The Abyss was the poverty-stricken East End of London, England. The People were the unfortunate millions in the late 1800s and early 1900s who teetered on the edge, waiting for the all-too-common event--"the thing," as Jack called it--to send them careening over the edge from which there was virtually no hope of return. It could be loss of a job, an illness, a debilitating injury, or a family breadwinner's death. What followed was a slow descent into hell, a long, losing struggle for gainful employment, food, and shelter. The Abyss was a cesspool of misery, disease, crime, abject poverty, drunkenness, debauchery, and early death. According to Jack London (an American outsider), responsibility for it lay with the high and mighty managers of society, the rich politicians who largely wrote-off the district as an aberration created by those who inhabited it.

People of the Abyss is reminiscent of Upton Sinclair's classic about the Chicago meatpacking industry, written some decades later. I found it better written, more readable, and more convincing as an impetus for social change. Where Sinclair employed a fictional device to shock readers with deplorable working and living conditions around the stockyards, London's book is very much like a journalistic report, a book-length essay on his real-life, "undercover" experiences in the Abyss. Also, while both writers do more moralizing than is generally acceptable in today's literature, London does less of it than Sinclair does. Less exaggerating too.

The book has a lot of historical value, and makes an interesting read. It's fascinating to learn of the horrendous conditions suffered by millions of unfortunate Londoners a hundred years ago. The debate rages on as to whether present-day inner-city conditions have improved. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

If you mention Jack London, thoughts are first of "White Fang," "Call of the Wild" or other fictional works. Comments about England's turn of the century East End often lead to tales of another famous Jack. In "The People of the Abyss," London is writing about the East End of London, but it is neither fiction, nor tales of the Ripper.
This narrative takes place in England during the coronation of Edward VII. The British Empire is prosperous and strong, yet poverty is rampant in the nation's capital. Jack London lived in the worst sections of the city to explore this poverty, and then, using newspaper reports, police statistics, and his own experiences and observations shows us the condition of England's human cast-offs. The report is not totally objective, as London's political views do slip into his writing. Still his effort to disguise himself as an out-of-work sailor and live in the East End give us a realistic view of this life.
This book is not for everyone. It is excellent reading if you like factual accounts, are interested in Sociology or history, or are just an Angliophile. . . . . . .. AND if you ARE into Jack the Ripper tales, reading "The People of the Abyss will give you a much clearer picture of the environment in which his crimes take place.

I love this book, Jack London is quite possibly my favorite author, whether it's fiction or non-fiction. It was incredible to read a first-hand account of the struggle of the working class in england, even today this book sheds light on many issues such as poverty/labor laws... one of the coolest features of this book are the black and white photographs!

I read this book many years ago, when I was in Junior High, and had no clue it was the same Jack London that wrote "Call of the Wild". The book was that timeless, I thought it was a contemporary writer. I have been looking for it for years and will definitely get another copy to read again. If you're a SciFi/Fantasy Fan looking for some thought provoking, but "light" reading, this is a great book.

While I'm not much into reading fiction or Sci-Fi type books; I have to say, this is probably one of the best books, I've ever read in my life. ( and I'm an avid reader)

Jack London has a way of really pulling your mind into the picture. ( Or putting pictures/stories inside your head)

If you're looking for a book to take your mind of things, or want to live a vicarious experience, I can think of no better book than this one.

This is one of Jack Londons stellar achievements. The ending will surprise you.

An awesome book, that you'll have trouble putting down, until you're finished.

Nightmares plague the narrator's childhood. In these dreams he relives the pre-stoneage life of one of his proto-human ancestors. Each night is a different episode from his ancestor's life, and the episodes are lived and relived in a jumbled, non-chronological order. The narrator places the episodes in chronological order and tells his ancestor's biography. What emerges is an action-packed, engaging saga of adventure and romance at the dawn of humanity.

London got the science of genetics wrong as he tried to explain how the narrator could have such memories, but he seems to have gotten one thing right. Modern paleo-anthropology posits that for most of prehistory, the earth contained several coexisting species of hominids. London peoples his world with three hominid species. His description of the interaction between these species probably gives an accurate depiction of ancient man's inter-species interaction.

the first part is really great. the events of a convict's life is presented in an interesting way. the convict finds a means to escape, sort of a meditative way, that makes him fly to far off places. but the story doesn't really develop or continue from there. instead it ends up being a bit boring, although starting promising.

