Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski (as he was born in 1857) is one of the most compelling and complex figures in English literature. His own life was as astonishing as any of his novels: born in the Ukraine of Polish parents, after a childhood in exile and a 20-year career as a merchant seaman, he began in middle age to write in English, the language of his newly adopted country. This companion distils a range of information on Joseph Conrad's life, works, reputation, and the historical and cultural contexts in which he lived.