Jack London
1876-1916

BIOGRAPHY

At the height of his popularity, in 1913, Jack London was said to be the 'highest paid, best known and most popular writer in the world', but the road to success was not an easy one. The son of an itinerant Irish astrologer, he was brought up in poverty and by fifteen had served thirty days hard labour for vagrancy. After a period as a seaman and oyster pirate, it was the 'Communist Manifesto' that inspired London to pull his life together. Enrolling in Oakland High School, he studied intensively and was able to enter the University of California the following year. In 1897 he joined the Klondike Gold Rush and sold the account of his adventures to Atlantic Monthly as 'An Odyssey of the North'. It was also this trip which inspired many of his popular adventure stories, including his most famous novel, published in 1903, 'The Call of the Wild'. Throughout his success, London remained a commited socialist and has been described as 'one of the great revolutionary figures' of American history. But by the age of fourty he was suffering from overwork and, in despair over his declining talents and increasing financial difficulties, he died of an overdose of drugs - believed to have been deliberate.

Stories

Told in the Drooling Ward

An excerpt from the life of a resident at a Californian mental institution. Told in the first person, the story offers a glimpse through another's eyes and mind.
- Pages:
9
- Age Rating:
PG

A Nose For the King

A Korean politician, in jail for diverting just a few too many public funds, develops a cunning escape plan.
- Pages:
7
- Age Rating:
PG