Within the Tides (1915) was the last volume of short stories published during Conrad's lifetime. In this book, the stories are published for the first time in a critical edition based upon a thorough analysis of the original documents, and the critical texts have been emended so as to include Conrad's later revisions. The introduction discusses Conrad's main sources and influences, places the stories in their contemporary contexts and traces the volume's contemporary reception. The essay on the texts and the 'Apparatus' document the history of composition and publication and detail the revisions that the texts underwent, demonstrating as well how editors and compositors shaped their presentation in serial form. Also included are explanatory notes glossing literary and historical allusions. Two glossaries – of nautical terms and of foreign words and phrases – further enrich the explanatory matter, as do a map and six illustrations.
