Robinson Crusoe
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You would never guess that this novel was published nearly 300 years ago — the exploits of its hero remain fresh and exciting, and even those who have never read the book recognize the name Robinson Crusoe as a synonym for a desert-island castaway. This Evergreen edition offers young readers a chance to get swept away by one of literature's most memorable stories, a saga teeming with pirates and cannibals, tropical wildlife, and adventures in self-reliance.
Crusoe himself narrates the tale of how he defied his parents' wishes, leaving his comfortable home in England and setting off to sea to make his fortune. After some initial struggles, he does indeed become a sailor and a prosperous merchant, but his good luck abandons him during a violent storm in the Caribbean. As the shipwreck's sole survivor, Crusoe salvages what he can and builds a habitat, cultivates a garden, and ekes out a solitary existence — until a footprint in the sand reveals that he's not alone.
Daniel Defoe
English author Daniel Defoe was at times a trader, political activist, criminal, spy and writer, and is considered to be one of England’s first journalists. A prolific writer, Defoe is known to have used at least 198 pen names over the course of a career in which he produced more than five hundred written works. Defoe is best-known for his novels detailing the adventures of the castaway Robinson Crusoe, which helped establish and popularize the novel in eighteenth century England. In addition to Robinson Crusoe, Defoe penned other famous works including Captain Singleton, A Journal of the Plague Year, Captain Jack, Moll Flanders and Roxana. Defoe died in 1731.
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