Offered here is an early reprint of the classic dog story The Call of the Wild by the American novelist, journalist and activist Jack London (1876-1916) first serialized in the Saturday Evening Post in 1903 and then later published in book form the same year.  This classic heartbreaking novel centres around Buck a St. Bernard–Scotch Shepherd mix stolen from his home in Santa Clara Valley California and sold as a sled dog in Alaska. Buck is forced to fight to survive in the harsh conditions.  This story has been adapted in film versions many times with the latest cinematic live action computer-animated adaptation in 2020 starring Harrison Ford.

Title  page reads:

The Call of the Wild by Jack London – Illustrated by Philip R. Goodwin and Charles Livingston Bull – Decorated by Chas. Edw. Hooper – Published by Grosset & Dunlap, New York  - Published July 1903… Reprinted July; August; September; December 1903; January, March; September; November 1906; January; April; November 1906; June 1907. 

There are 18 full page black and white illustrations throughout and including the frontispiece by the American illustrators Philip Goodwin (1881-1935) and Charles Livingston Bull (1874-1932). There are also small decorations throughout by Charles Edward Hooper.

This 231 page  approximately 8 by 5 ½ inch hardcover is in fairly good condition. The text pages are clear. However there is some browning of the inside front and back covers illustrated with a dogsled. There is a small diagonal tear in the bottom right hand corner of the front endpaper with the dogsled illustration that has been repaired with a piece of clear tape.  There is a personal inscription in fountain pen on the inside front endpaper that reads: “May Neuenhauser With Much Love for October 31^st, 1907 from her affectionate grand-mother M.A. Henderson. “

The binding is solid. However, one of the illustrations on page 169 has come loose and the illustration on page 84 is almost loose. The decorative green cloth cover with an applied litho pastedown illustration  has just a bit of wear along the edges; a bit more at the corners and top and bottom of the spine.