Jack London

Children of the Frost, is many of the old classic books which have been considered important throughout the human history. They are now extremely scarce and very expensive antique. So that this work is never forgotten we republish these books in high quality, using the original text and artwork so that they can be preserved for the present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable.

Häntä kutsuttiin Odysseukseksi, kun hän kierteli pohjoisella merellä ja etsi jotain. Ei tiedetty mitä. Hän kertoi sen vasta onnettomuuden tapahduttua. Toisessa kertomuksessa kaksi miestä kuljettaa aatelismiehen ruumista lumierämaan halki kohti tukikohtaa. Heitä alkaa seurata nälkäinen susilauma yö yön jälkeen. Koiria katoaa, mutta sudet pysyvät perässä. Jack London (1876-1916) oli yhdysvaltalainen kirjailija. ”Yhteiskuntakritiikki ja sosialismi yhdistyivät Londonin teoksissa seikkailunjanoon, karuun elämään ja yksilöllisyyteen.”

Exciting and action-packed, Call of the Wild explores the timeless relationship between man and dog, and the inevitable draw of primitive instincts that pull Buck away from civilization and humanity towards the lawless and harsh wilderness. The novel's central character is a dog named Buck, a domesticated dog living at a ranch in the Santa Clara valley of California as the story opens. Stolen from his home and sold into the brutal existence of an Alaskan sled dog, he reverts to atavistic traits. Buck is forced to adjust to, and survive, cruel treatments and fight to dominate other dogs in a harsh climate. Eventually he sheds the veneer of civilization, relying on primordial instincts and lessons he learns, to emerge as a leader in the wild. Adventure and dog-story enthusiasts as well as students and devotees of American literature will find this classic work a thrilling, memorable reading experience.

Welcome to the book series 7 best short stories specials, selection dedicated to a special subject, featuring works by noteworthy authors. The texts were chosen based on their relevance, renown and interest. This edition is dedicated to Western. Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West, most commonly between the years of 1860 and 1900. Westerns often stress the harshness of the wilderness and frequently set the action in an arid, desolate landscape of deserts and mountains. Often, the vast landscape plays an important role, presenting a mythic vision of the plains and deserts of the American West. Critics August Nemo brings seven short stories specially selected with the best of Westerns courage and adventure: The Outcasts of Poker Flat by Bret Harte, All Gold Canyon by Jack London, On the Divide by Willa Cather, The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky by Stephen Crane, The Caballeros Way by O. Henry, The Great Slave by Zane Grey and Wine in the Desert by Max Brand.

The Valley of the Moon (1913) is a novel by American writer Jack London. Inspired by his experiences as a working-class man and dedicated socialist, London incorporates aspects of his own biography—his interest in sailing, his life on a ranch in Sonoma County—to tell a story of hardship, hope, and perseverance. Having grown disillusioned with the labor movement, London uses the novel to advocate for sustainable agriculture and other alternatives to industry, urban life, and modernization. A former professional boxer, Billy works as a Teamster in Oakland, where strikes and demonstrations for the labor movement often turn violent. Soon after his marriage to Saxon, a young laundry worker, Billy is arrested for assaulting a strikebreaker, the stress of which contributes to his wife’s miscarriage. When he is released from jail, Saxon convinces him to reject the labor movement, and the two embark on a journey north to look for work and a new life away from the city. On the way, they meet immigrant farmers who instruct them in the ways of sustainable farming, briefly join an artists’ colony, and befriend a young journalist and his wife. After winning a substantial amount of money in a boxing match, Billy purchases a team of horses and envisions a life of prosperity and safety with which to start a family. The Valley of the Moon, though relatively unsuccessful at the time of its publication, is a meditative work that illuminates the disparities of the American Dream and provides alternatives without succumbing to despair. In its pages, we see the prototype for such authors as John Steinbeck and Jack Kerouac, visionaries and restless souls who refused to accept that life was impossible to change. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jack London’s The Valley of the Moon is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