I started to write a review over two years ago after I read this piece, then stopped, deciding to wait, wanting to know whether such poignant effect on my thinking and outlook could last. IT HAS! This little-known work by Jack London is a masterpiece, through which my perspective on life- in particular during times of disappointment, loss, or pain- has been placed in new and better perspective. Mr. Morrell conquers the heartless cruelties inflicted by his captors, and London's amazing talent leads the reader vicariously through it.

This is a brilliant, beautiful novel. The idea of escape from a reality of suffering is presented to the reader through wonderful short stories that are layered within the theme of a prisoner condemned to death. Particularly those who are interested in Eastern philosophy will enjoy this immensely. The rest will simply read a masterpiece. I will never forget it.

I found this book among my ninth birthay presents and loved it from the first page. what got to me was the description of a way in which everything we know could be destroyed in a few weeks. Also my boyish imagination and dark side were thrilled about the possibility of being left alone in a city, free to do anything i wanted. As the book advanced in explaining the effects of solitude and the need for information about what had happened I found myself questioning my readiness to face such a situation. I highly recommend this book as a way to introduce science fiction to new readers. You must be aware of several objectionable premises set by the author in terms of a racist future society but also a few "wish it were like that" plots which place as the highest paid occupations those like the ones performed by a junior poetry proffesor. My short review has to end by saying that this book has been a dear memory of mine for the past 29 years and writing about it and recommending it to others it's a way to say thank you to Mr. Jack London a great writer and a reason why today I rather read than almost anything else in my spare time. Thank you, and please forgive my primitive english. Milton Roussel, mroussel@david.intertel.hn

Sixty years after a plague killed billions of people, an old man tries to convey to his three grandchildren what the world was once like so long ago.

The cultured, civilized world of mass communication and technology abruptly gave way to a primitive, savage world of cruelty and barbarism. The survivors and their descendents now live like their stone-age forebears: wearing animal skins, hunting with bows and arrows and believing in superstition.

In describing the plague's onslaught, the old man tells his grandchildren of the chaos and degradation that wiped out civilization. Money became worthless, the streets of burning cities were littered with corpses, animals grew wild as mankind lost his supremacy over nature.

The three boys have a lot of trouble understanding the words "Granser" uses, due to their lack of education. (Even the word "education" is something the boys have never heard of.) Nevertheless, the old man does the best he can, in spite of the children's limited vocabulary.

It's interesting to compare "The Scarlet Plague", which was written in 1912, to the more widely-known "Earth Abides". Both books are set in the same place. They both contain that sense of nostalgia, where old men, left over from the "lost world" yearn for a past that was more attractive.

This could well be the blueprint for life-after-the-apocalypse stories. If this story hadn't been written, their would probably never have been such books as "Earth Abides", "The Day of the Triffids", "Empty World" or "The Stand."

White Fang and Call of the Wild are both excellent. I recommend reading them together, as they illustrate two opposite facets of a dillemma: the choice between the freedom of the wilderness and the comforts of a regulated existence. Call of the Wild is about a dog who leaves his owner to join a pack of wolves. White Fang is about a wolf who is tamed.

What I like best about these works is that London, unlike many authors writing about animals (especially in children's books), doesn't endow his animal characters with human thoughts and emotions. Rather, he tries to convey a truly animal psychology -- less complex than a human one, perhaps, but no less intense.

-Call of the Wild- This classic tale of a dog's life is one to be remembered forever. The main character Buck, a dog, must learn to live as a sled dog to survive. -White Fang- This book, also about a sled dog, is a classic story written by Jack London.

