Daniel Defoe

Born circa 1660, Daniel Foe was the son of a London butcher. Later he changed his name to Daniel Defoe, wanting to sound more gentlemanly. Defoe was a prolific and versatile writer who wrote over 300 novels, pamphlets, and journals on a wide range of topics, including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology, and the supernatural. Perhaps he is best known today as the author of Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719 at the age of 59. Robinson Crusoe is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translations. The book is the first of a remarkable series of novels and other fictional writings that resulted in Defoe’s being called the father of the English novel.