I found this book to be both surprising and absorbing. For some odd reason, I'd never directly connected James Fenimore Cooper with Cooperstown, NY (having only read "The Deerslayer"). The author here mixes a biography of Judge William Cooper and his family (including his son, the future author) with social and financial history in a way that is quite engrossing. I would definitely recommend this book, and I see why it won the prize it did. ( )

5161. William Cooper's Town Power and Persuasion on the Frontier of the Early American Republic, by Alan Taylor (read 13 May 2014) (Pulitzer History prize for 1996) My good niece Susan sent me 104 books and this book was included. Since I have long wanted to read it because I want to read all Pulitzer prize winners, it was the first of said 104 books I read. This excellent book won the 1996 Pulitzer History prize and is the 54th such winner I've read. It also won the Bancroft Prize in 1996 and is the 36th Bancroft winner I've read. It is an amazing book and while extremely detailed is a stunningly insightful book, telling the story of William Cooper's founding of Cooperstown, NY, in 1786 and his struggle to foster that town, as well as other settlement efforts he made. His efforts were often unsuccessful. The story is told with frequent references to James Fenimore Cooper's novel, The Pioneers, which obviously relates to the events surrounding the efforts at Cooperstown, despite the effort of James Fenimore Cooper to deny the relationship. The research involved is awesome and the book is a tour de force in both history and biography, as well as literary commentary. The book well deserves the honors it has won. ( )

I absolutely *loved* this book! I read it as part of a library study group. The teacher warned us that this book was "scholarly". I found it to be a well-written and riveting story not only of a cute little town in NY but of the early expansion of America. I learned a lot from this book, and treated myself to a visit to Cooperstown immediately after finishing it. This book made the town's history come alive and made for a memorable visit. ( )

Fantistic. Couldn't be better (or, at least, it'd be very hard). ( )