Jack London

Jack London, an American novelist and short-story writer, whose real name was John Griffits Chancy, was raised in Oakland.

At the age of 14 Jack London gave up school to gain adventure. He went to Japan as a sailor and saw much of the United States. He was jailed for vagrancy, and in 1894 became a belligerent socialist. London educated himself at public libraries with the writings of Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and Frederick Nietzsche. He created his own theory of socialism and white superiority. When he was 19 he entered the University of California, but quit it to seek a fortune in the Klondike gold rush of 1897. Returning the next year, still poor and unable to find work, he decided to earn a living as a writer.

The optimism and energy with which he set to fulfil this task are best given in his autobiographical novel "Martin Eden" (1909). The stories of his Alaskan adventures were warmly accepted by the public for their unusual subject matter.

Jack London worked hard. In 17 years he wrote 50 books of fiction and non-fiction. In 1910 Jack London settled on a ranch in California. There he built an imposing Wolf House. He maintained his socialist beliefs almost to the end of his life. Jack London wrote wonderful books. "Call of the Wild" (1903), "White Fang" (1906), and "Burning Daylight" (1910) are remarkable. His other autobiographical novels of considerable interest are: "The Road" (1907) and "John Barleycorn" (1913). "The Sea Wolf"(1904) is a significant work, "The Iron Heel" (1907) is a fantasy of the future horrifying apprehension of fascism.

Jack London's reputation has remained high throughout the world.