Daniel Defoe

Originally published anonymously in the form of a pamphlet, the intriguing ghost story entitled: A True Relation of the Apparition of One Mrs. Veal the Next Day after her Death to One Mrs. Bargrave at Canterbury the 8th of September, 1705 has long been the cause of academic speculation and dispute. The theme of the story is an uncanny interaction between the spiritual world and the physical world, as well as the nature of death itself. The story describes a posthumous visit by Mrs. Veal to her friend Mrs. Bargrave, during which strange insights and confidences are exchanged.

The author has remained unknown in spite of numerous attempts by historians to discover his identity. Many scholars have suggested that the author could have been either Daniel Defoe or publisher Nathaniel Mist (or somebody working for him). Other researchers have suggested Ronald Quattroche as the true author of the General History. Colin Woodard states in his book The Republic of Pirates: Recently, Arne Bialuschewski of the University of Kiel in Germany has identified a far more likely candidate: Nathaniel Mist, a former sailor, journalist, and publisher of the Weekly Journal. The book's first publisher of record, Charles Rivington, had printed many books for Mist, who lived just a few yards from his office. More importantly, the General History was registered at Her Majesty's Stationery Office in Mist's name. As a former seaman who had sailed the West Indies, Mist, of all London's writer-publishers, was uniquely qualified to have penned the book...Mist was also a committed Jacobite...which could explain the General History's not entirely unsympathetic account of the maritime outlaws.

Defoe's classic reconstruction of the Great Plague of 1665 is the most compelling account of natural disaster in all literature. Narrated by an imaginary 'Citizen who continued all the while in London', A Journal of the Plague Year scans the streets and alleyways of the stricken capital in its effort to record the appalling suffering of plague victims. At once horrifying and movingly compassionate, it is a nightmare vision of the modern city laid to waste.

Like several of the main characters in Defoe's stories (Captain Singleton, Moll Flanders), Colonel Jacque never really knew his real parents; and he is always looking out for the main chance. His chief interest is commerce, and he becomes an Anglo-Saxon trader. It is the story of his successful trading which probably accounts for the continued popularity of this story throughout history. The following fairly well sums up the story of Colonel Jacque, (and was included on the title-page of earlier printings of this story which was first published in 1722)... "The History and Remarkable Life of the truly Honourable Colonel Jacque, vulgarly called Col. Jack, who was born a Gentleman; put 'Prentice to a Pickpocket; was six and twenty years a Thief, and then kidnapped to Virginia; came back a Merchant; was five times married to four Whores; went into the Wars, behaved bravely, got Preferment, was made Colonel of a Regiment; came over, and fled with the Chevalier, is still abroad Completing a Life of Wonders, and resolves to die a General."

En 1665, pour la quatrième fois dans le siècle, la peste ravage Londres où elle fait en un an 70 000 morts. En 1720 elle est de nouveau à Marseille. Journaliste toujours à l'affût d'une grande affaire, Defoe voit là l'occasion d'un livre qui rappelle un drame très proche et mêlera les conseils prophylactiques aux réflexions morales sur les décrets de la Providence. S'aidant peut-être de ses souvenirs mais réunissant surtout avec une rigueur toute scientifique témoignages et documents, Defoe a laissé de la peste une description digne des grands cliniciens du XIXᵉ siècle. Description médicale et aussi description sociologique : comme il y a une société du crime, il y a une société de la peste qui a pesé très lourd dans l'histoire des mentalités.

Jurnal din anul ciumei (1722) este un cunoscut roman de Daniel Defoe scris sub forma unei relatări la persoana întâi despre Marea Ciumă care a a lovit Londra în anul 1665. Adesea romanul, bazat pe o documentare amănunţită-se pare că unchiul scriitorului a ţinut un jurnal detaliat al acelei perioade, jurnal cu care Defoe trebuie să fi fost familiarizat- este comparat adesea cu jurnalul lui Samuel Peypes, care surprinde la rândul lui atmosfera acelor vremuri de panică şi dezastru, de data asta ca martor direct

«Noi sappiamo: non soccomberà sotto l'aggressione delle magnifiche, impersonali ondate; non perirà nell'isola, preda di belve e selvaggi; conosciamo il mistero dell'orma nella sabbia; eppure sempre la storia smuove in noi intatte emozioni. Dunque sono, questi, terrori, tremori, speranze, ringraziamenti più fondi di quel che può suggerire l'identificazione passionale col personaggio; la solitudine di Robinson mima una storia più grave ed oscura che, a nostra protezione, resta in noi per solito inarticolata. Il Robinson è un mito: e ci domina non dilettandoci con una mera narrazione di eventi, ma guidandoci a taluni nodi di privilegiato sgomento e rivelazione».

