The Leatherstocking Series

The Leatherstocking Tales is a series of five novels written by James Fenimore Cooper. Each features the main hero of Natty Bumppo, which is known by European settlers as Leatherstocking, The Pathfinder, and the trapper. He is also known by Native Americans as "Deerslayer," "La Longue Carabine" and "Hawkeye".

It seems that I have read these novels out of sequence for I have read The Last of the Mohicans, The Pathfinder, The Inland Sea, and am just now reading “The Deerslayer, The First War Path”. The first three of Fenimore’s novels depict the French and Indian Wars era. The correct historic sequence of these novels is:

Story Dates	Title
1740-1755	The Deerslayer, The First War Path
1757	The Last of the Mohicans, A Narrative of 1757
1750s	The Pathfinder, The Inland Sea
1793	The Pioneers, The Sources of the Susquehanna; A Descriptive Tale
1804	The Prairie, A Tale

All three novels that I have read include very spirited stories with encounters with antagonist Indians and, in some cases, an interesting view of the North American frontier. Natty Bumppo, the protagonist, having grown up with a tribe of Delaware Indians is companied by his Mohican "brother" Chingachgook or Big Serpent. These two protagonists either fight or outwit their enemies in these novels.

I just finished the “The Pathfinder, The Inland Sea” not too long ago and the story still pretty fresh in my mind, however I read the “The Last of the Mohicans” sometime ago. I am thinking on picking up The Last of the Mohicans again after I have finished reading “The Deerslayer”. After rereading the “Last of the Mohicans” I will pick-up the sequence again with “The Pioneers and The Prairie”.