orig. John Griffith Chaney
born Jan. 12, 1876, San Francisco, Calif., U.S.
died Nov. 22, 1916, Glen Ellen, Calif.
U.S. novelist and short-story writer.
Born to poverty, the largely self-educated London became a sailor, hobo, Alaskan gold miner, and militant socialist. He gained a wide audience with his first book, The Son of the Wolf (1900), and the story "To Build a Fire" (1908). Thereafter he wrote steadily; his 50 books of fiction and nonfiction, including many romantic depictions of elemental struggles for survival as well as socialist tracts, include The Call of the Wild (1903), The Sea-Wolf (1904), White Fang (1906), The Iron Heel (1907), Martin Eden (1909), and Burning Daylight (1910). Though his work brought him wealth and fame, his suicide at age 40 was the result of alcoholism and mounting debt.
Jack London writing The Sea Wolf , 1904.
Jack London State Historic Park