The Cruise of the Snark
The Cruise of the Snark (1911) is a work of travel literature by American writer Jack London. In 1906, after achieving early success as an author of novels and short stories, London began dreaming of the adventures of his youth. Inspired, he spent a fortune to build a 45-foot yacht complete with two sails and a 70-horsepower engine, powerful enough to carry him across the Pacific. Envisioning a seven-year journey, London and his wife Charmian set sail on the Snark with a small crew in 1907. Over the next two years, they would visit Hawaii-where London learned to surf and visited a leper colony-and the Marquesas Islands-made famous by Herman Melville's first novel, Typee. Other stops included Tahiti, Bora Bora, Fiji, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands. During the voyage, London learned the art of sailing and celestial navigation, ensuring that his travelogue-which he filled with photographs from the journey-would be authentic and instructive. In 1909, the Snark was forced to end its voyage in Guadalcanal so that London, suffering from infection, could be taken to a hospital in Sydney. To help cover costs, the Snark was sold in Australia in 1909, and the Londons returned to America via Ecuador later that year. In addition to The Cruise of the Snark, London would publish numerous essays and articles about the trip, and his wife Charmian also wrote three books of her own on the subject. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Jack London's The Cruise of the Snark is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.
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The Voice of a People: Speeches from Black America is a collection of historical speeches by some of the nation's leading black intellectuals, activists, artists, and organizers. Featuring such orators as Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, Sojourner Truth, and W. E. B. Du Bois, the collection reflects their leadership on issues ranging from abolition to lynching, women's suffrage, black nationalism, and labor organizing. In transmitting the public medium of speech to the page, The Voice of a People: Speeches from Black America endeavors to provide proper historical context and relevant biographical information for each orator and their work. By keeping their words alive, we not only honor the sacrifices of leaders who paved the way for African Americans today, but ensure their work will continue to contribute towards a better future for all.
