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
Paul Fenimore Cooper adventures he encounters on a quest to the land of Troom; "Island of the Lost" (1961), a non-fiction account of the Arctic expedition of Sir John Franklin, told within a "biography" of King William Island and the resident Eskimo; and "Dindle" (1964), a children's book about a dwarf who saves a kingdom from a dragon. "Tal" has had enduring popularity; it was reprinted in new editions in 1957 and 2001. Other sources: Paul Fenimore Cooper Paul Fenimore Cooper (September 15, 1899 – January 20, 1970) was an American writer of children's books and non-fiction, some based on his travels. His