The Life of Daniel Defoe

"Richetti conscientiously explains the political controversies that possessed Defoe … When he reaches his chapters on Defoe’s novels you get the eloquent condensation of his expertise."  London Review of Books

“Richetti reminds us why so many of Defoe’s works are still worth reading … [The Life of Daniel Defoe] is a welcome addition to the family of biographies trying to render three-dimensional the man behind so many voices.”  Studies In English Literature 1500-1900

“[Richetti] brings us closer than any previous biographer to the personality that ‘must have been lurking somewhere behind the various voices that he projected’ over forty years of writing. This is an urbane, well informed, and interesting account, not only of Defoe but of the entire Defoe enterprise.”  Scriblerian

"Richetti does a remarkable job."  18th-Century Studies

"Richetti's contributions to the study of 18th century fiction have established him among the foremost critics … he has been brilliant in his treatment of Defoe."  1650-1850 Ideas, Aesthetics, and Inquiries in the Early Modern Era