"How can you print a piece of your own soul," Dickinson, p. 51

This is the 2nd in the Krull and Hewitt's "Lives of ..." series. The book contains 19 chapters on 20 writers in birth order: Murasaki Shikibu (973?-1025?), Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Jane Austen (1775-1817), Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), Charles Dickens (1812-1870), Charlotte & Emily Bronte (1816-1855 & 1818-1848), Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888), Mark Twain (1835-1910), Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924), Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Jack London (1876-1916), Carl Sandburg (1878-1967), E. B. White (1899-1985), Zora Neale Hurston (1901?-1960), Langston Hughes (1902-1967), Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991)

This is a perfect book for young adolescents and pre-teens who as they grow and mature frequently feel awkward. Krull introduces us to the idiosyncrasies of the literary. Some of the authors were loners, eccentric, a wee bit peculiar. Michael Jackson's behaviors might seem normal when held in comparison. Some retreated into themselves. Some sought out adventures. Some as adults were unsuccessful at the ordinary.

Some worked at a young age to support the family. Some took daily walks, very long daily walks. Some were not healthy and therefore wrote in bed. There were some similarities and some differences, but they all shared a singular conviction to write and write they each did well.

Hewitt's delightful portraits of the writers are precious. My favorite portrait is of Frances Hodgson Burnett of "The Secret Garden" fame. Her hat is the secret garden.

Given the high price of the book, I was surprised that Krull did not include a list of the authors' books and/or poems and the publication years. END

This book is a fun and informative book. The pictures are filled with humorous meanings and hidden information. The book keeps the reader's attention by keeping the included information short and simple, but also makes sure that the reader gets as much possible about the author. This book is great for kids and students to use as a report source as it is filled with great information. Kids would rather use this book as an information source rather than an encylopedia since the information is easy to understand. Authors in there are some you may not know, ( Murasaki Shikibu) and some well know ones ( Charles Dickens). I am glad I purchsed this book. I really liked the pictures which are so vibrant with color. This would make a great buy.

Jack the Ripper (Letters From Hell), by co-authors Stewart P. Evans and Keith Skinner, is exactly what it purports to be in the subtitle. It is a discussion of all the letters sent by people purporting to be Jack the Ripper to the newspapers, police and assorted individuals followed by a section printing all of the letters in the police files (there is little variety in the letters themselves showing the lack of imagination shown by most of the copy cat letter writers and this could prove a little dry for some). In addition, this volume is generously filled with photos of the letters themselves. This book is not for the beginner in the Ripper mythology as it focuses strictly on the letters and will be of most interest to those who have a basic understanding of the case already. This volume is a worthy addition to the Ripper books and will keep the legend alive for the next generation.

This book was fantastic. Where at first there was some kind of, irratic, and clouded judgement, but then the book sheds some light on the hard issues of the ripper case.
The victims... the suspects...
This book is amazing.
But i dont want to spoil the ending. Enjoy.

Written almost of century ago by Jack London, both of these stories have truly stood the test of time. Both of them are based on London's experience in the Yukon, and both are written from the point of view of dogs.

In "The Call of the Wild", the dog Buck is kidnapped from an easy life and sold to a sled team during the Klondike Gold Rush. In spite of the numerous cruelties inflicted on him, Buck learns to survive. Eventually, he returns to the wild and to run with the wolves.

In "White Fang", the story is reversed. White Fang is three-quarters wolf and was born in the wild. Through a series of events, he is domesticated and eventually becomes a tame and loving pet.

There is much to learn in both of these stories. One thing is the way of animals and their life in the wild. Another is of the way of life in the Yukon. And of the men, both brutal and kind, who rely on the dogs to pull the sleds.

Jack London used his words well. There's an elegant cadence and a vigorous spirit. His love for the animals comes through as well as his respect for the wild forces of nature. And the theme that life changes are really possible because of environmental forces.

London didn't set out to write a story about the glorification of nature or vanishing wildlife. Indeed, during his short lifetime (1876-1916) the way of the wild was a fact of life. London just simply wrote his stories. And through his words, left a legacy of work that will continue to enrich the lives of readers for many generations to come.

