The King of Pirates

The King of Pirates (1719) is a novel written by Daniel Defoe. On the back of the success of his earlier work "Robinson Crusoe," Defoe penned "The King of Pirates" as a swashbuckling tale of adventure on the high seas. The protagonist, Captain Avery is a pirate couched as a likeable rogue who responds to a letter accusing him of misdeeds with a reply seeking to clear his name against all such charges. Daniel Defoe (circa 1661 to 24 April 1731), born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, pamphleteer and spy, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain, and, along with others such as Richardson, is among the founders of the English novel. A prolific and versatile writer, he wrote more than 500 books, pamphlets and journals on various topics (including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural).