Synopses & Reviews
"The Call of the Wild" was not only a book by Jack London. It may very well have been his own personal credo, as Daniel Dyer makes clear in this gripping biography of the famed author and adventurer.
While researching Jack London, biographer Daniel Dryer uncovered an amazing truth - that London's real life was just as rich and exciting as the stories and characters he created.
Equally adept in writing as he was at thrill-seeking, London left school at age eleven to begin his lifelong courtship of adventure. He worked as a seal hunter, an oyster pirate, and a factory worker. And by the time of the Klondike gold rush, he was well on his way to becoming one of the world's most popular writers. This comprehensive biography takes the reader into the mind and life of this memorable author.
Review
"London's remarkable life makes for good reading: He was a fearless explorer whose struggles to become a successful writer filled his short life. Dyer makes it easy to marvel at the breadth and depth of London's early failures, which he overcame by self-discipline, including a regular routine of reading and writing, even when he was at sea--he didn't wait for inspiration. Through this well-written biography, readers gain a sense of London's spirit; he relished personal achievement "for my own delight." -- Kirkus Reviews
"This is a balanced and exhaustive biography by a scholar and admirer of Jack London's work, who addresses both critics and fans by setting the subject in the context of his times
the book reads like one of London's own." -- Horn Book