In "The Call of the Wild," Buck, a dog living on a California estate in the Santa Clara Valley, is stolen and shipped to the Klondike where he is trained as a sled dog. After a series of adventures, he heeds "the call of the wild" and abandons human civilization. London was able to draw on his experiences in the Klondike in the late 1890s to provide accurate details of the life an environment. In a way, this book might be considered an alegory; about the return to one's roots, the fight for survival in a hostile environment, etc. In July of 1998, the editorial board of the Modern Library listed this book as one of the top 100 novels written in the English language for the twentieth century. London wrote "White Fang" to complement "The Call of the Wild" (note that Buck travels from California to the wild whereas White Fang makes the reverse trek). Again, he draws on his own experiences in the Klondike to provide accurate descriptions of life in that part of the world in the late 1890s. White Fang is part wolf and part dog. He is sold by his Indian owner to a man who tries to make him more savage so that money could be made from dogfights. White Fang is rescued by a mining engineer who takes him home to California. While there he rescues the family from an escaped convict. London shows how much environment can play in one's life. I recommend these two books highly.

Jack London has written the finest of stories in White Fang. The bar has been raised never to be surpassed. White Fang is the story of life and the will to live. Nothing else! I have read this story many times and have ventured to continue the legacy of "The Blessed Wolf". There has yet to be a novel written of such an exceptional understanding of the energy of life that surges within all living creatures. An energy superceded only by the power of love, loyalty, devotion and honor. The world must read this novel, for it is a part of everything.

I thougth that it was a good book. There is some good action in it but at the same time its a very sad book. Although the character is a dog you can relate to him how he is a outcast and no one likes him to learning the way of the wild and becoming a good sled dog. He is a fast learner to the law of club and fang and is a strong leader. This was a good book with a great ending and i would suggest reading it.

I remember reading "To Build a Fire" in school in eighth grade. It is a fairly short story about a man travelling in extremely cold conditions who falls in a creek and, in order to stay alive, has to build a fire. It by itself is a great story, but along with "White Fang" and "The Call of the Wild," this is just an excellent book for anyone who likes life and death struggles and, well, dogs and wolves.

The book White Fang was about a wolf-dog that lived with his
owner.Then one day his master got drunk by drinking and his master
sold him to a mean man.

Does the world really need yet another book on Jack the Ripper? The answer, based on this most recent offering at least, is probably not. Since the Whitechapel Murders occurred in 1888-91, over 100 non-fiction titles have been published on the topic. Predictably, because of the high number, they run the gamut from brilliant to embarrassingly bad. This one falls somewhere in the middle.

Despite the subtitle, this is not simply an alphabetically arranged series of entries. It begins with a concise, well-organized synopsis of each of the murder investigations and discusses 18 possible victims. In a summary section, Eddleston concludes that eight women likely fell victim to Jack although, as has become fashionable lately, he believes that Elizabeth Stride, the first victim of the so-called "double event" of 30 September 1888, should, perhaps, not be included. The book also contains detailed street maps (among the best published so far) and new photographs of the murder sites as they now look. Unfortunately, at a time when extensive footnotes have become a mandatory aspect of serious Ripper research, this book contains none. And while the discussions of the murders are quite good, they are not as good as those in Philip Sugden's monumental The Complete History of Jack the Ripper which appeared, early in 2002, in revised paperback editions published by Robinson in London and by Carroll & Graf in New York.

The encyclopedic part of the book consists of separate chapters in which the witnesses, the police, "others who played a part", and suspects (a whopping 114 of them) are each summarized in alphabetical entries. This can be rather confusing since a researcher has to know into which category a subject fits before it can be looked up. (One can, of course, use the index, although that seems to defeat the purpose of creating an alphabetical list in the first place.) In addition to naming the many suspects, Eddleston also ranks each of them on a scale from 0 to 5 on their chances of being the Ripper. The large number of possible suspects seems, frankly, excessive---especially since many of them are introduced only to be immediately discounted. And several of the major suspects (except, of course, for Eddleston's own favourite) seem to be dismissed from consideration rather cavalierly. In any event, the encyclopedic aspect of the book cannot compete with what is unquestionably the leading reference book in the field, the most recent edition of The Jack the Ripper A-Z (London: Headline, 1996) compiled by Paul Begg, Martin Fido, and Keith Skinner.

