The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe is the most famous castaway story ever written, authored by Daniel Defoe, first published in1719. After a storm, Robinson suffers a shipwreck and strands on the desert “Island of Despair” with only a few tools and he has to learn how to survive for the next 26 years. The first edition credited the work's protagonist as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a travelogue of true incidents. 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. 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 numerous sequels and adaptations for stage, film, and TV.