In these three sea stories, based on his own experience, Conrad invests his portraits of mundane ships and their crews with epic qualities of fortitude and courage in the face of overwhelming natural odds. At the same time, he probes the psychological condition of men together and under pressure with the greatest delicacy, raising the adventure story to the level of high art. The supreme poet of the sailor"s life, Conrad here establishes his reputation as a master storyteller. With an introduction by Martin Seymour-Smith.