James Fenimore Cooper was inspired by a tale related to him by neighbor and family friend John Jay. It was more successful and became a bestseller; the setting of this Revolutionary War tale is widely believed to have been John Jay's family home "The Locusts" in Rye, New York. In 1823, Cooper published "The Pioneers", the first of the "Leatherstocking" series. The series features Natty Bumppo, a resourceful American woodsman at home with the Delaware Indians and their chief Chingachgook. Bumppo was also the main character of Cooper's most famous novel "The Last of the Mohicans" (1826), written in New York City where
The Headsman: The Abbaye des Vignerons The Headsman: The Abbaye des Vignerons The Headsman: The Abbaye des Vignerons is an 1833 novel by James Fenimore Cooper set in Switzerland. The novel was inspired by one of Cooper's trips during his European travels in 1832. The novel is one of three of Cooper's "European" novels, following "The Bravo" and "The Heidenmauer", all of which use the European setting to deal with socio-political contrast with American institutions. The novel explores a number of themes related to how society structures itself, including justice, authority, friendship, parental relationships, love and marriage. The novel is typically described for its socio-political commentary,