The Road

by Jack London

Overview

“The Road” is a 1907 autobiographical memoir by American writer Jack London. Within it, London recounts his experience of being homeless during the 1890 depression in the United States. He tells of his having to hop freight trains, beg to survive, his various run-ins with the police, and much more in an interesting and insightful account of life during an economic depression. This volume will appeal to those with an interest in the depression of the late nineteenth century, and it is not to be missed by fans and collectors of London's seminal work. John Griffith London (1876 – 1916), commonly known as Jack London, was an American journalist, social activist, and novelist. He was an early pioneer of commercial magazine fiction, becoming one of the first globally-famous celebrity writers who were able to earn a large amount of money from their writing. London is famous for his contributions to early science fiction and also notably belonged to "The Crowd", a literary group an Francisco known for its radical members and ideas. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781528787055
Publisher:	Read Books Ltd.
Publication date:	06/17/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	143
File size:	309 KB

About the Author

Jack London (1876-1916) was an American novelist and journalist. Born in San Francisco to Florence Wellman, a spiritualist, and William Chaney, an astrologer, London was raised by his mother and her husband, John London, in Oakland. An intelligent boy, Jack went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley before leaving school to join the Klondike Gold Rush. His experiences in the Klondike—hard labor, life in a hostile environment, and bouts of scurvy—both shaped his sociopolitical outlook and served as powerful material for such works as “To Build a Fire” (1902), The Call of the Wild (1903), and White Fang (1906). When he returned to Oakland, London embarked on a career as a professional writer, finding success with novels and short fiction. In 1904, London worked as a war correspondent covering the Russo-Japanese War and was arrested several times by Japanese authorities. Upon returning to California, he joined the famous Bohemian Club, befriending such members as Ambrose Bierce and John Muir. London married Charmian Kittredge in 1905, the same year he purchased the thousand-acre Beauty Ranch in Sonoma County, California. London, who suffered from numerous illnesses throughout his life, died on his ranch at the age of 40. A lifelong advocate for socialism and animal rights, London is recognized as a pioneer of science fiction and an important figure in twentieth century American literature.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Selected Bibliography
A Note on the Text
List of Illustrations

Chapter 1: Confession
Chapter 2: Holding Her Down
Chapter 3: Pictures
Chapter 4: "Pinched"
Chapter 5: The Pen
Chapter 6: Hoboes That Pass in the Night
Chapter 7: Road-Kids and Gay-Cats
Chapter 8: Two Thousand Stiffs
Chapter 9: Bulls

Explanatory Notes
About the Editor

Editorial Reviews

London hit the road long before Kerouac, hopping a train in 1894 at age 18 and traveling 10,000 miles as a hobo. He related his experiences in nine illustrated essays published in Cosmopolitan (not the one you're thinking of) between 1907 and 1908. This reprint is the inaugural volume in Rutgers's "Subterranean Lives" series, which will chronicle alternative looks at America. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal