Political and Economic Writings of Daniel Defoe

by Daniel Defoe, John McVeagh (Editor)

This collection gathers together a number of Daniel Defoe's non-fiction writings on political and economic issues. The selection is designed to reflect the numerous facets of Defoe's economic and political thought. Each of the eight volumes includes an introduction.

Hardcover

First published October 4, 2004

About the author

Daniel Defoe was an English novelist, journalist, merchant, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translations. He has been seen as one of the earliest proponents of the English novel, and helped to popularise the form in Britain with others such as Aphra Behn and Samuel Richardson. Defoe wrote many political tracts, was often in trouble with the authorities, and spent a period in prison. Intellectuals and political leaders paid attention to his fresh ideas and sometimes consulted him.
Defoe was a prolific and versatile writer, producing more than three hundred works—books, pamphlets, and journals—on diverse topics, including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural. He was also a pioneer of business journalism and economic journalism.