Il ciclo dei romanzi noto come 'I racconti di Calza di Cuoio' - di cui 'L'ultimo dei mohicani' è sicuramente il più letto - inaugura il filone 'epico' della letteratura americana, esercitando un notevole influsso su tutta la produzione letteraria successiva. Le suggestioni della vita e del paesaggio di frontiera, dove Cooper trascorse l'infanzia e l'adolescenza, hanno plasmato la sua immaginazione di scrittore suggerendogli l'archetipo dell'eroe americano: un uomo che istintivamente evade dalle restrizioni della vita civile per cercare un rapporto con la natura, affine, nella sua ricerca di autenticità, agli indiani, siano essi fratelli o nemici.

Set during the French and Indian Wars, The Deerslayer vividly captures the essence of both the murderous humanity and the natural beauty that distinguished America's founding. The last of Cooper's famous Leatherstocking Tales, it is first chronologically in the frontier adventures of the backwoods scout Natty Bumppo. Amid a terrain largely inspired by Cooper's own boyhood, Natty's initiation in the moral codes of wilderness society is examined in what is, according to D. H. Lawrence, “the loveliest and best” of the Leatherstocking series.

This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the definitive text established by James Franklin Beard and James P. Elliott, which is the Approved Text of the Center for Scholarly Editions of the Modern Language Association.

James Fenimore Cooper's romantic adventure brings the wilds of the American frontier and the drama of the French-Indian War vividly to life. The most popular of Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales, The Last of the Mohicans portrays the inevitable conflict of opposed cultures and stands as a testament to the ways in which this struggle has been mythologized. Featuring the well-loved noble woodsman Natty Bumppo, or 'Hawk-eye,' Cooper's novel is a memorable depiction of courage and passion, and a precursor to the Western genre.

A historical adventure reminiscent of Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley romances, Cooper’s novel centers on Harvey Birch, a common man wrongly suspected of being a spy for the British.

The deadly crack of a long rifle and the piercing cries of Indians on the warpath shatter the serenity of beautiful lake Glimmerglass.  Danger has invaded the vast forests of upper New York State as Deerslayer and his loyal Mohican friend Chingachgook attempt the daring rescue of an Indian maiden imprisoned in a Huron camp.  Soon they are caught in the crossfire between a cunning enemy and two white bounty hunters who mercilessly kill for profit.  The last of the Leatherstocking tales to be written, though first in the chronology of the hero's life, The Deerslayer is James Fenimore Cooper's masterpiece.  A fine combination of romance, adventure, and morality; this classic novel of the frontier is an eloquent beginning for Cooper's great wilderness saga--and an unforgettable introduction to the famous character who has said to embody the conscience of America:  the noble woodsman Deerslayer.

Hawkeye, a scout, leads a small band of Americans fleeing from the British and their Indian allies in the French and Indian War