This was written in 1821 and frankly I had a hard time comprehending the style of writing. I really didn't want to take the time to study it. It was almost like reading Shakespeare. I want to read Last of the Mohicans so I will be sure to have my dictionary out and take plenty of time to comprehend it. ( )

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"The Spy: A Tale of the Neutral Ground" was first published in 1821 and was the second of Cooper's published works and his first commercial success. The action of the novel takes place in Westchester ("West Chester") County, NY in 1780 not long after the defection of Benedict Arnold to the British and the capture and execution of his British contact, Major Andre.

As espionage tales go this is actually pretty thin on the activities of the protagonist as a spy. The hero is in fact a double agent who is apparently a spy working in the service of Sir Henry Clinton and wanted desperately for hanging by the Americans who are unaware that, in fact, he is an agent of George Washington. The plot, in so far as it chronicles the activities of the hero, consists of his efforts to elude the American forces or to escape his captors when taken prisoner. Along the way he distinguishes himself through services rendered to members of the Wharton family, whose only son is a British serving officer, taken while in civilian disguise, during a family visit and doomed to the same fate as Major Andre and our hero.

The Wharton family symbolizes the American people writ large. As is often the case in a civil conflict the family members are divided in their loyalties. The son, Henry, is a serving British officer. The loyalties of his sisters Sarah and Frances are divided between the King (Sarah) and native country (Frances). Their father strives to maintain a public facing neutrality while privately leaning toward the British cause. Their aunt Jeanette Peyton, a Virginia transplant, who is the younger sister of Mr. Wharton's late wife. It turns out that her relative, Peyton Dunwoodie, is a major in the American army and the ranking local commander of a troop of dragoons stationed in the area.

Major Dunwoodie is a childhood friend of Captain Henry Wharton, the British officer who is threatened with execution by hanging after his capture in civilian disguise by Dunwoodie's subordinate, Captain Lawton. Dunwoodie's difficulties are further complicated by his affections for young Frances.

The supporting cast of characters includes a Colonel Wellmere, a British officer, much admired by Sarah Wharton; a Captain Singleton who is seriously wounded during a battle that takes place near the Whartons' home, his sister Isabella who is transported to the scene to attend to her brother during his convalescence; Dr. Sitgreaves , a surgeon attached to the American army; Katy Haynes, the housekeeper to John Birch and his son Harvey (our protagonist); Betty Flanagan,a female sutler and perhaps camp follower of the American dragoons; the Wharton family's black slave, Caesar, and a mysterious gentleman named Harper who kicks off the story, but then disappears until near the end of the narrative.

Cooper writes in a style reminiscent of Jane Austen. His heroes and heroines are exemplars of manliness and the feminine virtues, and their dialogue is formal and moderate in tone at least as it concerns the Wharton family, the officers and Harvey Birch. The men are animated by honor, patriotism, loyalty (to their brethren and their duty), courage and regard for reputation. The ladies are modest, tender hearted, devoted to their family, and virtuous in love.

Like a good movie serial the action involves one near miraculous escape after another, romance, heroism above and beyond, and the threat to safety and happiness posed by cads, cowards and blackguards. This is clearly a tale that is out of fashion and is not for those readers who strive to be politically correct and as such consider concepts such as "gentlemen" and "ladies' to be modes of oppression. If you belong to the 1619 Project school of American history this is not for you.

For the rest of us, Cooper's "Tale of the Neutral Ground" is highly recommended. ( )

I'm not fond of books that describe every minute detail like this one does, but when it was written, it would have given an excellent description of what life was like during the Revolutionary War. No other book that I've read gave a description of the Skinners, those who had loyalty to neither side & stole from both with no conscience, destroying property at will. This is one of the author's first novels & may (or may not) be based on a true story.



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Quick read: light and enjoyable despite the execution. Lovely way to get to know a version of Mata Hari. ( )