Daniel Defoe (1660-1731),
prolific English novelist, pamphleteer, and journalist, is considered the founder of the English novel and of British journalism. His commanding use of convincing detail rendered his writing vivid and credible and he produced more than 500 books, pamphlets and tracts in addition to close to 2,000 short essays in periodical publications

He is hailed by admiring critics as not merely a gifted novelist and journalist, but as a purveyor of liberal principles and a man of lofty integrity, honesty and virtue.

ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE (1719),
a world classic. It is the tale of an ordinary man struggling to survive in extraordinary circumstances, a realistic account of the successful struggle of one man against the pitiless forces of nature and wrestling with the question of the nature of God. It is arguably the most brilliant English classic of modern times.

A JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR (1722)
Chilling dramatized account of the Great Plague of London describing the horrifying daily events as the city was besieged by the deadly scythe called the Black Death: bubonic plague. This is a work both of classical literature and a psychological treatise that addresses how we cope with disaster.

POLITICAL SATIRE, FANTASY AND THE SUPERNATURAL

THE CONSOLIDATOR (1705) uses a voyage to the moon as a literary device for satirizing contemporary life.

A SYSTEM OF MAGICK (1727)
explains, clarifies and exposes the characteristics of superstition surrounding magic and contrasts “magicians” with the sages of the Bible.

THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE DEVIL (1726)
Coming to terms with the problem of evil, Defoe ridicules popular notions about Satan while taking for granted the reality of such a being, producing a fascinating theological history.

AN ESSAY ON THE HISTORY AND REALITY OF APPARITIONS (1727),
Defoe is quite serious about the reality of the spiritual world. In this absorbing work he dismisses credulous belief in ghosts, while defending the possibility of angelic communication by means of dreams.

Defoe's place among classic English writers is undisputed:

The extent and range of his work is without equal in English Literature, and there have been few writers that have made such an enduring impact in so many literary genres.