John Barleycorn - Jack London - Dover Thrift Editions

John Barleycorn by Jack London is a memoir that London described as the closest he ever came to autobiography. It recounts his lifelong struggle with alcohol with notable frankness.

This Dover Thrift Editions paperback is published by Dover Publications Inc.

Key details

• Author: Jack London
• Series: Dover Thrift Editions
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 176
• Publisher: Dover Publications Inc
• ISBN: 9780486817071

Synopsis

Titled after a British folksong that personifies the source of whisky and beer, this memoir presents alcohol as both companion and threat, described by London as an “august companion” and a “red-handed killer”. Written at a time when alcoholism was often treated as a genetic weakness, its candid approach proved controversial and, on publication in 1913, created a sensation.

Beyond its role as a temperance-era touchstone, the narrative also traces London’s years as a sailor, explorer and frontiersman along the West Coast, from Southern California to Alaska. Rich in anecdote and delivered in a captivating style, it offers insight into his life as a rugged adventurer and popular writer, and suits readers of biography and memoir.

Rackhams Reference : YBFD7AJRWX