A New Voyage Round the World

Defoe's 1725 fictional travelogue follows an unnamed sea captain on an eastward merchant voyage, testing a theory that the Andes can be crossed on foot while the ship sails around Cape Horn to meet the land party on the other side. It's a curiosity — an exploration of real geographic speculation of the era, wrapped in period adventure — and Defoe completists and maritime history readers will find it worth the time. Be honest, though: critics have long considered this a minor Defoe work, lighter on dramatic incident and thinner on character than Robinson Crusoe. No significant content concerns for older teen and adult readers. A worthy addition to the canon shelf, even if it won't be the most exciting book on it.