by Jonah Raskin
Jack London's life was the template upon which Twentieth Century novelists would measure themselves: adventurer, war correspondent, London wrote bestsellers like The Call of the Wild and The Sea-Wolf. In between, he managed to sail his own ketch to Tahiti and run for mayor of Oakland (as a socialist). Jonah Raskin has written an engrossing account of a mysterious fire that gutted the author's showplace hunting lodge--the Wolf House--whose ruins are still a tourist attraction in Glen Ellen that draws thousands every year. The fire left history asking: Who did it? The author? Reactionary neighbors? Or was it a tragic accident? Raskin's lively book will appeal to serious London fans or those who are new to the legendary author. American Legends Publishing, 28 pg. Illustrations, $1.00
