Publisher's Synopsis
Defoe (born Daniel Foe, 1660-1731) was an English trader, writer, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is best known for his novel Robinson Crusoe (1719) which is second only to the Bible in its number of translations. Seen as one of the earliest proponents of the English novel, he helped popularise the form with others such as Aphra Benn and Samuel Richardson. Defoe also wrote numerous political tracts and was often in trouble with the authorities, at one time being imprisoned. Intellectuals and political leaders admired his fresh ideas and on occasion consulted with him. A prolific and versatile writer, he produced more than 300 works including books, pamphlets and journals on diverse topics such as politics, crime, religion, marriage and psychology. This historical novel set during the Thirty Years' War and the English Civil Wars and subtitled A Military Journal of the Wars in Germany, and the Wars in England, From the Year 1632 to the Year 1648, was first published in 1720. Reprinted from an edition of 1922, edited by and with an introduction and notes by Elizabeth O'Neill.
