The Mirror of the Sea, published in 1906, is an autobiography written by Joseph Conrad. The book provides an excellent in-depth look at Conrad's experiences as a mate on a steamer. A Personal Record, published in 1912, is Conrad's second autobiography. The book provides great insight into Conrad's schooling in Russian Poland as well as his sailing in Marseille. Joseph Conrad was a Polish-British writer who is considered to be one of the greatest authors in English literature. Conrad's books contain much of the elements seen in 19th-century realism but his modernistic writing also influenced many great authors that followed including Faulkner, Hemingway, and Orwell. Conrad wrote classics in many different genres and many of his works were based off his experiences at sea as a British merchant marine.