Joseph Conrad (3 Dec 1857 3 Aug 1924) was an English writer of Polish origin and though he wrote his works in English he always considered himself a Pole. His stories often have nautical setting which is a typical feature of adventure stories. A symbolic meaning can be found in this idea: the author traces the fates of people in the indifferent and strange world.
The Mirror of the Sea is the first autobiographical memoirs of Joseph Conrad. There is not much between the sky and earth, that Conrad don's expounds on in his memoirs, using his life at sea to relate to the human condition. But above all else, the book is about the faded culture of sailing the ship. If there is still a sense of wonder, woken by sails, or you simply enjoy masterful use of language, The Mirror of The Sea is a must-read.