Daniel Defoe's famous novel tells the story of a sailor who is shipwrecked on a desert island and spends 28 years there. It is a tale of survival, resourcefulness, and the strength of the human spirit. Robinson builds his home, domesticates animals, grows grain, and learns to survive in solitude until he meets a native whom he names Friday. First published in 1719, the book became a classic of world literature and spawned the entire literary genre known as "Robinsonades".