The Sea-Wolf (1904) is an adventure novel by American writer Jack
London. Inspired by his acquaintance Captain Alex MacLean, a sailor from
the Pacific Northwest, London sought to write a novel of the high seas
with psychological and philosophical underpinnings.
An intelligent scholar named Humphrey van Weyden boards a ferry in San
Francisco. Lost in the fog, the Martinez collides with another ship,
and van Weyden is tossed overboard. Afloat in the Bay, he is discovered
and rescued by Wolf Larsen, a gruff captain of a seal-hunting vessel.
Aboard the schooner Ghost, van Weyden finds himself conscripted as a
cabin boy, and must quickly adjust to the rough nature of seafaring life
while immuring himself to the rages and peculiarities of Larsen. When
his disgruntled crew stages a mutiny in response to his abuses, the
savvy and powerful captain overwhelms them, and van Weyden, now known as
Hump, is promoted to mate. With a depleted crew, the Ghost continues
on through the hunting season, but its troubles are far from over. The
Sea-Wolf is a story set in some of Earth's harshest environments that
brings two men from opposite positions in life together with one goal in
mind: survival.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript,
this edition of Jack London's The Sea-Wolf is a classic of American
literature reimagined for modern readers.