"I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky"

John Masefield was sent to join a training ship at a young age, his aunt hoping the experience would cure him of his addiction to books. Instead, Masefield was to become one of the greatest writers on life at sea. In this collection of short stories, extracts from novels, poetry (including 'Sea-Fever' and 'Cargoes') and autobiography, he writes of the hardship, romance and adventure of seafaring with a sailor's way with language and sense of a good yarn: of life in dock and on the swelling seas, of salt spray, mutiny, great storms, the spirits beneath the waves, and the devil and Davy Jones playing dice for souls.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.