Joseph Conrad

Polish born, he served in the English merchant marine for twenty years and learned English so well he became a master stylist. He did not adopt English, he said "It was I who was adopted by the genius of the language." He wrote of ships and seamen, but calling him a spinner of sea stories is like saying Michelangelo was an interior decorator. His best book "Lord Jim" is about a seaman who makes a life-haunting mistake. His adventure tales are about big themes - love, death, redemption.