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781853260735. The Fortunes & Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders (aka Moll Flanders) is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published in 1722. It purports to be the true account of the life of the eponymous Moll, detailing her exploits from birth until old age. By 1721, Defoe had become a recognised novelist, with the success of Robinson Crusoe in 1719. His political work was tapering off at this point, due to the fall of both Whig and Tory party leaders with whom he had been associated (Robert Walpole was beginning his rise). Defoe was never fully at home with the Walpole group. Defoe's Whig views are nevertheless evident in the story of Moll. The novel's full title gives some insight into this and the outline of the plot: "The Fortunes & Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, &c. Who was Born in Newgate, & during a Life of continu'd Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a Whore, five times a Wife (whereof once to her own Brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv'd Honest, & died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums."

Daniel Defoe relates the tale of an English sailor marooned on a desert island for nearly three decades. An ordinary man struggling to survive in extraordinary circumstances, Robinson Crusoe wrestles with fate and the nature of God. This edition features maps.

Two volumes in one. Contains illustrative etchings.

Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a travelogue of true incidents. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is presented as an autobiography of the title character (whose birth name is Robinson Kreutznaer), a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical desert island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and mutineers, before ultimately being rescued. The story has been thought to be based on the life of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish castaway who lived for four years on a Pacific island called "Más a Tierra", now part of Chile, which was renamed Robinson Crusoe Island in 1966. Despite its simple narrative style, Robinson Crusoe was well received in the literary world and is often credited as marking the beginning of realistic fiction as a literary genre. It is generally seen as a contender for the first English novel. Before the end of 1719, the book had already run through four editions, and it has gone on to become one of the most widely published books in history, spawning so many imitations, not only in literature but also in film, television and radio, that its name is used to define a genre, the Robinsonade.

Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a travelogue of true incidents. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is presented as an autobiography of the title character (whose birth name is Robinson Kreutznaer), a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical desert island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and mutineers, before ultimately being rescued. The story has been thought to be based on the life of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish castaway who lived for four years on a Pacific island called "Más a Tierra", now part of Chile, which was renamed Robinson Crusoe Island in 1966. Despite its simple narrative style, Robinson Crusoe was well received in the literary world and is often credited as marking the beginning of realistic fiction as a literary genre. It is generally seen as a contender for the first English novel. Before the end of 1719, the book had already run through four editions, and it has gone on to become one of the most widely published books in history, spawning so many imitations, not only in literature but also in film, television and radio, that its name is used to define a genre, the Robinsonade.

Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a travelogue of true incidents. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is presented as an autobiography of the title character (whose birth name is Robinson Kreutznaer), a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical desert island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and mutineers, before ultimately being rescued. The story has been thought to be based on the life of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish castaway who lived for four years on a Pacific island called "Más a Tierra", now part of Chile, which was renamed Robinson Crusoe Island in 1966. Despite its simple narrative style, Robinson Crusoe was well received in the literary world and is often credited as marking the beginning of realistic fiction as a literary genre. It is generally seen as a contender for the first English novel. Before the end of 1719, the book had already run through four editions, and it has gone on to become one of the most widely published books in history, spawning so many imitations, not only in literature but also in film, television and radio, that its name is used to define a genre, the Robinsonade.

Roxana (1724), Defoe's last and darkest novel, is the autobiography of a woman who has traded her virtue, at first for survival, and then for fame and fortune. Its narrator tells the story of her own `wicked' life as the mistress of rich and powerful men. A resourceful adventuress, she is also an unforgiving analyst of her own susceptibilities, who tells us of the price she pays for her successes. Endowed with many seductive skills, she is herself by money, by dreams of rank, and by the illusion that she can escape her own past. Unlike Defoe's other penitent anti-heroes, however, she fails to triumph over these weaknesses. The novel's drama lies not only in the heroine's `vast variety of fortunes', but in her attempts to understand the sometimes bitter lessons of her life as a `Fortunate Mistress'. Defoe's achievement was to invent, in `Roxana', a gripping story-teller as well as a gripping story. This edition uses the rare first edition text, with a new introduction, detailed notes, textual history, and a map.

