Desert Hawk Books

 

The Abysmal Brute

Jack London

Introduction by
Michael Oriard

 

176 pages
1 Illustrations
6" x 9"
Paperback

Quantity:  $10.00 & S/H  

 

Before anyone knew there was such a thing, Jack London gave us the natural: Young Pat Glendon has never drunk alcohol nor tasted tobacco.  He loves nature, is afraid of cites, and is shy of women.  And he is a perfect fighter.  Summoned from the city to consider such a prospect, cynical Sam Stubener, manager of prize-fighters, is struck by the boy's extraordinary athletic grace - and soon man and boy are off to San Francisco to take on the heavyweight world.

The Abysmal Brute is the story of natural grace pitted against worldly brutishness.  A subtle social drama played out in the arena of sport - in a day long before sport moved to the center of American culture - it is also a rousing romantic tale in the tradition of one of our great storyteller.  As Pat hones his skill - and his curious style - on one champion fighter after another, he contends for the heart of a lovely admirer and for the soul of professional boxing, whose rampant corruption his blows expose.

Jack London (1876-1916) wrote such classics as Call of the Wild, White Fang, and The Sea-Wolf.
Michael Oriard is the author of Reading Football: How the Popular Press Created an American Spectacle and other works.  He is a professor of English at Oregon State University.