British author Daniel Defoe is known as one of the early innovators of the book-length novel, especially in his works Moll Flanders and Robinson Crusoe. In The Storm, Defoe creates another literary landmark -- the first modern example of long-form journalism. In the book, Defoe, drawing on firsthand accounts, records the impact and aftermath of The Great Storm of 1703, a series of thunderstorms and floods that barraged southern England.