Jack London

In the summer of 1902, respected American author Jack London (1876–1916), previously known for his descriptions of life during the Klondike Gold Rush, spent two months living 'down by the docks' in London's East End among the city's poorest residents. During this time he often slept in workhouses or on the streets, seeing first-hand how the impoverished struggled daily for adequate food, clothing and shelter while the rest of the city lived in relative prosperity - a prosperity which the author believed was gained at the expense of the poor. One of the earliest eyewitness descriptions of life in the slums of London, this book would influence later socially minded authors such as George Orwell. The text is also illustrated with photographs of the places and people mentioned, offering an important insight into the living conditions of the poor at the dawn of the twentieth century.

This early work by Jack London was originally published in 1901 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography as part of our Cryptofiction Classics series. 'A Relic of the Pliocene' is a short story about a man that hunts a mammoth with primitive weapons. Jack London was born in San Francisco, USA in 1876. In order to support his working class family, he left school at the age of fourteen and worked in a string of unskilled jobs, before returning briefly to graduate. London published his first short story, 'Typhoon off the Coast of Japan', in 1893. At this point, he turned seriously to writing, producing work at a prolific rate. Over the next decade, he began to be published in major magazines of the day, producing some of his best-remembered stories, such as 'To Build a Fire'. Starting in 1902, London turned to novels, producing almost twenty in fifteen years. Of these, his best-known are Call of the Wild and White Fang, both set during the Klondike Gold Rush. The Cryptofiction Classics series contains a collection of wonderful stories from some of the greatest authors in the genre, including Ambrose Bierce, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Jack London. From its roots in cryptozoology, this genre features bizarre, fantastical, and often terrifying tales of mythical and legendary creatures. Whether it be giant spiders, werewolves, lake monsters, or dinosaurs, the Cryptofiction Classics series offers a fantastic introduction to the world of weird creatures in fiction.

This is one in a series of books that offers a quick way into a range of exciting stories. Fast-moving and accessible, each story is a shortened version of the classic novel which loses none of the strength and flavour of the original.

‘Mush on!’ Buck does not read the newspapers. If he had, he’d have known that for good strong dogs like himself trouble is brewing. Man has found gold and because of that Buck is kidnapped and dragged away from his sunny home to become a sledge dog in the harsh and freezing North. With strength, imagination and cunning on his side Buck must fight for survival. But will he ever trust Man again? This book also includes White Fang a story about a wild young cub, part dog and part wolf. Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can find out if you’re a wild wolf or a faithful dog and learn more about the Arctic gold rush! Vintage Children’s Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Buck, a sturdy crossbreed canine, is seized from his pampered family surroundings and shipped to the forbidding landscape of the Alaskan frontier to be a sled dog. As gripping today as it was when first published over a century ago, this classic tale of survival remains one of London's most popular adventures.

Impressed into service aboard the seal-hunting Ghost, Humphrey Van Weyden becomes an unwilling participant in a tense shipboard drama. With a wary eye, he watches the vessel's abusive captain, Wolf Larsen, an enigma who can abandon two sailors on the open water, then return to reading the moral philosophers. One of the best sea novels ever written, The Sea-Wolf tells of mutiny, shipwreck, and a desperate confrontation.... Also in this volume, "The Law of Life," "The One Thousand Dozen," "All Gold Canyon," and "Moon-Face" offer more riveting action and adventure. In these tales, London's descriptions of the natives, the northern dogs, and even the tundra capture the essence of the exuberant life he experienced firsthand.

This early work by Jack London was originally published in 1920 and we are now republishing it for the modern reader. Jack London was born in San Francisco, USA in 1876. In order to support his working class family, he left school at the age of fourteen and worked in a string of unskilled jobs, before returning briefly to graduate. Around this time, London discovered the public library in Oakland, and immersed himself in the literature of the day. In 1894, after a spell working on merchant ships, he set out to experience the life of the tramp, with a view to gaining an insight into the national class system and the raw essence of the human condition. London was an impassioned advocate of socialism and workers' rights, and these themes inform a number of his works - most notably his dystopian novel The Iron Heel, published in 1907. He even ran unsuccessfully as the Socialist nominee for mayor of Oakland on two occasions. London died in 1916, aged 40.