attention of the reader, for a few moments, to those leading circumstances in the history of the times, that may have some connexion with the principal business of the legend.The territory which now composes the three states of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode-Island, is said, by the best-informed of our annalists, to have been formerly occupied by four great nations of Indians, who were, as usual, subdivided into numberless dependent tribes. Of these people, the Massachusetts possessed a large portion of the land which now composes the state of that name; the Wampanoags dwelt in what was once the Colony of Plymouth, and in the northern districts of the Providence Plantations; the Narragansetts held the well-known islands of the beautiful bay which receives its name from their nation, and the more southern counties of the Plantations; while the Pequots, or, as it is ordinarily written and pronounced, the Pequods. were masters of a broad region that lay along the western boundaries of the three other districts.There is great obscurity thrown around the polity of the Indians, who usually occupied the country lying nea... ... Read more

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In the guise of a common sailor, Lieutenant Ark sets out on a mission to capture the mysterious and legendary pirate Red Rover. Ark soon finds himself on a sinking ship with the young Gertrude Grayson and her governess, Mrs.Wylie, only to be rescued by the enigmatic ship The Dolphin, and its even more enigmatic captain. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Red Rover
The Red Rover by James Fenimore Cooper. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

This is a great love letter to the skilled mariners who manned the decks during the Golden Age of Sail.

Terrific insight into nautical practice of the late 18th century
If you can get past Cooper's verbose and stilted prose, this is a great love letter to the skilled mariners who manned the decks during the Golden Age of Sail.Probably a full quarter of the book is devoted to depicting the moment-by-moment changes in rigging and tactics for both fight and flight in fickle weather.And that stands alone asthe sole basis on which I recommend this book.

The tale is a fairly formulaic and romantic account of what amounts to just over a fortnight in the life of a gentleman pirate who commands a noble if motley crew, and the dashing young officer of the British Navy who is assigned to apprehend him in the Americas.Predictably, the protagonist finds more to admire than despise in his quarry, and the generosity & civility of the Red Rover is shown to exceed that of many commisioned sailors in service to the Crown. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

"Give me my child, or give me nothing."
Antonio Vecchio. Who was he?

Old Antonio is a fisherman, a master gondolier in his youth. He had also served with honor in Venice's wars with the Turks and has the wounds to prove it. His son also died in harness fighting the Muslims forpatriotic love of the Republic of Venice.Now, around 1450, Venice is in decline and surrounded and hounded by powerful enemies. Antonio's 14-year old son has been drafted to row in the war galleys of "the Queen of the Adriatic, a state sometimes styled simply "Saint Mark" for its patron saint and its cathedral." James Fenimore Cooper's 1831 novel THE BRAVO tells of Antonio's valiant efforts to wrest his young grandson's return from the immoral world of the galleys by a cold, heartless government of Venice.

First Antonio sought help from his "foster brother," whom his lower class mother had suckled along with him six decades and more earlier. Being a foster brother counted in those centuries. The two lads were even playmates for a few years. But Antonio grew up to be an impoverished fisherman. His blood brother is now Senator Alessandro Gradenigo, a rich grandee, member of the secret Council of Three. If anyone could return a 14-year old impressed seaman to his grandfather, it would be Antonio's distinguished foster brother. But like all ruling oligarchs of cruel Venice, the Senator's conscience is moved by only two considerations, the national security of the Queen of the Adriatic and his narrow and personal family self interest. He cautions Antonio to endure the Republic's wisdom in silence.

