The Phantom Death, and Other Stories

William Clark Russell (1844-1911) was an English writer best known for his nautical novels. At the age of 13 he joined the Merchant Navy, serving for eight years. The hardships of life at sea damaged his health permanently but provided him with ample material for a career as a writer. He wrote short stories, press articles, historical essays, biographies, and a book of verse, but, above all, gained popularity for his novels, most of which were about life at sea. Despite his success as a novelist he did, however, maintain a simultaneous career as a journalist, principally as a columnist on nautical subjects for The Daily Telegraph written under the pseudonym 'Seafarer'. Russell also campaigned for better conditions for merchant seamen and his work influenced reforms approved by Parliament to prevent unscrupulous shipowners from exploiting their crews. This collection of 11 horror stories with a seafaring setting was first published in book form in 1895, the stories having previously appeared individually in various journals such as The Idler, the Strand Magaz\ine, and the Pall Mall Magazine, and is reprinted from the new edition of 1906. In addition to the title story, others in the collection include The Lazarette of the 'Huntress', A Nightmare of the Doldrums, and The Secret of the Dead Mate.