Jack London Books

A timeless collection of must-have-read literature. The compilation is of the highest quality, the presentation most satisfactory. Particularly suitable for students, many of us older people will also enjoy new encounters with old friends. amazing how the impact of those stories grows with one's own age. Highly recommendable!

In 1905 the troops of the Tsar crushed the Russian revolution of 1905. Although the uprising did force Nicholas II to establish a consitution and a parliament, the Russian revolution of 1917 would change the face of the world. However, the uprising also had the interesting effect of inspiring two of the more interesting utopian novels of the early 20th century. One was "Red Star," the socialist utopia on Mars created by the Russian writer Alexander Bogdanov, a Bolshevik and intimate of Lenin. The other was "The Iron Heel," by Jack London, the American author best known for "The Call of the Wild." Whereas Bogdanov forsees the ultimate victory of the socialist and scientific-technical revolutions, London predicts global revolutionary and counter-revolutionary forces ending up in an apocalyptic battle betwen the impoverished workers and the privileged minorities. Consequently, the two authors share a common socialist perspective, although Bogdanov writes a utopian novel and London creates a dystopia.

"The Iron Heel" was written in 1908 and remains one of the more prophetic novels of the 20th century. His track record with regards to a national secrety police agency, the rise of Fascism, the creation of attractive suburbs for the middle class while the unemployed and menials live in "ghettoes," is remarkedly better than that of Edward Belleamy's "Looking Backward," Aldoux Huxley's "Brave New World," or George Orwell's "1984," the novels that are usually judged by their prescience in terms of utopian literature.

The novel presents the story of the American revolutionary Earnest Everhard, as told by his wife Avis, who is actually the more effective revolutionary leader. London tells how the manuscript was unknown for seven centuries, to be discovered long after the final triumph of socialist democracy in the yar 419 B.O.M. Avis Everhard describes the struggles of the working masses against the oligarchy, and how they were ruthlessly suppressed, especially in the Chicago Commune that is the main setting for the action. There is a strong current of violence, with Black Hundreds wrecking the socialist presses,a bomb exploding in the House of Representatives, and revolutionaries being hunted down by the military arm of the government known as the Iron Heel. The Everhard Manuscript breaks off in the middle of a sentence, a footnote explaining that history does not know if the author escaped or was captured.

The story is somewhat atypical for London in that it does not represent the white supermacist and male dominant vision of the world we usually find in his novels. London's message is the blatant warning that if you allow the Revolution to be defeated, then the ruling class will "grind you revolutionists down under our heel, and we shall walk upon your faces." Ultimately "The Iron Heel" is a novel whose importance clearly outstrips its literary quality. The problem is that with the end of World War II and the defeat (essentially) of Fascism that London's novel was no longer of interest as the world was confronted with a new set of problems. Yet, London's dytopian novel is one of the works in that genre that deserves to be reconsidered more often

In 1905 the troops of the Tsar crushed the Russian revolution of 1905. Although the uprising did force Nicholas II to establish a constitution and a parliament, the Russian revolution of 1917 would change the face of the world. However, the uprising also had the interesting effect of inspiring two of the more interesting utopian novels of the early 20th century. One was "Red Star," the socialist utopia on Mars created by the Russian writer Alexander Bogdanov, a Bolshevik and intimate of Lenin. The other was "The Iron Heel," by Jack London, the American author best known for "The Call of the Wild." Whereas Bogdanov foresees the ultimate victory of the socialist and scientific-technical revolutions, London predicts global revolutionary and counter-revolutionary forces ending up in an apocalyptic battle betwen the impoverished workers and the privileged minorities. Consequently, the two authors share a common socialist perspective, although Bogdanov writes a utopian novel and London creates a dystopia.

"The Iron Heel" was written in 1908 and remains one of the more prophetic novels of the 20th century. His track record with regards to a national secret police agency, the rise of Fascism, the creation of attractive suburbs for the middle class while the unemployed and menials live in "ghettoes," is markedly better than that of Edward Belleamy's "Looking Backward," Aldoux Huxley's "Brave New World," or George Orwell's "1984," the novels that are usually lauded and judged by their prescience in terms of utopian literature.

