Jack London

Though one of best loved and revered figures of American literature, Jack London had much more than a passing acquaintance with "John Barleycorn," what he called whiskey and other spirits.

Born into an impoverished family in San Francisco in 1876, Jack learned early in life to fend for himself. He claimed he had gotten drunk for the first time at age 5, and was a regular drinker in his early teens. Yearning for adventure, Jack at 15 was an oyster pirate in San Francisco Bay, went to sea at 17 on a sealing schooner, and had joined the gold rush to the Klondike in 1897 at the age of 23.

A prolific writer, Jack London has written many works of fiction considered to be masterpieces of literature, including The Sea Wolf, White Fang and The Call of the Wild. It has been speculated that London's death in 1916-at the tragically young age of 40-was a deliberately attempt on his part to escape the pain of his ruined kidneys with an overdose of morphine.

Readers interested particularly in Jack London's drinking exploits should check out our listing of his alcoholic memoirs John Barleycorn, also featured in The Drunken Muse.

Books by Jack London

• Martin Eden
• John Barleycorn
• Cruise of the Dazzler
• Tales of the Fish Patrol
• The Son of the Wolf
• The Call of the Wild
• The Sea Wolf
• White Fang
• The People of the Abyss