Defoe in Scotland : a spy among us

Product Description


It is not widely known that the English writer Daniel Defoe (1660-1731), celebrated author of Robinson Crusoe, a fictional story based on the real adventures of the Scotsman Alexander Selkirk, had a secret life of his own.
At a time of great political intrigue in Scotland, Defoe was employed as a spy by the English government. His mission was to report on the politics of the time, both Unionist and Jacobite; and he provided information on Scottish economics, trade, religion, and the history and geography of the country - even on the people themselves.
Defoe spent much of his life in active conspiracy and DEFOE IN SCOTLAND: A SPY AMONG US presents a selection of his writings, which demonstrate the complex web of intrigue under which he operated while in Scotland, before and just after the Act of Union (1707).
Defoe sought to sway public opinion through his prolific journalism and pamphleteering, and his influence was considerable. Not only did his thoughts affect the perception of Scotland, at home and overseas, he even contributed articles to Jacobite journals of the day in an attempt to sabotage the movement. So convincing were some of his ironic pieces that Defoe found himself charged with promoting Jacobitism!
This book is a fascinating and eminently readable snapshot of Scotland at a pivotal moment in its history, and will appeal to a large readership.


About the Author


Dr Anne McKim is a university lecturer and this book will fill a serious gap. While P.H. Scott has written an essay on Defoe in Edinburgh, it is aimed largely at an academic readership. This is even more the case with the multi-volume series of scholarly editions of all Defoe's non-fiction works projected to appear between 2001-2010 (Pickering & Chatto). These are also expensive volumes. Finally, in the recently published and more accessible paperback, Scotland in the Eighteenth Century by David Allan, a serious omission is that of Defoe, of whom there is no mention.