Senator Gradenigo instructed a young man named Jacopo Frontoni to counsel old Antonio to keep his complaints to himself. Jacopo is a young, illiterate Venetian whose fisherman father had been a close friend of old Antonio. Jacopo is currently years into being blackmailed by the government to serve as its unwilling secret agent and go-between. This is the price of being allowed occasional visits to the Doge's prison to visit his dying father, wrongly imprisoned and never freed by the Senate even once it knew its mistake. Jacopo is reputed far and why to be a favorite "bravo" or hired assassin in high favor with the government

Venice has a great feast day on which its glorious figurehead leader the Doge symbolically reenacts the wedding of Venice and the Adriatic Sea on which its lagoons open. Antonio enters a mile and a half gondola race open to all. He is allowed to win by a mysterious masked competitor (Jacopo Frontoni). Before the race Antonio had begged an enraged Doge for his grandson's return. As winner of the race, Antonio again petitions the Doge, offering back his prize: a golden oar. He pleads: "Give me my child, or give me nothing"(Ch. X). Later he even offers the rich wedding ring tossed into the sea by the Doge during the wedding ceremonies. In the end, in a hearing before the dread Council of Three (including his masked foster brother) Antonio is accused of stirring up mobs against the state. Not only is Antonio's petition denied. But the Council of Three determines his death.

Will he be assassinated? Will Jacopo decline to do the deed?

Read on and find out!

There are several other stories set on the canals and in the palaces of the slowly dying Venice. A duke loves a young heiress whom he has saved from drowning. The state of Venice has other plans for both. A Carmelite monk is the heiress's confessor. He becomes drawn into the government's terrible plans for poor old Antonio. Senator Grandinego's worthless son is protected from his dissolute gambling by aging oligarchs who lick their lips over their own youthful indiscretions. There are smugglers, a Jewish money lender named Hosea, wine salesmen, young women both virtuous and no better than they need to be. There is gorgeous Venice itself, filled with works by Titian and other masters.

There is politics. Author James Fenimore Cooper held up a mirror to the most corrupt, evil, hypocritical state that he could discover in Europe. His point was to reinforce a running sermon he made to his fellow Americans that they had nothing to be ashamed about in their own constitution, habits and virtues -- in comparison to Europe's tyrannical worst. Yes, America had to be on guard against the rich and ambitious slowly seizing control of a noble political experiment, as had happened 500 years earlier in Venice. But for the moment Americans were citizens, not subjects. They ruled themselves. They were not slaves of a police-state resembling 20th-century East Germany but run by vicious aristocrats.

A grand novel, deserving reading and re-reading!

-OOO- ... Read more

Product Description
James Fenimore Cooper (September 15, 1789 – September 14, 1851) was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo. Among his most famous works is the Romantic novel The Last of the Mohicans, often regarded as his masterpiece.

The story is set in the British province of New York during the Seven Years War. It features a Huron massacre (with French acquiescence) of between 2,000 to 2,500 Anglo-American and British troops, who had honorably surrendered at Fort William-Henry, plus some women and servants. The Huron kidnapped two sisters, daughters of the British commander, and others. The last two Mohican warriors rescue the kidnapped women. Parts of the story may have been inspired by the capture and death of Jane McCrea in July 1777 near Fort Edward, New York, by members of an Algonquian tribe.

The character Chingachgook speaks a line that holds the title, saying, "When Uncas follows in my footsteps, there will no longer be any of the blood of the sagamores, for my boy is the last of the Mohicans." The title is also referred to near the end of the book, when Tamenund says, "I have lived to see the last warrior of the wise race of the Mohicans.
... Read more

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Here are eight stories from master American writers of the 19th century. They vary from sinister tales by Ambrose Bierce - why is that window boarded up? - and a reflective moment in the life of a woman without children, to classic short stories by O' Henry and Stephen Crane. There is even an elegiac description of an eclipse by James Fenimore Cooper, author of "The Last of the Mohicans". Read with sensitivity and skill by Garrick Hagon and Liza Ross. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A cheap read, but little else.
First off, here are the short stories included on the 2 discs:

A Horseman in the Sky - Ambrose Bierce
Regret - Kate Chopin
Eclipse - James Fenimore Cooper
The Bride Comes To Yellow Sky - Stephen Crane
The Cop and the Anthem - O. Henry
The Princess and the Puma - O. Henry
The Whirligig of Life - O. Henry

Read by Garrick Hagon and Liza Ross

Based on the name recognition of the authors, I was expecting much more.None of the stories were known to me (and probably not to anyone outside an english lit department).Two of the stories were decent, but the rest were unimpressive.Wasn't impressed with the readers either, as they tended towards over-acting (though perhaps the material lent itself to that).

