An excellent biography, the first since 1958, of a man whose life was an adventure rivaling Robinson Crusoe's. Backscheider (English, U. of Rochester) reveals new information about Defoe's secret career as a double agent, his daring business ventures, and his cat-and-mouse games with those who wanted to control the press and his dangerous pen. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
"For the first time everything we know about Defoe is presented in a single orderly sequence..A searching study of a complex man, one that is coherent and credible for our times." -- New York Times Book Review