Peopled with memorable characters, some of them real life heroes like George Washington, The Spy by James Fenimore Cooper is a great blend of fact and historical fiction, constructed on a magnificent scale. Published in 1821, this is Cooper's second novel. Dubbed as the Father of American Literature, Cooper served in the American Navy and that is perhaps why the sea features in so many of his novels. He was independently wealthy and highly educated and married an equally well-educated and rich woman. Some of their children and descendants have also continued the writing tradition. An extremely prolific writer, his enormous output includes nearly fifty full length novels and numerous shorter works. Some of his most famous titles include The Last of the Mohicans, Homeward Bound, The Red Rover etc. He was the first American writer to include Native Americans, African Americans and people of other ethnicities in his work.

The Spy is an exciting read for young and old alike, sparkling with interesting nuggets of information that give an authentic picture of a very eventful period in American history.