Synopsis In Robinson Crusoe Daniel Defoe has given the world-and particularly the world's children-one of the best loved stories of adventure and romance. Why have so many people loved this story ever since it was first published in 1719? Because of the simple and yet wonderfully real way in which it is told. Robinson Crusoe, the hero of this story, is an Englishman, Throughout the twenty-eight years of his enforced exile, he faces his daily trials and tribulations with resources and fortitude. He finds true happiness in overcoming difficulties that beset him on all sides.