"Born under a cloud, Jack London in his early twenties was tramp, sailor, follower of Kelly's Industrial Army, oyster pirate, member of the coast patrol, gold-seeker in Alaska, socialist agitator. This was a prelude to a career as one of the greatest writer's of his time. But for all his adventures, London was far more than a romantic vagabond. His turbulent spirit was in constant inner conflict between the positive realist in him, the quality that led him to write pot-boilers, and the streak of pure idealism, which led him to seek a better world for all mankind. Merely as a story of action and adventure, this book makes magnificent reading. As a study of a strange and totured personality, written with amazing detachment and deep understanding, this biography is one of the really important books of the year. For it is not only that very rare achievement, a biography which gives the reader an intimate understanding of the mind and character of a man of genius, it is also a clear picture of the times which were the crucible of his career."--Book jacket, 1939 ed.