Two families are united—and torn apart—by the Civil War in these three dramatic novels by the #1 New York Times–bestselling master of the historical epic. In North and South, the first volume of John Jakes’s acclaimed and sweeping saga, a friendship is threatened by the divisions of the Civil War. In the years leading up to the Civil War, one enduring friendship embodies the tensions of a nation. … embodies the tensions of a nation. Orry Main from South Carolina and George Hazard from Pennsylvania forge a lasting bond while training at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Together they fight in the Mexican-American War, but their closeness is tested as their regional politics diverge. As the first rounds are fired at Fort Sumter, Orry and George find themselves on different sides of the coming struggle. In John Jakes’s unmatched style, North and South launches a trilogy that captures the fierce passions of a country at the precipice of disaster.
In Love and War, the Main and Hazard families clash on and off the Civil War’s battlefields as they grapple with the violent realities of a divided nation. With the Confederate and Union armies furiously fighting, the once-steadfast bond between the Main and Hazard families continues to be tested. From opposite sides of the conflict, they face heartache and triumph on the frontlines as they fight for the future of the nation and their loved ones. With his impeccable research and unfailing devotion to the historical record, John Jakes offers his most enthralling and enduring tale yet.
In Heaven and Hell, the battle between the Mains and Hazards—and Confederate and Union armies—comes to a brilliant end. The last days of the Civil War bring no peace for the Main and Hazard families. As the Mains’ South smolders in the ruins of defeat, the Hazards’ North pushes blindly for relentless industrial progress. Both the nation and the families’ long-standing bond hover on the brink of destruction. In the series’ epic conclusion, Jakes expertly blends personal conflict with historical events, crafting a haunting page-turner about America’s constant change and unyielding hope.
This “entertaining [and] authentic dramatization” (The New York Times) is a thrilling tale of shifting loyalties, set during one of the darkest moments in American history.
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Read these books years ago. Loved them.
This book, (and time 1850-1866) is sadly similar to today’s diverging population. Leading up to the Civil War, there was distrust and animosity dividing north and south. It split people in a way that looks like today’s left and right.
Makes me worry about where we’re heading.
Good eye opening read!
While these books have a history of being wildly popular best sellers, I did not enjoy the plotting or characters. I read only about fifty pages in the first book and then deleted the trilogy.
The best in historical fiction!
Very entertaining and well written. What it lacks in historical detail it makes up in character development and drama. Be prepared to commit to reading all three. It makes a good beach book.
John Jake’s has always been one of my favorite writers. His examination if two families tied together yet fighting on opposite sides of the Civil War is a page turning epic. I love these books and wished they could go on forever.
This trilogy was wonderful. I enjoy generational stories and this followed a family that seemed real. John Jakes is one of my favorite authors.
I read them years ago
It is even more captivating than the movie.
A great way to get history in story form
Excellent historical drama
Two families. One from the South, one from the North. Two young men meet at West Point where they form a friendship that will be tried and tested and will survive regardless of circumstances. Orry is from South Carolina and George is from Pennsylvania. The first book, North and South, deals with the friends and their families before the civil …
This is one of my very favorites of the era. The third book captured my attention as much as the first.
Fantastic storyteller about a terrible time in our history. So many sides, stories to be told. Characters provacative and memorable. What would you do?
historical fiction helps us to understand the past
A great book for anyone interested in US history in the late 1800s. Good characters, good plot. Very entertaining.
The timespan this trilogy covers and the time invested reading it really allows the reader to develop a personal relationship with the characters. Set before, during, and after the Civil War, Jakes’ story is unlike most set in this time span as it is not pro-Union or pro-Confederacy, it’s merely a product of the time. The earlier years detail …
Read it years ago and when I re-read it on my Nook, it still was as entertaining as before. Great family saga with history of Civil War.
So relatable to current times, as well as the past.
Like “Gone with the Wind” only with both North and South viewpoints interwoven into two families. Historical romance