Ultimately, in a final summary, Eddleston opts for George Hutchinson as the most likely of the named suspects. This is certainly not a novel suggestion since this witness, who figured prominently in the Mary Jane Kelly murder inquiry, has become an increasingly popular candidate in recent years. In fact, his candidacy was thoroughly explored by Bob Hinton in From Hell: The Jack the Ripper Mystery (Abertillery, Wales: Old Bakehouse Publications, 1998). Now, admittedly, From Hell has its own set of problems. It, too, has no footnotes and is very obviously in need of a good editor and proofreader; nonetheless, it contains much the same information on Hutchinson as Jack the Ripper: An Encyclopedia but at a fraction of the cost.

There is a chapter devoted to correspondence, which includes a discussion of several of the letters allegedly written by the murderer. Eddleston includes the letter dated 17 September 1888 [Ref: HO 144/221/A49301C] that was first published in Paul Feldman's Jack the Ripper: The Final Chapter (London: Virgin, 1997). He refers to this letter two or three times and places a great deal of importance on it. Unfortunately, very few Ripper researchers consider the letter to be genuine; nearly all believe it to be a modern hoax that was planted among the official documents in the Public Record Office. Now, there is nothing wrong with Eddleston's deciding that the letter is real and using its contents accordingly; but he should, at the very least, advert to the fact that there is serious disagreement among the experts as to the letter's authenticity. To do any less is to mislead his readers.

A potentially very useful chapter deals with the myths and errors that have crept into Ripper research over the years. The canards that he attempts to explode deal with only the five canonical victims (Nichols, Chapman, Stride, Eddowes, and Kelly) and, once again, the undertaking is hampered by the lack of footnoting. Eddleston lists neither the sources of the myths nor the sources of his (presumably correct) answers, so the value of the section is rather limited.

A chapter dealing with "The Literature" contains an annotated listing of some of the books and films that have dealt with Jack the Ripper. The list hits most of the major items that should be brought to the attention of novice researchers in the field, but they are mixed in with a lot of material that should be avoided. Eddleston could have been a little more conscientious in separating the wheat from the chaff. And, in his discussion of the errors that exist in some of the better-known books, references to the relevant page numbers would have been helpful. Just prior to the final summary mentioned above, the book concludes, interestingly, in the same way as From Hell, with detailed directions on how to conduct your own "Ripper walk" through the East End.

The last difficulty with this book is its remarkably high price. If the cost were more reasonable, it would be easier to recommend the book because it does contain some useful information. As it is, however, only the most fanatical collectors of Ripperana should purchase it. It's not that this is a bad book; it's just that there are better books available, for much less money, which cover more or less the same ground.

This book is logically organized into different sections (victims, witnesses, police, etc.) & then alphabetically arranged within each section, so it's very easy to find what you're looking for, even without using the extensive index. Eddleston debunks many of the popular theories on who the killer may have been, & intelligently & concisely describes pros & cons for Jack the Ripper's possible victims (5 to 8 seems to be the most frequently cited range for the number of murders he committed). I disagree with certain of his conclusions (e.g., that Elizabeth Stride was probably not a victim), but more often than not, I feel that Eddleston is right on target. His discussion of Aaron Cohen & Nathan Kaminsky is interesting, as is his belief that George Hutchinson or "Unknown Male" (someone who has not come to light) are two of the most likely candidates. Good discussion of the Maybrick Diary. Even though some of his logic is faulty, I'd have to say that this is one of the three best Jack the Ripper books in my library (along with Philip Sugden's "The Complete Casebook of Jack the Ripper" & Paul Begg's, et. al., "The Jack the Ripper A-Z." It's high priced but well written & well made & worth the money.

... this is, without doubt, one of the best Ripper books EVER produced. It is complete in that it covers every possible victim, every suspect and everyone who plays a part. The arguments are logical and not sullied by the blinkered stupidity of most other writers on the subject. It is an ideal reference work for the newcomer to the field or the so-called self-ackowledged expert and should be on everyone's shelf. Better to buy this book than a dozen others covering the nonsense of the Freemason conspiracy or the nonsense of the Maybrick theory.
Ninety nine percent of books on this topic are dross. There are a few gems and this is up there with them. ...