Three books out of the fifties from Mr. de Hartog include: The Lost Sea, the story of a childhood and the beginning of a life at sea; The Distant Shore, which incorporates a story of service at sea in World War II, related in the story ""Stella,"" with that of the battle between a man and the deep in ""Thalassa""; and A Sailor's Life, the recollection in maturity of a life at sea told in story form. One major and two minor works.