This early work by William Wymark Jacobs was originally published in
1909 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory
biography. 'Sailor' Knots' is one of the author's few full length
novels. 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'.