Jack London is a character study, an effort to capture the essence of London's personality. For Dyer, this involves first identifying facts and separating them from myths, exaggerations, and falsehoods: "In this biography," he says, I have attempted to stick to verified facts about Jack London's life. This is not always easy. So many legends about him have grown since his death that it is difficult, at times, to separate what really happened from what might have happened.

While he was alive, Jack himself was occasionally guilty of adding to the legend by exaggerating his accomplishments.

Thus, Dyer approaches his subject with a skeptical mind, trusting little without testing it for accuracy first. This may account for the marvelous descriptions of London and his times, as well as the clear explanations of London's views and of his importance as an historical figure.

This skeptical approach also...