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Daniel Defoe (1659/1661-1731) was an English writer, journalist and spy, who gained enduring fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe (1719). Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest practitioners of the novel and helped popularise the genre in Britain. In some texts he is even referred to as one of the founders, if not the founder, of the English novel. A prolific and versatile writer, he wrote over five hundred books, pamphlets, and journals on various topics (including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural). He is also a pioneer of economic journalism. His most famous novel, Robinson Crusoe (1719), tells of a man's shipwreck on a desert island and his subsequent adventures. He also wrote Captain Singleton (1720), which portrays the redemptive power of one man's love for another; and Moll Flanders (1722), a picaresque first-person narration of the fall and eventual redemption of a lone woman in 17th century England. ... Read more

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Part of a radical new series -- edited by Richard Holmes -- that recovers the great classical tradition of English biography. Every book is a biographical masterpiece, still thrilling to read and vividly alive. In this pioneering series, Richard Holmes, the world's leading Romantic biographer, sets out to recover the great forgotten tradition of English biographical writing. 'I have had no time for dusty tomes,' writes Holmes, 'I have looked for brevity, intelligence and style. Above all, I have sought out great biographical writers: Biographers with passion, biographers who have found a way to the heart and soul of a memorable subject. 'Jack Sheppard was an eighteenth-century Houdini -- a handsome young escape artist who broke out of his cell on Newgate's grim Death Row three times. Jonathan Wild was the infamous Thief-Taker General who helped to recapture him and many other criminals, only to be tried and executed himself for racketeering, among scenes of mayhem at Tyburn. Daniel Defoe, the master of adventure fiction, was fascinated by 'True Confessions' and the workings of the criminal personality (including its daring, its stoicism and its humour). He was the first to re-tell ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

defoe's shephard
In his introduction, the editor gives his ratings for the authenticity of these pieces as works of Defoe. In the first (Jack Shephard) piece he rates it as not being by Defoe, the second (Jack Shephard again) as being possibly by Defoe, and the third (Jonathon Wild) as being definitely by Defoe.

Well I see everything the wrong way round! The first Jack Shephard piece is obviously by Defoe, and it is easy to see from reading it why an established and successful author like Defoe should take an interest in the subject. It is a fine work of journalistic art written by someone who is used to writing such. I like the way that the humour accumulates and Jack Shephard's audacious character and wit emerges through it. Hackwork this is definitely NOT.

The second piece about Jack Shephard is obviously by Shephard himself, and Defoe may well have had a hand in giving him the pen and paper for it because it resolves the astounding mystery of his escape from the Castle and effectively completes the first piece. I like the way that Shephard's natural wit becomes a little self-conscious and mannered with pen and paper. But it is a nice read, perhaps due to Defoe's editoring.

Together their coverage of Shephard's life is a perfect and complete work of journalistic art worthy of Defoe, and it is a vivid portrait of the subject and his London. It is a biography-autobiography and so it resmbles The Storm in structure.

But I don't think that Defoe wrote the Jonathon Wild piece. It could have been written by any good lawyer or journalist and there is nothing in it to show why a successful literary artist like Defoe should be doing it. It is good hackwork. It repeats itself over an important point in a way that is clumsy and lacks Defoe's perfection of form, and its attitude to Christian principles is demur and Defoe's never was. The Jonathon Wild piece is certainly worth having and it is historically valuable, but it surely isn't Defoe's and it is not great literature.The main interest in this is that it illustrates how a man with an idea for controlling crime in London (this was before policing existed) should become corrupted by it.

I like the cover design but I wish the typeface was bigger and printed black.

Protect the innocent by punishing the guilty
Of the 5 texts in this volume, only one can be attributed surely to Defoe.
The texts on Sheppard relate the latter's extraordinary prison escapes and his wanderings through London until his execution. Those on Jonathan Wild explain how a criminal, playing very cleverly and deadly both thief and thief-catcher, could build a fortune.

These are minor works by Defoe, and they have absolutely not the same high standard as his masterpieces (Robinson Crusoe, Moll Flanders).
The text(s) on Wild is completely overshadowed by the treatment of the same story by Henry Fielding. Fielding's work is a masterpiece and highly recommended.

The introduction of this volume by Richard Holmes is excellent.

