

Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, was thought by its first readers to be a true story. It was in fact inspired by the adventures of a real-life castaway. Defoe tells the story of the sole survivor of a shipwreck, his ingenuity, and his encounter with the man he calls Friday. The story of a man living completely alone for years holds a renewed fascination for modern-day readers in an increasingly interconnected world. The Core Classics® series presents stories loved for generations in abridged versions for young readers, illustrated and annotated, and faithful to the style, plot, and themes of the originals. This volume includes a brief biography of the author and an introduction by E. D. Hirsch, Jr. In the upper elementary grades, Core Classics are suitable for strong readers or reading aloud; in middle school and up, the texts are appropriate for independent reading.
Daniel Defoe (c. 1660 - 1731) was an English writer, journalist, and spy, who gained enduring fame for his novel, Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest practitioners of the novel and helped popularize the genre in Britain. In some texts he is even referred to as one of the founders, if not the founder, of the English novel. A prolific and versatile writer, he wrote more than five hundred books, pamphlets, and journals on various topics (including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural). He was also a pioneer of economic journalism.
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