Other editions of book The Road

The Road is an autobiographical memoir by Jack London, first published in 1907. It is London's account of his experiences as a hobo in the 1890s, during the worst economic depression the United States had experienced up to that time.[1] He describes his experiences hopping freight trains, "holding down" a train when the crew is trying to throw him off, begging for food and money, and making up extraordinary stories to fool the police. He also tells of the thirty days that he spent in the Erie County Penitentiary, which he described as a place of "unprintable horrors," after being "pinched" (arrested) for vagrancy. In addition, he recounts his time with Kelley's Army, which he joined up with in Wyoming and remained with until its dissolution at the Mississippi River.

"I went on 'The Road' because I couldn't keep away from it; because I hadn't the price of the railroad fare in my jeans; because I was so made that I couldn't work all my life on 'one same shift'; because — well, just because it was easier to than not to." Jack London's "road" is the railroad, and these reminiscences paint a vivid portrait of life in the United States during the major economic depression of the 1890s. His compelling adventures include a month-long detention in a state penitentiary for vagrancy, as well as his travels with Kelly's Army, a group of unemployed workers who united to protest the labor environment. London honed his storytelling skills during his hobo days, spinning yarns to avoid arrest and to cajole food and money from sympathetic listeners. This compelling memoir — which inspired the 1973 movie Emperor of the North Pole — also chronicles London's inner journey, from self-interested freebooter to social activist.

Experience the trials and hardships of a beloved writers life in this InAudio production of Jack Londons memoir, The Road. Jack London is primarily known for his novels and short stories that center the natural world. The Road is a more personal story and takes readers through Londons experiences in poverty in the late 1800s, which was the time of the largest economic depression in the United States to that day. London writes about his experiences begging, sneaking onto trains, taking on many odd jobs, and evading the police who are out to arrest any vagrants. He also details his experience of eventually being arrested and subject to the horrors of a penitentiary, a sobering 30 days that would serve as the turning point for his life and lead to him seeking education and becoming a writer.The Road is an impactful and intriguing memoir that gives readers an appreciation for humanity of the poor, and a new understanding for the difficulties of those who suffer the most during times of national economic crisis.

The Road is an autobiographical memoir by Jack London, first published in 1907. It is London's account of his experiences as a hobo in the 1890s, during the worst economic depression the United States had experienced up to that time. He describes his experiences hopping freight trains, "holding down" a train when the crew is trying to throw him off, begging for food and money, and making up extraordinary stories to fool the police. He also tells of the thirty days that he spent in the Erie County Penitentiary, which he described as a place of "unprintable horrors," after being "pinched" (arrested) for vagrancy. In addition, he recounts his time with Kelly's Army, which he joined up with in Wyoming and remained with until its dissolution at the Mississippi River. Odin’s Library Classics is dedicated to bringing the world the best of humankind’s literature from throughout the ages. Carefully selected, each work is unabridged from classic works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama.

The Road, written by Jack London, is an autobiographical memoir about his life as a hobo during the 1890's. The book also details London's arrest for vagrancy and his experiences after joining Kelly's Army. Jack London was one of the greatest American writers of the early 20th century. London's most famous novels were Call of the Wild and White Fang, both of which were set during the Klondike Gold Rush. Despite only living 40 years, London was a very prolific writer and his books are still widely read throughout the world.

Excerpt from The RoadThe doors were slammed in my face I stood in the open door A bone to the dog is not charity I knocked softly at the kitchen door She looked at me closely when she got me into the light.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The Road is an autobiographical memoir by Jack London, first published in 1907. It is London's account of his experiences as a hobo in the 1890s, during the worst economic depression the United States had experienced up to that time. He describes his experiences hopping freight trains, "holding down" a train when the crew is trying to throw him off, begging for food and money, and making up extraordinary stories to fool the police. He also tells of the thirty days that he spent in the Erie County Penitentiary, which he described as a place of "unprintable horrors," after being "pinched" (arrested) for vagrancy. In addition, he recounts his time with Kelly's Army, which he joined up with in Wyoming and remained with until its dissolution at the Mississippi River.

Written in 1907, "On the Road" is Jack London's collection of stories from his life as a hobo. In this entertaining collection of tales and autobiographical essays, London relates every aspect of the hobo's life -- from catching a train to cadging a meal. The wealth of experiences and the necessity of having to lie for a living brought depth London's subsequent stories. In "On the Road," Jack London relates the tricks that hoboes used to evade train crews, and reminisces about his travels with Kelly's Army. Jack London later credited his story-telling skill to the hobo's necessity of concocting tales to coax meals from sympathetic strangers.