The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad

First published in 1906, The Mirror of the Sea was the first of Joseph Conrads two autobiographical memoirs. Discussing it, he called the book a very intimate revelation. . . . I have attempted here to lay bare with the unreserve of a last hours confession the terms of my relation with the sea, which beginning mysteriously, like any great passion the inscrutable Gods send to mortals, went on unreasoning and invincible, surviving the test of disillusion, defying the disenchantment that lurks in every day of a strenuous life; went on full of loves delight and loves anguish, facing them in open-eyed exultation without bitterness and without repining, from the first hour to the last. Although Joseph Conrad achieved acclaim as one of the masters of English-language fiction, his own life story is as fascinating and engaging as Heart of Darkness or Lord Jim. The volume The Mirror of the Sea is a collection of several autobiographical sketches, remembrances and essays that Conrad originally published in a number of European magazines. If the days of tall ships and sailing fascinate and excite you, or if you simply love beautiful masterpieces of words, read Mirror of the Sea. If you like both, youll enjoy it even more.