This early work by William Wymark Jacobs was originally published early in the 20th century and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'The Old Man of the Sea' is one of the author's short stories. Jacobs worked as a clerk in the civil service before turning to writing in his late twenties, publishing his first short story in 1895. Most of Jacobs' work appeared before the onset of World War I, and although the majority of his output was humorous in tone, he is best-remembered now for his macabre tales, particularly those contained in his 1902 collection The Lady of the Barge, such as 'The Monkey's Paw' and 'The Toll House'.