"Daniel Defoe" by William Minto Daniel Defoe was an English writer, merchant, journalist, pamphleteer, social critic, 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. His immense popularity made biographies of his adventurous life highly sought-after. Minto's work allowed readers a chance to get to know their favorite author on a more intimate level.