The adventures of Robinson Crusoe begin when he leaves his parents' house in York to search for adventure at sea. This leads to a thrilling tale of pirates, slavery, daring escapes and strange people. But it is when he is shipwrecked on an island after a terrible storm that he faces his greatest test. It is not enough to survive, he must thrive, and use all his knowledge and skills to accomplish this. From its first publication in 1719, the adventures of Robinson Crusoe have continued to enthral and inspire readers of all ages. It has been the subject of plays, operas, cartoons and computer games. The character of Crusoe has been embedded in every succeeding generation as readers add their own interpretations to the adventures so thrillingly conjured by Defoe.

Author Biography

Daniel Defoe (1660-1731), born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist and spy. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe which is second only to the Bible in its number of translations. Defoe was a prolific and versatile writer, producing more than three hundred works on diverse topics, including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology, and the supernatural. Robert Ingpen was born in 1936 in Geelong, Australia. In 1986 he was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for his contribution to children's literature and he has been honoured with Membership of the Order of Australia.