Introducing: Short History Of… The Real Robinson Crusoe

This is a taster episode from our sister show, Short History Of… which is also hosted by John Hopkins.

Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe is one of the most widely published books in history. This story of a man stranded alone on an island is said to be second only to the Bible in its number of translations. But who was Defoe’s inspiration for creating one of the best-known protagonists in literature? And what led to this real-life sailor spending years of his life cut off from human contact?

This is a Short History of the Real Robinson Crusoe.

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True stories of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary survival situations. Stranded in the desert. Lost in the jungle. Marooned in the mountains. Shipwrecked on the high seas. You'll hear from individuals who had everything against them. But even then, they refused to give in…

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Hosted by John Hopkins. Production: Joel Duddell, Ed Baranski, Luke Lonergan, Miri Latham, Jacob Booth, Liam Cameron, Rob Plummer, Cian Ryan-Morgan, Cody Reynolds-Shaw. Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink.

• No. of episodes: 98
• Latest episode: 2025-04-30
• History Sports Wilderness

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