This is Joseph Conrad's 1907 novel, "The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale". Set in London in 1886, it concerns Mr. Adolf Verloc, a spy who works for an unknown country. The novel is significant as it was one of Conrad's later political novels, representing a divergence from his earlier stories of seafaring. "The Secret Agent" deals with ideas of anarchism, terrorism, espionage, and exploitation. Modern Library ranked it the 46th most significant novel of the 20th century and, due to its themes, was one of the most referenced novels in American media subsequent to the 9/11 attacks. Joseph Conrad (1857 - 1924) was a Polish-British writer considered to be amongst the greatest novelists in the English language. Other notable works by this author include: "Heart of Darkness" (1899), "Nostromo" (1904), and "Under Western Eyes" (1911). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this book now in an affordable, high-quality, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.