Though less famous than his tales of men and huskies in the frigid north, Jack London's memoir, THE ROAD, is considered by scholars to be one of his greatest and most important works. Describing London's travels across America by foot, train, and raft, and his encounters with hobos, drifters, prisoners, and the unionist protestors of Kelly's Army (a political group that marched on Washington in 1894), THE ROAD provides a colorful and heartfelt portrait of America. The memoir also chronicles London's philosophical shift from pure individualism to committed socialism. The book can be seen as an important precursor to Jack Kerouac's road novels and George Orwell's social commentary, and as an early example of the prison memoir (London spends time in a brutal New York State prison). And since many of the stories and details were embellished or borrowed (as London admits himself in his opening "Confession"), THE ROAD can also be seen as an early instance of Gonzo journalism.