Buck is the pampered offspring of a St. Bernard and a shepherd dog. When men find gold in the Yukon Buck's comfortable life in the sun-kissed Santa Clara Valley comes to an end. Kidnapped and dragged away to be a sledge dog in the harsh and freezing North, Buck must fight for survival. London's most famous work draws from his experiences as a gold prospector in the Canadian wilderness as well as his ideas about nature and the struggle for existence.