"Stasz's portrait of London is a unique view of the man at home, a home defined by the women in his life. . . . Now we are able to see London the patriarch, an incredibly significant part of his identity, without having to excuse it or cover it up with assertions about the greatness of his art. . . . This book is a masterpiece of archival research. It is invaluable."—Jay Williams, editor of the Jack London Journal
"Writers like Ernest Hemingway and Jack London, notorious for their hard drinking, womanizing, and adventure seeking, are ripe for biographies that focus on the women in their lives. Can these men really embody the monolithic machismo they project to the public, or is there another story to tell in private? In this biography, Stasz (history, Sonoma State Univ.; The Vanderbilt Women) uses newly available letters and diaries to flesh out the various women who knew London best: his mother, a stepsister, a friend, his first wife, two daughters, and, most of all, his second wife, Charmian. What results is a view of London the patriarch, a persona that fits all too comfortably with his hypermasculine image. Within the context of his family, he appears manipulative, miserly, and, at times, downright cruel. (In one letter he compares his daughter Joan to a "ruined colt" that can't be trained: "I say let the colt go. Kill it, sell it, give it away.") As for his women, their stories feel blunted and lackluster, never fully developed apart from their relation to London's fame. Recommended only for academic libraries"—Library Journal
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