Author. The most successful writer in America in the early 20th century, his stories of men and animals against the environment and survival against hardships were drawn mainly from his own experience. Passing his childhood in poverty in the Oakland, California slums, at the age of 17, he ventured to sea on a sealing ship. The turning point of his life was a thirty-day imprisonment that was so degrading it made him decide to turn to education and pursue a career in writing. His years in the Klondike area of Canada searching for gold left their mark in his short stories; among them are "The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang." His novel, "The Sea-Wolf," was based on his experiences at sea. His work embraced the concepts of unconfined individualism and Darwinism in its exploration of the laws of nature. In all, he wrote 51 books and 191 short stories. He retired to his ranch near Sonoma, where he died at age 40. He and his wife Charmian's ashes are under a red boulder on a knoll overlooking the ranch house. His Glen Ellen Beauty Ranch was acquired by the State of California in 1959, and a 40-acre portion became the Jack London Historic State Park.
Author. The most successful writer in America in the early 20th century, his stories of men and animals against the environment and survival against hardships were drawn mainly from his own experience. Passing his childhood in poverty in the Oakland, California slums, at the age of 17, he ventured to sea on a sealing ship. The turning point of his life was a thirty-day imprisonment that was so degrading it made him decide to turn to education and pursue a career in writing. His years in the Klondike area of Canada searching for gold left their mark in his short stories; among them are "The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang." His novel, "The Sea-Wolf," was based on his experiences at sea. His work embraced the concepts of unconfined individualism and Darwinism in its exploration of the laws of nature. In all, he wrote 51 books and 191 short stories. He retired to his ranch near Sonoma, where he died at age 40. He and his wife Charmian's ashes are under a red boulder on a knoll overlooking the ranch house. His Glen Ellen Beauty Ranch was acquired by the State of California in 1959, and a 40-acre portion became the Jack London Historic State Park.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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