Jack London's Ranch AlbumWhen it first appeared in 1913, John Barleycorn was an immediate sensation. America's most famous author, the creator of The Sea Wolf and The Call of the Wild, had confessed to a lifelong struggle with alcohol. Temperance advocates used John Barleycorn in the push for prohibition; liquor companies denounced it; a popular movie was made of it; ministers cited it in sermons.
John Barleycorn is, however, more than a tract against demon rum and an insightful portrait of the mind of the drinker. It is, above all, a powerful and revealing look at Jack London himself. Into this unique confession, London poured much of his astonishing life, from his days as a work beast in the Oakland canneries to his exploits as an oyster pirate on San Francisco Bay, from his sailing adventures to his triumphs as an author. It is the closest London came to writing his autobiography.