Cooper's most enduringly popular novel combines heroism and romance with powerful criticism of
the destruction of nature and tradition. Set against the French and Indian siege of Fort
William Henry in 1757 The Last of the Mohicans recounts the story of two sisters Cora and
Alice Munro daughters of the English commander who are struggling to be reunited with their
father. They are aided in their perilous journey by Hawk-eye a frontier scout and his
companions Chingachgook and Uncas the only two survivors of the Mohican tribe. But their lives
are endangered by the Mangua the savage Indian traitor who captures the sisters wanting Cora
to be his squaw. In setting Indian against Indian and the brutal society of the white man
against the civilization of the Mohican Cooper more than any author before or since shaped
the American sense of itself as a nation. For more than seventy years Penguin has been the
leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1 700
titles Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and
across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced
by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors as well as
up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
