As these three specially commissioned stories amply demonstrate, Conrad is our greatest writer of the sea. His characters are tested by dramatic events `that show in the light of day the inner worth of a man, the edge of his temper, and the fibre of his stuff; that reveal the quality of his resistance and the secret stuff of his pretences, not only to others but also to himself.
In `Typhoon`, Conrad`s funniest story. Captain MacWhirr blunders into a hurricane that reveals the sea`s treachery, violence and terror.
`Falk` is desperate to get married, but first he must tell of his terrible experiences as sole survivor of a stricken ship that once drifted into the ice-caps of Antarctica.
`The Shadow-Line` is a poignant and beautiful story.Written during the First World War and based on Conrad`s fond evocation of his own first command.