The Jacket (1915) is a novel by American writer Jack London. A groundbreaking work of science fiction that blends elements of mysticism, The Jacket critiques the harsh reality of the American criminal justice system. The novel was inspired by the experiences of Ed Morrell, a man who spent time at San Quentin State Prison for robbing trains. Horrified by his description of “the jacket,” a constricting device used to punish inmates, London wrote the novel to explore the psychological effects of torture. Darrell Standing was a Professor of Agronomics at the University of California, Berkeley when, in a fit of uncontrollable rage, he murdered a fellow professor in cold blood. Sentenced to life imprisonment at San Quentin, Standing is sent to solitary confinement after refusing to provide a false confession for a suspected escape plot. In the silence and darkness of solitary—between grueling sessions of torture by way of a constricting jacket—Standing learns to communicate through tapping with the man in the next cell over, who gives him hope and ignites his desire to free himself. Gifted with a rich imagination since his youth, Standing miraculously discovers the power of star roving, the ability to transport oneself throughout time and space using only one’s mind. As his torturers subject him to harsher and more prolonged methods of punishment, he embarks on adventures through past lives to free himself from the misery of the present. The Jacket is an inventive work of science fiction that serves as a powerful critique of torture and sheds light on the depravities of the American criminal justice system. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jack London’s The Jacket is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

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. Because of this, Kit is happy to help when his uncle and cousins ask him to accompany them to the Alaskan Gold Rush. While Kit has no plans of staying with his uncle and cousins, he agrees to help them carry the many provisions required for such a journey. Each loaded with heavy supplies, Kit, his uncle, and his cousins begin their trek through the Yukon territory. Embarking on a journey into the rough Alaskan wilderness, the group must hike through mountains, rapids, icy lakes, and the biting cold of the Alaskan weather. It is more difficult than anything Kit has ever had to accomplish, but something in the bitter Alaskan wind calls to him, and he feels more alive than ever. Choosing to abandon his San Franciscan life, Kit fights to prosper in the Yukon territory, learning to love and starting grow into adulthood. Described as one of the hidden gems of Jack London’s literary career, Smoke Bellew surprises each reader with vivid description and wonderful action, feeding an uneasily quenched sense of adventure. Smoke Bellew is a collection of stories, all connected and featuring the same main character, allowing audiences to witness Christopher “Kit” Bellew’s journey to adulthood. With elements of romance and comedy, this adventure novel caters to many. London’s Smoke Bellew portrays a romantic portrait of the gold rush, both entertaining and educating readers on such an exciting and unique time in history. This edition of Smoke Bellew by Jack London features a new, eye-catching cover design and a modern font, creating an approachable reading experience for a contemporary audience.

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 as a friend. “Love of Life” follows a gold prospector who is abandoned by his companion when he sprains his ankle crossing a creek. Shocked at first, he quickly realizes that in order to survive, he must keep moving. As he makes his was through the Canadian wilderness eating berries and weeds, his only desire is to have just one more bullet with which to hunt for wild game. As day turns to night, and as the next day fades to another, he faces a hunger beyond description, an emptiness food cannot fill. In “A Day’s Lodging,” a man retires for the night at a cabin he discovers in the wintry Yukon woods. As he settles in and prepares to feed his team of sled dogs, two strangely familiar adventurers arrive and ask to share the cabin for the night. Love of Life and Other Stories is a masterful collection of short fiction by Jack London, an icon of adventure writing. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jack London’s Love of Life and Other Stories is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

