"The Mirror of the Sea

This is the first paperback edition of two autobiographical works by Joseph Conrad. "The Mirror of the Sea" (1906) is an account of Conrad's sea-going experiences over 20 years, evoked by particular ships and their captains, winds, storms, oceans, continents and islands, cities, nautical terms and heroism. "A Personal Record" (1912) is a volume of short reminiscences about his national background in Poland and the beginnings of his two careers - as a writer and sailor. It retraces the writing of "Almayer's Folly" (1895), his first novel, and the fulfilment of his childhood ambition to go to sea. This volume includes Conrad's prefaces and notes of 1919 to the two pieces. Zdzislaw Najder was active as a literary critic and editor in Poland until he became a political emigre in 1981. He was Director of the Polish Service of Radio Free Europe 1982-7. He has taught at several universities in the United States, including Columbia, Stanford, Yale and Ann Arbor.