# Daniel Defoe

## Biography

Daniel Defoe, born Daniel Foe around 1660 in London, was an influential English writer, journalist, merchant, and spy. He came from a dissenting Christian family and witnessed major historical events such as the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London during his youth. Defoe pursued a career as a merchant, dealing in various goods, though he frequently encountered financial difficulties and faced bankruptcy. His life was also marked by significant political involvement, serving as a propagandist and secret agent, which often led to his imprisonment for inflammatory writings. Though a prolific author of pamphlets, essays, and poems like "An Essay Upon Projects" and "The True-Born Englishman," he is most celebrated for his pioneering novels. These include the iconic "Robinson Crusoe" (1719), "Moll Flanders" (1722), and "Roxana" (1724), which cemented his legacy as a key figure in the development of the English novel before his death in 1731.

## Books

- [The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders](https://samolit.com/books/96462)
- [A General History of the Pyrates:: from their first rise and settlement in the island of Providence, to the present time](https://samolit.com/books/96358)
- [A Journal of the Plague Year: Written by a Citizen Who Continued All the While in London](https://samolit.com/books/96225)
- [The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe](https://samolit.com/books/95827)