The novel presents the story of the American revolutionary Earnest Everhard, as told by his wife Avis, who is actually the more effective revolutionary leader. London tells how the manuscript was unknown for seven centuries, to be discovered long after the final triumph of socialist democracy in the yar 419 B.O.M. Avis Everhard describes the struggles of the working masses against the oligarchy, and how they were ruthlessly suppressed, especially in the Chicago Commune that is the main setting for the action. There is a strong current of violence, with Black Hundreds wrecking the socialist presses,a bomb exploding in the House of Representatives, and revolutionaries being hunted down by the military arm of the government known as the Iron Heel. The Everhard Manuscript breaks off in the middle of a sentence, a footnote explaining that history does not know if the author escaped or was captured.

The story is somewhat atypical for London in that it does not represent the white supremacist and male dominant vision of the world we usually find in his novels. London's message is the blatant warning that if you allow the Revolution to be defeated, then the ruling class will "grind you revolutionists down under our heel, and we shall walk upon your faces." Ultimately "The Iron Heel" is a novel whose importance clearly outstrips its literary quality. The problem is that with the end of World War II and the defeat (essentially) of Fascism that London's novel was no longer of interest as the world was confronted with a new set of problems. Yet, London's dystopian novel is one of the works in that genre that deserves to be reconsidered more often.

This is Jack London's "Tramp Diary", his journal from his journey East with Kelly's Industrial Army in 1894, and some of his other published tramping stories. The diary is somewhat dull, as are a few of the essays, but the stories he published later in life based on these experiences are polished to a high sheen and are delightful.

This book has a number of short stories of Jack London, as well as his novel, The Game. Each story paints a pictire of a time long gone. Adventure, bravery, and honor are the values of the men of these stories. In a harsh time, the men and women had to be resilliant, and maintain thier cheer in the face of hardship.

The tales are a window into the past, and Jack London, one of the greatest writers of his time, captured the essense of life in the frontier, on the sea, and in the hearts and minds of the people of the past. Although only a century past, this era is as far from our modern society as the hard days of Egil Skaligrimson(one of the first Icelendic Vikings in the new world) or Ponce DeLeon.

These sorts of stories should be read by everyone, espically students of history and literature. Bravery in the face of hardship is something which we all should understand even in our comparitivly easy and rich times. We should attempt to capture the essence of this bravery and courage and pass it on for the future.

pretty interesting biography on this great writer
his pros and cons discussed

The book was well written to keep the reader's interest, but does not go into great detail on the Whitechapel murders.

A little corny but a great read for Dog Lovers. The sequel is "Michael, Brother of Jerry". If you like London's tales, especially his dog stories or South Seas stories you'll like this. If you've owned an Irish Terrier you'll know how accurate London is, he definitely had owned one and, from the preface, one very similar to Jerry.

Jerry is born on a plantation in the Solomon Islands, accompanies a White Trader and lives among the natives. The book is filled with South Sea Islands lore of the turn of the century before last. Right up there with Conrad and Stevenson for lovers of that millieu.

Jack London was a complicated individual who has left critics baffled at times. London was an avowed socialist, yet in Mutiny of the Elsinore, we read an emphatic discussion of how/why the "ruling classes" are the ruling classes, and that this is just as it should be (contrast this, for example, with London's The Iron Heel). The Elsinore story is similar to London's The Sea Wolf in that we see the gradual "manification" of a too-wealthy and too-underworked "aristocrat" who must discover his manhood on a voyage around The Cape that goes hopelessly wrong. It is an exciting adventure story, set against the backdrop of the "Superman" period of London's writings. There are some serious flaws in the book, however, with a sub-plot about a revengeful first mate that simply never gets resolved or mentioned after a big build-up. A suggestion of cannibalism is made (where are the mutineers getting their food?) but this is also never explained. Three myserious sailors join the trip on the Cape, but who they are and where they really came from is never fully developed. Still, if you enjoyed "The Abysmal Brute" and similar London stories, you'll enjoy this one. Just don't expect much sympathy for the masses (e.g., People of the Abyss). You won't find it here.

If you change a lot of place names, last names and occupations to something exotic. Like India, South America or some other place, than this book would be quite accurate of a contemporary situation in the Third World. It does however take place in London at a time when the British Empire was at the height of its power. The sun never sets in the British Empire at that time.
The difference between rich and dirt poor was very big at that time and it explains why cities in the UK look like they look nowadays.
Jack London (what's in a name) the writer has taken upon him the task to experience how the other half lives. Sort of a "Gorillas in the mist" avant la lettre. It is not a pretty view that he paints and it makes you wonder why people treated each other this way.
The title is well chosen. The words are sometimes a bit archaic but it strengthens the dim atmosphere of disease, filth, famine, and the struggle for survival.
Apparently Jack London is a well known writer but this is the first book I read of him and I am on the lookout for more.