Written by the beloved author, Jack London, The Night-Born is a compelling collection of ten short works of fiction, each featuring an interesting protagonist. The Madness of John Harned is narrated by a wealthy Ecuadorian man who attends a bull fight with his cousin, Maria, and the American man who is in love with her, John. While they watch the event, Maria and John have a debate that eventually leads to John to make an unpredictable and unfortunate choice. When the World was Young follows the aftermath of the meeting of two men, after a thief stumbles upon a strange barbaric man while trying to rob a countryside estate. Portraying a thrilling story of crime, To Kill a Man tests preconceived biases and assumptions while depicting a conversation between a woman and the man who had attempted to rob her house. The Benefit of the Doubt invokes melancholy feelings as it follows a man who returns to his hometown to find it in a state of decline. Featuring adventure and mystery, Winged Blackmail depicts a high-profile financier struggling to track down the person who is responsible for sending him blackmail letters via a courier pigeon. Finally, the title story of The Night-Born revolves around a strange woman and two retired gold-prospectors who feel their old career has stunted their lives despite the considerable wealth it earned them. With reoccurring themes of human nature, justice, and the impermanent happiness of money, Jack London’s The Night-Born is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. With stories set in the 20th century and accompanied by intellectual social commentary, The Night-Born grant readers a privileged perspective on the culture and societal norms of the 1900s. Meanwhile, modern readers can also relate to the human struggles that have remained to be present in contemporary society. This edition of The Night-Born by the highly esteemed author, Jack London, is now presented in an easy-to-read font and features a striking new cover design, making it both modern and accessible.

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, London hoped to expose the indignities faced by those left behind by industrialization. In 1902, Jack London traveled to England to live in the slums of London’s East End. Hoping to learn about the lives and experiences of the city’s working class, he spent three months staying in workhouses, sleeping on the streets, and lodging with a poor family in the area. Drawing on his own experience as a working-class American, and informed by his dedicated understanding of socialism, London recorded what he saw of the lives of London’s poor, the hundreds of thousands of humans held back from the nation’s progress toward modernization. The People of the Abyss was a popular and critical success upon publication and would inspire the young George Orwell to conduct his own research on poverty and urban life, which he recorded in his groundbreaking work Down and Out in Paris and London. Although he is known more for his contributions to fiction, London was a talented journalist whose experiences as a world traveler and worker allowed him to capture the deprivations of impoverished life while preserving a sense of humanity and advocating for much needed change. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jack London’s The People of the Abyss is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

The Sea-Wolf (1904) is an adventure novel by American writer Jack London. Inspired by his acquaintance Captain Alex MacLean, a sailor from the Pacific Northwest, London sought to write a novel of the high seas with psychological and philosophical underpinnings. An intelligent scholar named Humphrey van Weyden boards a ferry in San Francisco. Lost in the fog, the Martinez collides with another ship, and van Weyden is tossed overboard. Afloat in the Bay, he is discovered and rescued by Wolf Larsen, a gruff captain of a seal-hunting vessel. Aboard the schooner Ghost, van Weyden finds himself conscripted as a cabin boy, and must quickly adjust to the rough nature of seafaring life while immuring himself to the rages and peculiarities of Larsen. When his disgruntled crew stages a mutiny in response to his abuses, the savvy and powerful captain overwhelms them, and van Weyden, now known as Hump, is promoted to mate. With a depleted crew, the Ghost continues on through the hunting season, but its troubles are far from over. The Sea-Wolf is a story set in some of Earth’s harshest environments that brings two men from opposite positions in life together with one goal in mind: survival. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jack London’s The Sea-Wolf is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

