THE BOOK OF JACK LONDON. [In Two Volumes.]

1921. [both vols. inscribed by Charmian] Illustrated with Photographs. New York: The Century Co., 1921. Original green cloth.

First Edition of Charmian London's personal biography, copiously illustrated with photographic plates, of her husband who had died five years earlier. Quoting from her Preface, Here I give to the world my Jack London -- a virile creature compounded of curiosity and fearlessness, the very texture of fine sensibility, the loving heart and discerning intuitions of a woman, an ardent brain, and a divine belief in himself. And since he was first and foremost his own man, I render... also his own Jack London. This set is in very good-plus condition, with minor rubbing at the extremities and (as usual) the spine gilt rather dull. The front free endpaper of each volume is inscribed and signed by Charmian London to "Harry" Fish (her quotation marks) -- in Glen Ellen California in 1935. Vol I reads "Wishing you could have known the man, and not only his humble biographer --". Her Vol II inscription is "The first volume is preparation for this part of Jack's life, of course. And it treats of a place and of a persona you know. I hope you won't be disappointed. Yours very sincerely,". Loosely inserted is a post card postmarked July 10th 1935 in Rio Nido (on the Russian River), addressed to Charmian K. London but with the salutation "Dear Mrs. London" -- from "Harry" of that town; in it he says he received her card, and will call on her on July 17th -- which quite likely would be the day she gave and inscribed these two volumes to him. The Vol I half-title bears the Jack London "wolf's head" bookplate, a reduced version of which appears on each title page; presumably, this set had belonged to Charmian for 14 years. The Vol II half-title bears a tipped-on silver print of a photograph of Jack London at the wheel of a boat (the "Roamer"?).