Iron Heel by Jack London, 1556520719, Lowest Book Price Finder

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Jack London's prophetic 1908 dystopian novel

In 1905 the troops of the Tsar crushed the Russian revolution of 1905. Although the uprising did force Nicholas II to establish a consitution and a parliament, the Russian revolution of 1917 would change the face of the world. However, the uprising also had the interesting effect of inspiring two of the more interesting utopian novels of the early 20th century. One was "Red Star," the socialist utopia on Mars created by the Russian writer Alexander Bogdanov, a Bolshevik and intimate of Lenin. The other was "The Iron Heel," by Jack London, the American author best known for "The Call of the Wild." Whereas Bogdanov forsees the ultimate victory of the socialist and scientific-technical revolutions, London predicts global revolutionary and counter-revolutionary forces ending up in an apocalyptic battle betwen the impoverished workers and the privileged minorities. Consequently, the two authors share a common socialist perspective, although Bogdanov writes a utopian novel and London creates a dystopia.

"The Iron Heel" was written in 1908 and remains one of the more prophetic novels of the 20th century. His track record with regards to a national secrety police agency, the rise of Fascism, the creation of attractive suburbs for the middle class while the unemployed and menials live in "ghettoes," is remarkedly better than that of Edward Belleamy's "Looking Backward," Aldoux Huxley's "Brave New World," or George Orwell's "1984," the novels that are usually judged by their prescience in terms of utopian literature.

The novel presents the story of the American revolutionary Earnest Everhard, as told by his wife Avis, who is actually the more effective revolutionary leader. London tells how the manuscript was unknown for seven centuries, to be discovered long after the final triumph of socialist democracy in the yar 419 B.O.M. Avis Everhard describes the struggles of the working masses against the oligarchy, and how they were ruthlessly suppressed, especially in the Chicago Commune that is the main setting for the action. There is a strong current of violence, with Black Hundreds wrecking the socialist presses,a bomb exploding in the House of Representatives, and revolutionaries being hunted down by the military arm of the government known as the Iron Heel. The Everhard Manuscript breaks off in the middle of a sentence, a footnote explaining that history does not know if the author escaped or was captured.

The story is somewhat atypical for London in that it does not represent the white supermacist and male dominant vision of the world we usually find in his novels. London's message is the blatant warning that if you allow the Revolution to be defeated, then the ruling class will "grind you revolutionists down under our heel, and we shall walk upon your faces." Ultimately "The Iron Heel" is a novel whose importance clearly outstrips its literary quality. The problem is that with the end of World War II and the defeat (essentially) of Fascism that London's novel was no longer of interest as the world was confronted with a new set of problems. Yet, London's dytopian novel is one of the works in that genre that deserves to be reconsidered more often.

An interesting and educating novel.

Critics will no doubt label this book the Communist Manifesto rewritten but it is dificult not to sympathize with the main tenets of the novel. The indictment of the America's prevalent capitalist orthodoxy is written in an engaging and thought provoking way although like most books of this nature, it strikes a stronger chord with the readership in its critique of the modern society rather than its proposed method of social change.

On closer analysis, it could be said that this book is a cameo of the general attitude of westerners towards communism. Agreement with many of its principles but an aversion to the societal overhaul it advocates. I'd still recommend it to anyone wishing to gain a grounding in communist thought.

Politically dusty, but still interesting

Who would have thunk it? Jack London, author of "Call of the Wild," wrote a fantasy novel about a socialist revolution in America at the turn of the century. The tired socialist diatribes that form the bulk of this novel are laughable today, but still it's an interesting story. Perhaps even more interesting is that fact that this book, which glorifies socialism, may have been the inspiration for a book that glorifies facism: "The Turner Diaries." And that book, of course, is believed by some to have been the "blueprint" for the Oklahoma City bombing. Fortunately, London's fantasy didn't come true in America, but it did in Russia... and millions of lives were lost as a result.

The Iorn heel has become My left foot!!!

I read this book almost 50 years ago. I was so taken with it I made a secret pact with my self, when "when I get out of school, I'm going to become a revolutionary, or at the least a great union leader, I will bring the Iorn Heeled Devel's to thier knees"' Jack London's portrait of the workers vs capitalist was from his view at the turn of the century probably very accurate. The masses had to free the world, they had to rise up, fight for a fair share. Well it happened, some of the battle's were more violent,in Russia the workers won; or at least they believed thay had. It took another 50 years to find the down troden had traded one form of terror for another. I went out of my way many miles to visit Jack London" estate in California, this was just a few years ago. It seemed in one short lifetime he had won; but he had joined the enemy. He had surronded himself with things for which all men strive. wealth comfort and fame. Jack London was one of the great authors of all times, but until he discovered his God given talent and exersized it in a way to achive in a socity that will pay for excellents, he might for ever struggled under the "Iorn Heal".

Ron Steele Moab Utah

The Iorn heel has become My left foot!!!

Ron Steele Moab Utah

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