- Title: The Faith of Men and Other Stories
- Author: Jack London
- Publisher: The Regent Press
- Estimated year of printing: 1904
Notes:
Jack London (1876 – 1916) was a notable American novelist, being one of the first to become an international celebrity, and was an innovator in the genre that would come to be known as science fiction. London was largely self-educated, and started a life as a sailor at the age 14, and then became a vagrant at the age of 17. At age 21 he travelled to join the Klondike Gold Rush, a time period in his life which went on to inspire many of his most popular books. In 1898 he travelled back to his home state of California and began his writing career, initially focused on short stores for magazines.
The Faith of Men is a collection of short stories, focused on Jack London’s experience among the gold miners and trappers in the Yukon Territory. It was one of his earliest works, but still was published after his most notable work, The Call of the Wild, which was published in 1903.
The Faith of Men was first published by MacMillian, this is a reprint by The Regent Press with a more decorative cover design. I couldn’t find much about The Regent Press, it appears to have been a relatively short-lived publisher around the turn of the 20th century, and most of the books it published were reprints of Jack London books.
Historical context:
When this book was printed in 1904, Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States. This is the year in which the United States purchased the Panama Canal Zone and began building the canal. Also, Longacre Square in New York City was renamed Times Square, and then held its first New Year Eve’s celebration. The ice cream cone was invented in 1904 at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, held to celebrate the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase.
Further Reading:
Faith of Men – Jack London State Historic Park