Publication details of The Secret Agent:

Published in 1907

Other literary works include:

Lord Jim (1900)
Youth (1902)
Nostromo (1904)

Born:

3rd of December, 1857 in Berdichev, Poland

Early years:

His father was an aristocrat without lands. Both of Condrad's parents died when he was twelve.

Schooling:

Conrad attended school in Krakow and Switzerland.

Career:

In mid-1870s, Conrad joined the French merchant marine as an apprentice. He was also involved in arms smuggling for the Carlist cause in Spain in his youth. In 1878 he landed in England and spent sixteen years in the British merchant navy. By 1886 he obtained his master mariner's certificate, commanding his own ship, Otago. In the same year he was given British citizenship. In the following years Conrad sailed to many parts of the world, but he settled down in England in 1894 to start his career as a writer. His first novel, Almayer's Folly appeared in 1895.

Final years:

The last years of his life were shadowed by rheumatism. He refused an offer of knighthood in 1924 as he had earlier declined honorary degrees from five universities.

Died:

He died of heart-attack on 3rd of August, 1924. He was buried in Cantenbury.