James Fenimore Cooper was a prolific and popular American writer of the first half of the 19th century. His historical romances of frontier and Indian life in the early American days created a unique form of American literature. Afloat and Ashore is a nautical fiction novel by Cooper. Set in 1796-1804, it follows the maritime adventures of Miles Wallingford Jr., the son of wealthy New York landowners who chooses to go to sea after the death of his parents. The novel is partially autobiographical, based on Cooper's own experiences as a sailor.