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.