Without inquiring, therefore, into the advantages of solitude, and how it is to be managed, I desire to tude real] is; for I must confess I have different notions agout it, far from those which are nerally understood in the world, and far from edge those notions upon those peo Is in the primitive times, and since that also, notes; who as ted themselves into deserts and unfrequented p aces, or confined themselves to 12113, monasteries, and the like, retired, as they call it, from the world. All which, I think, have noth ing of the thing I call solitude in them, nor do they answer any of the true ends of solitude, much less those ends which are retended to be sought after by those who have ked most of those retreats from the world.As for confinement in an island, if the scene was placed there for this ve end, it were not at all amiss. I must acknowl there was confinement from the cuj oyments of the world, and restraint fiom human society. But all that was no solitude indeed no part of rt was so, except that which, as in my story, implied to the contemplation of sublime things, and t was but a very little, as my readers well know, compared to what a length of years my forced retreat lasted.

Roxana (1724), Defoe's last and darkest novel, is the autobiography of a woman who has traded her virtue, at first for survival, and then for fame and fortune. Its narrator tells the story of her own 'wicked' life as the mistress of rich and powerful men. A resourceful adventuress, she is also an unforgiving analyst of her own susceptibilities, who tells us of the price she pays for her successes. Endowed with many seductive skills, she is herself seduced: by money, by dreams of rank, and by the illusion that she can escape her own past. Unlike Defoe's other penitent anti-heroes, however, she fails to triumph over these weaknesses. The novel's drama lies not only in the heroine's 'vast variety of fortunes', but in her attempts to understand the sometimes bitter lessons of her life as a 'Fortunate Mistress'. Defoe's achievement was to invent, in Roxana, a gripping story-teller as well as a gripping story.

The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (now more commonly rendered as The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe) is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published in 1719. Like its significantly more popular predecessor, The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1719), the first edition credits the work's fictional protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author. It was published under the considerably longer original title: The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe; Being the Second and Last Part of His Life, And of the Strange Surprising Accounts of his Travels Round three Parts of the Globe. Although intended to be the last Crusoe tale, the novel is followed by a non-fiction book involving Crusoe by Defoe entitled Serious Reflections During the Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe: With his Vision of the Angelick World (1720). The story is speculated to be partially based on Moscow embassy secretary Adam Brand's journal detailing the embassy's journey from Moscow to Peking from 1693 to 1695. The book starts with the statement about Crusoe's marriage in England. He bought a little farm in Bedford and had three children: two sons and one daughter. Our hero suffered a distemper and a desire to see "his island." He could talk of nothing else, and one can imagine that no one took his stories seriously, except his wife. She told him, in tears, "I will go with you, but I won't leave you." But in the middle of this felicity, Providence unhinged him at once, with the loss of his wife.

First published in 1726, this full-length study of the devil's role in society combines Biblical history with common sense as Defoe considers the conflict between forces of destructive evil and the benevolent Deity which controls the world.

Daniel Defoe (1659-1661 to 1731) was an English writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. The Life, Adventures, and Piracies of Captain Singleton is one of his earliest novels. The narrative describes the life of an Englishman, stolen from a well-to-do family as a child and raised by Gypsies, who eventually makes his way to sea.

Irreverent and ironic, this 1726 satire by the author of Robinson Crusoe examines the evolution of evil and the rise of the historical force known as "the devil." Daniel Defoe's passionate and perceptive survey starts with Satan's origins, chronicling the devil's presence in the Bible and his growing sway over humanity. An overview of satanic influences on eighteenth-century life follows, focusing on monarchs and tyrants as well as common folk. Defoe supports his arguments not only with extensive quotes from scripture but also with citations from other sources, including Milton's Paradise Lost.Written at the dawn of the Enlightenment, this treatise recaptures a moment in time when widespread certainty of the devil's existence was dwindling. Defoe, a firm believer, posits that the devil reacted to the changing times by shifting his influence from the supernatural realm of witches and wizards to the ordinary world of "beaus, beauties, wits, and fools." This intriguing view of politics and society during the 1700s offers a vivid contemporary portrait of a culture torn between theology and reason.

"The Storm" (1704) is a founding document of modern journalism. It tells of the events of November 1703, when a hurricane struck Britain. It is composed of verbatim eyewitness accounts, solicited from survivors through a newspaper advertisement that Defoe placed shortly after the hurricane struck.This account remains a required reading for journalism students to this day.-