Only for Defoe fans. ... Read more

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Defoe's writings on politics and economic affairs are of great significance. Highly influential in their own day, they have constantly been drawn upon by modern political, social, and economic historians, as well as by literary scholars. These writings, however, are not only very numerous but, in very many cases, have never been reprinted and often exist only in a small handful of surviving copies; to all intents and purposes they have hitherto been unavailable to the majority of scholars. This extensive selection, running to almost 100 works, reflects the many facets of Defoe's economic and political thought, and will for the first time make these writings available in well-edited, scholarly texts. Each volume includes an individual introduction and full explanatory and textual notes. ... Read more

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"Roxana" is a fascinatinating novel named after the protagonist, Roxana. It is about a beautiful and ambitious woman who suffers a calamity from which she must recover. Left with the care of her five children, she fights against fate and raises her economic stature by flirting with well-connected men. Captivating!

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Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1896.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Malignity is the very nature of man
In this documentary novel, Defoe sketches poignantly the irrational behaviour of man under extreme circumstances, when death threatens behind every corner of the street.
People turned to fortune-tellers, astrologers or conjurers who deluded them. They became the victims of `doctors' selling `infallible preventive pills'. They `swarmed to a wicked generation of pretenders to magic and black art'.
People were terrified by the force of their imagination and saw representations and appearances in clouds. Their impudence increased by using devilish blasphemous language.
Others risked their lives by stealing and plundering without any regard to the danger of infection.
Man behaved as a mad dog.

The Government encouraged devotion, public prayers, fasting and humiliation to implore the mercy of God to avert the dreadful judgment. `Many a penitent confession was made of crimes long concealed.'
Innumerable religious sects and divisions fought for the souls of the condemned. It was `altar against altar'. The discourses of the religious ministers were full of terror, prophesying evil tidings.
Unfortunately, religion was not the solution: `the best physic against the plague was to run away from it.' People who believed in predestination (`tis the hand of God, there is no withstanding it') and stayed home, were infected too and died by thousands.
For Swift `there was no apparent extraordinary occasion for supernatural operation, it was really propagated by natural means.'

The near view of death reconciled men of good principles one to another.
But as the terror of infection abated, things all returned again to the course they were in before.
More, after the plague, `people, hardened by the danger they had been in, were more wicked and more stupid, more bold and hardened, in their vices and immoralities.'

In this impressive panorama, worth a Breughel or a Hieronymus Bosch, the only weakness is the lack of some kind of plot.

Not to be missed.

Incredible
Much more interesting than I could have imagined.Written by the author of Robinson Crusoe.If I have my dates correct, Daniel Defoe was about 5 years old when the Great Plague hit London.He wrote this journal when he was 62 years old, and wrote what he recalled of the plague.It obviously left a great impression on him.(He wrote this journal 3 years after he wrote Robinson Crusoe -- again if I have all my dates correct --he wrote Robinson Crusoe at age 59 years age.)Robinson Crusoe and Journal of the Plague Year are both on Harold Bloom's Western Canon reading list. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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Constantly on the run from creditors, Daniel Defoe nonetheless managed to become a consummate pamphleteer and a great novelist. In this fascinating biography, West reveals the man who created the lead story, the obituary, and the gossip and advice columns. of photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

readable biography
The foreward is interesting and helps to put this biography in perspective. Richard West candidly indicates that he was much influenced by Paula R. Backscheider's Daniel Defore: His Life which is now out of print. I got the impression that this biography may be based on that book plus West's enjoyment reading Defoe. A biography can often provide an interesting window into a particulartime and place. It's interesting reading about the Glorious Revolution and the reign of Queen Anne, but disconcerting to have so many quotes from classic history by Macaulay and Trevelyan. It feels like one is getting a narrow and somewhat dated version of the period. One does not get the full texture that only a historian who has read widely and deeply in particular period of history can provide. But we get a lot of Defoe's own words and West himself is a good story teller so if one is looking for an entertaining biography why quibble whether the setting is Macaulay's storybook England rather than the real thing (whatever that may be).

A superb biography of a unique and fascinating man.
In Daniel Defoe: The Life And Strange, Surprising Adventures, biographer Richard West tells the story of Daniel Defoe, a maverick, a Puritan,and a dissenter without a constituency. Defoe was also a bankrupt who rubbedelbows with a king, a hack who never failed to pursue the truth. And thewriter who produced such literary classics as Moll Flanders, Roxana, AJournal of the Plague Year, and Robinson Crusoe. Defoe's life was every bitas dramatic and unexpected as the protagonists of his famous novels. Westhas wonderfully and scrupulously recreated the remarkable personality andthe colorful times that shaped and were shaped by this noted, fascinating,unique and historic literary figure.