The two-disc set served its purpose of keeping me awake on a long drive to a fishing cabin, but little else.I did like the fact that I could stop between short stories, unlike a longer novel.On my last long trip, I was listening to Shadow Divers (great book!) and arrived at my destination in the middle of a dive emergency. Had to wait three days to learn the fate of the divers.

Can't say I would really recommend this compilation, but if you're a voracious reader/listener who goes through books like candy, the price is hard to beat.Also might be more enjoyable to someone else for the nostalgic qualities.
... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851) was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He is particularly remembered as a novelist, who wrote numerous sea-stories as well as the historical romances known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo. Among his most famous works is the Romantic novel The Last of the Mohicans, which many people consider his masterpiece. Other works include Precaution (1820), The Spy (1821), The Pioneers (1823), The Red Rover (1828), The Wept of Wish-ton-Wish (1829), The Notions of a Traveling Bachelor (1828), The Waterwitch (1830), The Bravo (1831), The Monikins (1835), The American Democrat (1835), Homeward Bound (1839), Home as Found (1838), A History of the Navy of the United States (1839), The Pathfinder (1840), Mercedes of Castile (1840), The Deerslayer (1841), Ned Myers (1843) and The Ways of the Hour (1850). ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Drama / American; Fiction / Classics; Fiction / Literary; History / Military / Other; History / United States / General; Literary Criticism / American / General; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Victorian naval fiction
Perhaps not as well known as The Pilot (1824), James Fenimore Cooper's fictional account of John Paul Jones's adventures, The Wing-and-Wing (1842) is closer to the late Twentieth Century notion of "mainstream" historic naval fiction. Set in the Mediterranean in the months following Nelson's victory at the Nile, The Wing-and-Wing is the story of a bold captain and his plucky crew prevailing over great odds by superior strategy, seamanship and gunnery. All familiar territory to the contemporary reader of HNF, but Cooper's story has a twist. The hero is French. Raoul Yvart is the dashing captain of Le Feu-Follet, a lugger-rigged French privateer cruising Italy's west coast. Since the Tyrrhenian Sea is more or less a British lake at this time, with Nelson firmly established in Naples, Yvart needs to draw on all his considerable resources to succeed. He loves Ghita, a beautiful and pious daughter of Tuscany, who loves him as well, but can't reconcile her Catholicism with Yvart's skeptical anti-clericalism. Pursuing his love and pursued by the Royal Navy, Raoul makes Le Feu-Follet (in English, will-o-the-wisp) live up to her name.

The action and ship-handling passages are well done and compelling -- after all, Cooper served in both merchant ships and the U.S. Navy, and spent considerable time in Italy. There are some interesting windows on actual history, notably the execution of Admiral Caracciolo, which Cooper considered ignominious and blamed on the pernicious influence of Emma Hamilton on the noble Nelson. For all that, a great deal of the charm of the novel is in the humor. A few secondary characters consistently make the reader smile as Cooper paints broad caricatures of Italians, French, English and Scots. (The only American, Ithuel Bolt, may be the book's most complex character, combining courage and righteousness with bitterness and greedy self-interest.) Much of the fun is language-based as the English, French and Italians mangle each others' language. We also enjoy parodies of legal wrangling and philosophical discourse. Surely there is no other action novel in which the epistemology of George Berkeley plays a crucial role in advancing the plot!

If you don't have your Victorian prose mojo going, don't pick up this book. Cooper is wordy in a way that forces the reader to slow down and savor the language. Readers looking for a plot-driven "page turner" may chafe at the pace, but patience will be rewarded. Unlike many action novels that are fun to read, but fade from mind, Cooper's plot, characters and descriptions linger in the imagination. Some time after finishing the book, I find myself returning to reconsider some personage or event. A wine drinker might say that The Wing-and-Wing has a long finish.

