Joseph Conrad was born in the Ukraine in 1857 and grew up under Tsarist autocracy. In 1874 he travelled to Marseilles, where he served in French merchant vessels before joining a British ship in 1878 as an apprentice. In 1886 he obtained British nationality, before leaving the sea eight years later to devote himself to writing. He published his first novel, Almayer's Folly, in 1895, and produced within fifteen years such astounding works as Youth, Lord Jim, Typhoon, Nostromo, The Secret Agent, Under Western Eyes and Victory. He continued to write until his death in 1924.

Lord Jim, Nostromo and The Secret Agent are also published in the Penguin English Library.