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The Storm

daniel defoe

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On the evening of November 26, 1703, a hurricane from the north Atlantic hammered into it remains the worst storm the nation has ever experienced. Eyewitnesses saw cows thrown into trees and windmills ablaze from the friction of their whirling sails—and some 8,000 people lost their lives. For Defoe, bankrupt and just released from prison for his "seditious" writings, the storm struck during one of his bleakest moments. But it also furnished him with material for his first book, and in this powerful depiction of suffering and survival played out against a backdrop of natural devastation we can trace the outlines of Defoe’s later masterpieces, A Journal of the Plague Year and Robinson Crusoe .

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1704

This edition

Format
272 pages, Paperback
Published
May 31, 2005 by Penguin Classics
ISBN
9780141439921
ASIN
0141439920
Language
English

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About the author

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daniel defoe

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Daniel Defoe was an English novelist, journalist, merchant, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translations. He has been seen as one of the earliest proponents of the English novel, and helped to popularise the form in Britain with others such as Aphra Behn and Samuel Richardson. Defoe wrote many political tracts, was often in trouble with the authorities, and spent a period in prison. Intellectuals and political leaders paid attention to his fresh ideas and sometimes consulted him.
Defoe was a prolific and versatile writer, producing more than three hundred works—books, pamphlets, and journals—on diverse topics, including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural. He was also a pioneer of business journalism and economic journalism.

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Community Reviews

Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 23 votes)
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23 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
jujubeeza
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Like Defoe's Journal of the Plague Year, a wonderful piece of 18th century journalism. Letters from "witnesses" form part of the account, as does early weather data. How far these were accurate, and how "doctored" they were by Defoe will always be unclear.
Defoe was in trouble with the authorities (again) and had become bankrupt so wrote this for money. Ironically, given the damage done to buildings in the storm, part of his defunct business interests had been a tile making factory.
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mahoyaji
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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This might be interesting for someone studying storms and storm damage. Otherwise not so much.
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Jerky
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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The Storm is centered on a hurricane that hit England, including London, on November 26–27, 1703. The strongest winds were approximately eighty mph sustained between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., and covered an area 300 miles wide. Defoe experienced the storm first-hand, and tells his account of the impact and the damage that he witnessed that morning. Defoe also published ads inviting residents across England to write-in their accounts, and that those accounts would be compiled in a book so that the storm would be remembered for posterity. Defoe mixed fact and fiction in his later writings, and may have done so to some extent in the Storm. As 19th-century critic William Minto notes, “it is possible that the letters are genuine, and that he compiled other details from published accounts.” (Daniel Defoe, Chapter III, by William Minto).

The letters from the public show great variety in the details of individual experiences with the storm. There were many tragic and sad deaths, and many miraculous escapes from death. The stories have a common theme of the severity of the storm. Many homes were demolished, roof tiles and other objects becoming deadly projectiles flying through towns. The strongest winds sweeping through at 1:00 a.m., most people had been in bed and so caught off guard (there were no weather forecasts to speak of in 1703). Defoe speaks of noticing the barometer being so low, he was sure one of the children had been playing with it, as it could not possibly go that low on its own. Many other households likely had the same experience. Even if they interpreted the barometric pressure accurately, there was little they could do in response that evening.

Defoe’s writing style is clear and very engaging in this book, though his writing is less than half of The Storm. Most of it comprises the write-in letters from the public in answer to Defoe’s invitation. The letters bring a local flavor that complements Defoe’s own account, and makes the reader feel closer to the experience on the ground.

The Penguin edition comes with an excellent introduction by Richard Hamblyn. It establishes the context of the times, and Defoe in relation to his audience and the establishment. For example, Defoe had spent time in prison recently for published attacks on high-level officials in Queen Anne’s government. He was released about a week before the storm hit (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_...). Defoe was already a well-known “pundit” as we might call him today; before he had published any of his famous novels (The Storm was his first book).

The Penguin edition also includes a very helpful chronology and maps to give more context. The book represents a compelling slice of history, which sheds light on the culture of its time and place. I recommend The Storm to anyone interested in British history, world history, literature, or simply a good book to read.
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todorokist
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Wow. Amazing collection of his own observations of the terrible destruction of the storm, which sounds like a tornado/huricane combination from hell, PLUS he asked people of good repute, through newspaper ads, to send him their accounts of storms in their particular towns and villages. With those ads he also heard from ordinary people who weren't pastors or landed gentry or whatever. I suspect 21st C humans will have such storms...maybe regularly.
Defoe had a roof tile business, but he was also often in financial distress and a target for his political writings. He lost his roof tile business which was the VERY THING that would have made him a millionaire after the storm...hundreds of thousands of roof tiles were blown off and smashed in the few days of the storm as it swept across part of England. Very very interesting guy, and gosh in a way he seems so modern!
~ Linda Campbell Franklin
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AngelPandaBomb
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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[25 Feb 2019] An interesting and informative read, but now obviously best used as a resource as the language is, of course, dated.
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King2121
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Account of a hurricane in late November of 1703 (early December according to the Gregorian calendar- apparently England still went off the Julian calendar sometimes at that point). Could have been half the length if it weren’t for inclusion of several firsthand accounts that could have been merely quoted or otherwise referred to.
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mistressmadi
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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This is not the interesting and engaging narrative seen in the Diary of a Plague Year. This has a very similar style but the content is dry and repetitive. However, this could be because this is a collection of scientific research and journalism, whereas the Diary of a Plague Year was a combination of history, research and fiction. The interesting information is how the letters are written and what damage was done. However, I think more of an inclusion of how people or communities felt about the storm and the damage would have allowed for a more engaging narrative instead of the 'list' type contents of the letters. The most interesting accounts are the letters from Miles Norcliffe and the following account of R.P and Defoe's comments on it.
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