The Henry Holt "Heart of Oak Sea Classics" edition features Jeffrey Ward's maps -- very useful to the reader -- and Thomas Philbrick's instructive introduction.

Interesting romance, hearty sea adventure
Based on a true incident, this novel is set along the coast of Italy during the age of Napolean. The Wing-and-Wing is a ship preying on British ships, captained by Raoul Yverne. He's in love with Ghita Caraccioli, a devout Catholic who refuses to marry him because he is an atheist. When Ghita's grandfather is sentenced to be executed by Lord Nelson, Ghita and Raoul (disguised) visit him hoping to bring about his escape. The plot is foiled, Raoul makes it to his ship and gets away, only to be persued by the British until he's trapped and killed. Cooper creates some of his most interesting characters in this romance of the sea. Raoul is a complicated man: he will not yield to Ghita regarding his atheistic beliefs, yet he is an honorable, heroic figure based on what he does throughout the story; he will not compromise his principles. The romance between Ghita and Raoul is interesting and powerful, not always the case in Cooper's novels. The impressed American seaman named Bolt, or "The Yankee," is also a well-drawn character; his hatred for the British and his devil-may-care attitude are delightful. Finally, the chapters set at sea, especially where Raoul is able to out-maneuver and out-sail the British, show Cooper writing at his best. It's no wonder the editors chose this novel as part of the Heart of Oak Sea Classics series.

A romantic tragedy
This novel was first published in 1842, and various editions are available.While the author is noted more for other novels, he started his career at sea, sailing as a merchant seaman for two years from 1806 to 1807, then becoming a midshipman in the United States Navy, serving for two years before resigning his commission to stay on land.He maintained his interest in the sea and is credited with writing the first sea novels.He lived in Italy from 1828 to 1829, primarily in Naples, but visiting Elba and other areas.He was intimately familiar with the actions and settings used in the novel, which is set in 1799 in and around the Bay of Naples, the Isle of Capri, and Elba.

The title of the novel is explained in the first chapter when a suspiciou lugger is seen approaching Elba, "the spread of her canvas, as she came down before the wind, wing-and-wing, as seamen term it, or with a sail fanning like the heavy pinions of a seafowl, on each side..."When the lugger arrives at Elba, it displays and English flag, and the Captain identifies himself as Jack Smith and the lugger as the Wing-and-Wing.In actual fact, the captain is Raoul Yvard and the lugger is the French corsair Feu-Follet.Raoul has come to Elba to meet Ghita, the woman he loves.

The story proceeds as the Feu-Follet plays a game of cat-and-mouse with the British frigate Proserpine commanded by Captain Cuffe.Part of the story is the action between the Feu-Follet and the British, and part of the story is the relationship between Raoul and Ghita.There is a large cast of characters involved.

The story is slow reading, as Cooper was very descriptive of both the settings and the events, and included long conversations between the characters.It is worth reading both as classic literature (one of the first sea novels) and to obtain another side of Cooper's novels.

Don'tbe afraid of Cooper
I'm glad that I read the book before looking at an earlier reviewer's description of "long winded and laborious", or I may have skipped it.It is indeed a little "slow" in the first third or so, especially if your point of reference is a Marryat novel that would have had four battles fought by that point.I found it engaging,more and more as the work progressed, and overall an excelent read.Refreshing that the hero, his enemy, and several others are not simplistically all good or all bad as so often we find in these sea tales.As well, refreshing to learn a bit of the French privateer's p.o.v.

Rough Sailing
In addition to the Patrick O'Brian series, I have read several of the Heary-of-Oak series nautical fiction novels and all have been excellent. This one, however, falls short and the nautical fiction fan may grow wearyof Cooper's long winded laborious style of writing. I have to admit, Icouldn't get through the entire book but admit the author to be a talentedwriter. Nevertheless, I think the purist nautical fiction fan may prefer aless pretentious style of writinga laForester,Marrayat, James Nelsonor Richard Woodman. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: France; Germany; Switzerland; History / Europe / France; History / Europe / Germany; Philosophy / History ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more