With dramatic and detailed first person narration, Jack London’s Before Adam follows the dreams of a young boy who has a genetically imprinted memory and knowledge of an ancestor who lived in prehistoric times. Big Tooth is a pre-human ape and is the protagonist of the young boy’s dreams. He lives in a tribe that rests in the middle of two extremes. In the surrounding area, there are tribes of differing levels of development. One is primitive and stays in the vast forest, while the more advanced group travels and uses tools. Big Tooth’s group is somewhere in between, not quite advanced enough for tools and organization, but not so primitive that they cannot coexist with each other. While the young boy sleeps soundly and dreams, Big Tooth is being hunted by other humanoid apes and cyber tooth cats. Since his tribe hadn’t developed a language yet, Big Tooth struggles to communicate his needs and to request help. Still, Big Tooth must make alliances, find love, get food, and avoid the dangers of the undeveloped world, all while the young boy tosses and turns in his comfortable bed and advanced society, dreaming of the origins of man. Featuring careful and detailed prose, Jack London merges the adventure genre with speculative fiction in his thought-provoking novel Before Adam. Through the portrayal of pre-human, ape-like characters, all with differing levels of development, London comments on early evolutionary theory and allows readers to imagine life in a pre-historic time. With the comparison of the young boy and Big Tooth, London creates a fascinating and unique perspective on human nature, simultaneously portraying Big Tooth with pure primitive needs and as a sympathetic, relatable character. Before Adam is often described as an under-rated addition to Jack London’s literary canon. Though it does not portray destinations that can be reached modern day, like his other works, Before Adam allows audiences to adventure in a world before their own and ponder a time before society was established. This edition of Before Adam by Jack London is now available in an easy-to-read font and features a new, eye-catching cover design to cater to contemporary readers.

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 sail on the Snark with a small crew in 1907. Over the next two years, they would visit Hawaii—where London learned to surf and visited a leper colony—and the Marquesas Islands—made famous by Herman Melville’s first novel, Typee. Other stops included Tahiti, Bora Bora, Fiji, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands. During the voyage, London learned the art of sailing and celestial navigation, ensuring that his travelogue—which he filled with photographs from the journey—would be authentic and instructive. In 1909, the Snark was forced to end its voyage in Guadalcanal so that London, suffering from infection, could be taken to a hospital in Sydney. To help cover costs, the Snark was sold in Australia in 1909, and the Londons returned to America via Ecuador later that year. In addition to The Cruise of the Snark, London would publish numerous essays and articles about the trip, and his wife Charmian also wrote three books of her own on the subject. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jack London’s The Cruise of the Snark is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

Lost Face (1910) is a collection of seven short stories by American writer Jack London. Drawing on his experiences as a gold prospector in the Yukon, London explores the life of humanity at the edge of civilization. In these stories of life and death, nature reigns supreme over society, and even the strong are not guaranteed to survive. “Lost Face” is the story of a Polish trapper and fur thief named Subienkow. Captured by Native Americans, he watches in horror as a strong, courageous Cossack is slowly killed through hours of brutal torture. Recalling the hardships he faced in Poland, Russia, and Siberia, Subienkow delves deep into his reservoir of experience to devise a plan he hopes will allow him to escape such a terrible fate. Using an interpreter, he convinces Makamuk, the chief, that he possesses a powerful medicine, and offers it in exchange for his life. In “To Build a Fire”—a frequently anthologized work of adventure fiction and one of London’s most beloved works—an explorer decides to trek into the forest of the Yukon while a winter storm looms on the horizon. Ignoring all signs of danger, as well as the warnings of an experienced elder, he finds himself lost in the woods with nothing but a dog and a fire. With no time to question his motives—he had set out to visit a friend’s cabin—he is forced to face nature head on, and on its own terms. Lost Face, published at the height of London’s career, compiles seven stories from the master of adventure and naturalist fiction. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jack London’s Lost Face is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

