Jack London

Wrestling with the disease of alcoholism for most of his life, Jack London tells all in his autobiography John Barleycorn. Beginning with a discussion of the prohibition movement and its effects, London explores the ways that alcohol affects daily life in the Victorian era. Because there were not many forms of affordable entertainment or reliable communication, bars were the perfect spot for social activity. People were able to sit and drink, enjoying...

The People of the Abyss (1903) is a work of nonfiction by American writer Jack London. Written after the author spent three months living in London's poverty-stricken East End, The People of the Abyss bears witness to the difficulties faced by hundreds and thousands of people every day in one of the wealthiest nations on earth. Inspired by Friedrich Engels's The Condition of the Working Class in England (1845) and Jacob Riis's How the Other Half Lives,...

From the author of the classic novel Call of the Wild, Jack London's Smoke Bellew features a vivacious depiction of a gold rush adventure. Christopher Bellew, more commonly known as Kit, lives a comfortable life in San Francisco. He writes daily for a paper and his inherited wealth promises to keep him well-off for a long while. Still, Kit cannot help but feel complacent. As a young man, he has not completely figured out what he really wants in life....

Born into poverty in San Francisco in 1876, Jack London is one of the most well-known and beloved of all American authors, as well as one of the first Americans to become world famous and wealthy from his literary career. London lived a colorful and adventurous life as a young man, working as a sailor and then living as a hobo, all before starting high school. First published in 1915 "The Star Rover" also published as "The Jacket" is the tale of Darrell...

The Cruise of the Snark (1911) is a work of travel literature by American writer Jack London. In 1906, after achieving early success as an author of novels and short stories, London began dreaming of the adventures of his youth. Inspired, he spent a fortune to build a 45-foot yacht complete with two sails and a 70-horsepower engine, powerful enough to carry him across the Pacific. Envisioning a seven-year journey, London and his wife Charmian set...

Told from the perspective of Bassett, an English scientist, Jack London's The Red One follows an astonishing expedition in the Solomon Islands. Originally, on a quest to collect butterflies, Bassett explores the jungle of Guadalcanal. However, the scientist finds much more than just butterflies. After being kidnapped by a cannibalistic tribe, Bassett is saved by a native woman, who leads him to her settlement. As he learns of the strange politics...

Love of Life and Other Stories (1906) is a collection of short stories by American writer Jack London. Containing eight stories by the author, a master of literary Naturalism and an experienced outdoorsman and adventurer, Love of Life and Other Stories explores the experience of humanity on the edge of civilization. Set mostly in Canada and Alaska, these stories follow characters for whom survival is a constant struggle, for whom death is as familiar...

Living in sunny California, 'Brown Wolf', the dog-wolf is feeling the call of the wild nature of the desolate and frigid North. Neither the affection that surrounds him, nor the good living conditions can make him overcome his innermost desire to go back to his roots...

First published in 1917, "The Human Drift" is a collection of essays and short sketches by Jack London, also including a number of plays and his introduction to Richard Henry Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast". The titular essay, "The Human Drift", explores humankind's spread across the continents throughout history and the predicted results and eventual end of this 'drift'.

Presented here are two of Jack London's most popular adventure stories of canine survival and hardship in the frozen north: "The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang." First up, London's premiere novel "The Call of the Wild," which spins the take of Buck, a St. Bernard mix who is kidnapped from his life as a pampered pet in California and forced into servitude as a sled dog in the Yukon. Full of struggle, hardship and triumph, "Call of the Wild" was...