"Joseph Conrad was born in the Ukraine in 1857. After finishing school he became a sailor, an experience that he would later draw upon in novels such as Hear of Darkness." "Gavin Griffiths traces the history of this intriguing man from his early childhood in Poland, through his exotic, arduous years at sea, to the final genteel respectability of marriage and life in England. This biography explores Conrad's extraordinary linguistic facility, distinct literary style and uncompromising attitude. It presents a compelling portrait of a writer whose cultural relevance, almost a century after his death, is undiminished."--BOOK JACKET.