Solid and Readable
West provides a very readable, unfussy biography, presenting a vivid and detailed portrait of Defoe's life and times.He falls short with his "analysis" of the novels, which amounts to little more than plotsummary, but his insight into Defoe's character--as a man of high moralprinciple who occasionally succumbed to expediency--is priceless.

A delightful insight to the world of the enigmatic Defoe
With the tools of a storyteller, Richard West takes his readers on a journey to the world of the enigmatic Daniel Defoe and the political machinations of Britain at the dawn of the 18th century.To anyreader,even to one who has a limited understanding of British history, Westpaves a path among the intrigue of the Whigs and Tories, and has his readerfollow the footsteps of Defoe into the Tower of London, the roads of GreatBritain, and the gardens of rulers. With the ability to explain Defoe'smysterious background, West guides the reader toward an understanding ofaman who has remained elusive for centuries.West offers the reader anexplanation for the many masks that Defoe wore as writer, invester, spy andtraveler. With the skill of a story-teller, West opens a world ofhistoric fact even to the most reluctant non-fiction reader. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Castaways; Shipwrecks; Survival after airplane accidents, shipwrecks, etc; Crusoe, Robinson (Fictitious character); Islands; Fiction / Classics; Fiction / Literary; Juvenile Fiction / Action ... Read more

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Get your "A" in gear!

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... Read more

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Contains Part 1 first published in 1724 and the continuation attributed to Defoe (but possibly not written by him) published in 1745, several years after his death in 1731. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1879.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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In this scholarly and imaginative book, John Martin reveals for the first time a life of Daniel Defoe (1661 ?-1731) which, although sometimes hinted at before, has never been discovered. Defoe led a long and mysterious life as a journalist, government agent and secret 'Governor General' of the press and was the writer of a mountain of books, pamphlets and poems. He lived in tumultuous times in which any doubts that Britain was to develop as a parliamentary democracy were settled for ever. Defoe was a religious dissenter but notwithstanding tills he was often at the centre of political and religious debate. Controversially, John Martin argues that Defoe's complex sexuality was the principal reason for the secret and difficult life he led. Although simultaneously married to three 'wives' by whom he had eight children, he was willing to use same-sex relationships to advance himself socially and politically and for money. John Martin argues that Defoe's fictions reveal the events of his life and that in a real sense the pirates, courtesans, and criminals who crowd ills pages - when properly understood - are Defoe in ills many disguises. In real life Defoe was always in debt, frequently arrested and imprisoned, pilloried, twice bankrupted and he ended his life penniless in hiding from a blackmailer. ... Read more

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A collection of seven critical essays on "Robinson Crusoe" arranged in chronological order of their original publication. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Unhurriedly Pragmatic Adventure Story
In the literary world it is perhaps blasphemy to say a bad word against Daniel Defoe's most acclaimed novel. So here goes. The fact that the book was originally titled The Life And Strange Surprising Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe illustrates the major flaw in Defoe's literary form. Put simply, this would be a far more interesting and gripping story were it not so superfluously lengthy. The author makes a habit of repeating himself, especially when it comes to the act of dispatching kittens, which seems to be more of an obsession here than octogenarian ladies are to MatronsApron. It is difficult, you may think, to keep the subject matter fresh when describing the daily tribulations of a fellow stranded on an island for thirty years, without occasionally repeating yourself. True, but perhaps a straightforward solution to this diminutive quandary would be to simply truncate the duration of the story. There are some wonderfully intriguing and suspenseful moments, and some juicy action to boot, but sadly these are gratuitously diluted by lengthy descriptions of the unremarkable everyday goings on in Crusoe's life, and rather than serving to build up the suspense, they merely obstruct the reader's relationship with the more exciting parts of the story.
However, those with more patience than my ignorant self will find in Robinson Crusoe a delightful tale, which as well as being a fictional documentary of the most unusual thirty years of Mr. Crusoe's life, also has time to ponder upon philosophical and theological ideas, in a style that makes the reader feel as if they are involved in the conflicts between the functionalist and cynical thoughts going on in Crusoe's mind. It may not be a gripping white-knuckle adventure, being rather more leisurely and acquiescent, but it is still rather easy to see why Robinson Crusoe is regarded by some as one of the greatest novels of all time. ... Read more