5. "The Spy: A Tale Of The Neutral Ground" (1821) - James Fenimore Cooper
This book, written all the way back in 1821, is James Fenimore Cooper's classic second novel and it won nationwide acclaim in the US for its story of a love tale during the American Revolution that features espionage, suspicion and intrigue. Based on factual accounts of the exploits of suspected British secret agent Harvey Birch, "The Spy: A Tale of the Neutral Ground" depicts the differing loyalties of Birch, British Army Officer Captain Henry Wharton and American loyalist Mr Harper. With each of the three falling in love with a different one of Mr Wharton's three daughters, and with George Washington moving through the novel like some sort of god, it displays the piety that existed during the early-19th Century. Brilliant in linking romance with espionage, this book deals with the difficulties many people faced during the American War of Independence - as well as being a brilliant novel in its own right, of course.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
