The Last of the Mohicans: A narrative of 1757. 1919 edition with color illustrations

The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757 is a historical novel written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826.. It is the second book of the Leatherstocking Tales pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. The Last of the Mohicans is set in 1757 during the French and Indian War when France and Great Britain battled for control of North America. The novel is set primarily in Lake George detailing the transport of the two daughters of Colonel Munro Alice and Cora to a safe destination at Fort William Henry. Among the caravan guarding the women are the frontiersman Natty Bumppo Major Duncan Heyward and the Indians Chingachgook and Uncas the latter two being the novels title characters.. The Last of the Mohicans has been James Fenimore Coopers most popular work. It has influenced popular opinion about American Indians and the frontier period of eastern American history. The phrase the last of the Mohicans has come to represent the sole survivor of a noble race or type.. The novel has been one of the most popular English-language novels since its publication and is frequently assigned reading in American literature courses. It has been adapted numerous times and in many languages for films TV movies and cartoons. . Over time the book grew to be regarded by some as the first Great American Novel.