Featuring eight works of short fiction, South Sea Tales by Jack London is an adventurous collection with a nautical theme. With settings on islands or ships, South Sea Tales tell the exciting, but often heartbreaking tales of violence, colonialism, and racism. The House of Mapuhi follows the son of a trading magnate, who travels from island to island buying valuable items for his mother’s business. When he learns of a brilliant pearl owned by one of the locals on the island of Hikueru, he becomes obsessed with obtaining it. London mocks Christian martyrdom in The Whale Tooth, a story of a man falling victim to his own impulses and inflated self-importance, consequently leading to cannibalism and murder. Yah! Yah! Yah! explores colonial brutality and race relations in the South Sea with a sympathetic portrayal of the native islanders. Further examining these themes, Mauki follows the son of a chief who had been kidnapped and sold into slavery. Hailed as a fan favorite, The Seed of McCoy depicts a story about sailing the seas with a twist. Finally, with a touching lesson of tolerance, The Heathen portrays two men from different racial backgrounds, Otoo and Charley, as they stay loyal to each other while they fight to survive a brutal shipwreck. With bold and unique characters, thrilling settings, and thought-provoking themes, South Sea Tales by Jack London is sure to captivate readers. Inspired by London’s own adventures in the South Sea, South Sea Tales brings an authentic and memorable setting for stories that possess in-depth and compelling prose. Jack London’s well-known style of descriptive, visceral prose shines in this classic collection, creating works with intense adventure and an interesting depiction of the early 20th century. With a striking new cover design and a modern and readable font, this edition of South Sea Tales by Jack London is catered to a contemporary audience. With these accommodations, modern readers can now enjoy the strong prose of Jack London, examine the culture of 20th century colonialism, and explore the islands of the southern Pacific with ease.

The Strength of the Strong (1914) is a collection of short stories by American writer Jack London. Written and published when London was at the height of his success as an author, the stories that make up The Strength of the Strong engage with themes inspired by his lifelong advocacy of socialism. In the collection, London explores—through science fiction, naturalism, and historical narratives—the consequences of capitalism on human life, the nuances of geopolitical power, and the importance of the labor movement. In “The Strength of the Strong,” a parable, a prehistoric elder named Long-Beard speaks to a gathering of his fellow hunters. As they sit around a fire eating the remains of a wild bear carcass, Long-Beard tells the story of their people. He recalls how their society developed to promote individualism and hierarchy, and how conflict with other tribes and a lack of shared resources led to the breakdown of the community. “South of the Slot” is the story of Freddie Drummond, a sociology professor at Berkeley who leads a secret double life as a powerful union organizer named Big Bill Totts. As Totts’s influence in the labor movement grows, it becomes more and more difficult for Drummond to separate his identities and to keep his union work hidden from his fiancé, the wealthy aristocrat Catherine van Vorst. In “The Unparalleled Invasion,” a work of speculative fiction, London illustrates a future where China—which has risen to control all of Asia—is attacked with biological weapons by a combined force of Western powers. The Strength of the Strong is a collection of stories addressing issues of race, class, power, and violence from a master of science fiction and literary naturalism. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jack London’s The Strength of the Strong is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

“[Jack London was] a great gobbler-up of the world, physically and intellectually, the kind of writer who went to a place and wrote his dreams into it, the kind of writer who found an Idea and spun his psyche around it.”—E. L. DoctorowMartin Eden (1909) is a novel by American writer Jack London. The book follows the tradition of the Künstlerroman, a narrative that traces the life and development of an artist, to tell the story of a young man not unlike London himself. Part fiction, part autobiography, Martin Eden examines the consequences of dreams and achievements, successes and failures, for a young artist struggling with fame. The novel is heavily influenced by London’s socialist values, and dissects the interwoven nature of class and the arts while critiquing the individualist mentality promoted by such figures as Nietzsche. The young Martin Eden lives in Oakland where he struggles to rise above the circumstances of his birth. Despite his impoverished background, he has hopes of becoming a successful writer, and has spent years educating himself toward that goal. A dreamer, Eden is also driven to marry Ruth Morse, a woman he loves despite their vastly different lives—he is a sailor, she comes from a bourgeois family. It soon becomes clear that his intentions to write and to marry are entirely intertwined. When he finds success, however, breaking through with publishers and with the elite literati of Oakland, he finds that Ruth’s love is far from guaranteed, and that dreams rarely come to fruition. Martin Eden is a story of the American ideal, of class and identity, and of one man determined to make it, whatever the cost. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jack London’s Martin Eden is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.