William Cooper's Town: Power and Persuasion on the Frontier of the Early American Republic by Alan Taylor, Peter Dimock (Editor)

From the Publisher

An innovative work of biography, social history, and literary analysis, this Pulitzer Prize-winning book presents the story of two men, William Cooper and his son, the novelist James Fennimore Cooper, who embodied the contradictions that divided America in the early years of the Republic. Taylor shows how Americans resolved their revolution through the creation of new social forms and new stories that evolved with the expansion of our frontier. of photos.

Publishers Weekly

Taylor's account of politician William Cooper and his son, the novelist James Fenimore Cooper, was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. (Sept.)

Library Journal

Wheelright William Cooper became a land speculator in frontier New York following the American Revolution. Taking advantage of postwar opportunities, he bought the Otsego Patent and founded Cooperstown, New York. Using his social and political connections, he became a judge and then a U.S. congressman. One of his sons, the famous novelist James Fenimore Cooper, wrote The Pioneers, a fictionalized account of early Cooperstown. Taylor (history, Univ. of California) traces Cooper's life and the development of Cooperstown in exhaustive detail, drawing parallels with The Pioneers. He provides a thoroughly researched account of the early village. However, his constant attempt to cram every relevant fact into his text leads to lengthy sentences that dampen reader interest. Only the most persevering reader will make it through this one. For large academic libraries specializing in postrevolutionary American history.-Grant A. Fredericksen, Illinois Prairie Dist. P.L., Metamora

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