Robinson Crusoe: Daniel Defoe

Daniel Defoe`s Robinson Crusoe, regarded by many to be first novel in English, is also the original tale of a castaway struggling to survive on a remote desert island.

The sole survivor of a shipwreck, Robinson Crusoe is washed up on a desert island. In his journal he chronicles his daily battle to stay alive, as he conquers isolation, fashions shelter and clothes, enlists the help of a native islander who he names `Friday`, and fights off cannibals and mutineers. Written in an age of exploration and enterprise, it has been variously interpreted as an embodiment of British imperialist values, as a portrayal of `natural man`, or as a moral fable. But above all is a brilliant narrative, depicting Crusoe`s transformation from terrified survivor to self-sufficient master of an island.

This edition contains a full chronology of Defoe`s life and times, explanatory notes, glossary and a critical introduction discussing Robinson Crusoe as a pioneering work of modern psychological realism.