What do you think?
Rate this book
North and South #1-3
The North and South Trilogy: North and South / Love and War / Heaven and Hell
A special three-in-one edition of John Jakes’ North and South Trilogy
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. 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.
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. 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.
2600 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1988
1225 people are currently reading
1194 people want to read
About the author
John Jakes
411 books961 followersJohn William Jakes, the author of more than a dozen novels, is regarded as one of today’s most distinguished writers of historical fiction. His work includes the highly acclaimed Kent Family Chronicles series and the North and South Trilogy. Jakes’s commitment to historical accuracy and evocative storytelling earned him the title of “the godfather of historical novelists” from the Los Angeles Times and led to a streak of sixteen consecutive New York Times bestsellers. Jakes has received several awards for his work and is a member of the Authors Guild and the PEN American Center. He and his wife, Rachel, live on the west coast of Florida.
Also writes under pseudonyms Jay Scotland, Alan Payne, Rachel Ann Payne, Robert Hart Davis, Darius John Granger, John Lee Gray. Has ghost written as William Ard.
Also writes under pseudonyms Jay Scotland, Alan Payne, Rachel Ann Payne, Robert Hart Davis, Darius John Granger, John Lee Gray. Has ghost written as William Ard.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
October 23, 2014
Great book
the book was so much better than the tv series, a lot more additional details. well worth the read. you really start to feel for the characters after a while.
the book was so much better than the tv series, a lot more additional details. well worth the read. you really start to feel for the characters after a while.
April 5, 2020
Many, many years ago I was introduced to the North and South book series by a television miniseries of the same name. It starred a young (and absolutely gorgeous) Patrick Swayze.
After watching the miniseries I knew I just had to read the books. Since then I have reread them many times and every time I was struck by the way John Jakes was able to convey the extreme emotionality of the Civil War Era.
If anyone has not yet read this book series, they need to add it to their TBR (To Be Read) list.
I rate NORTH AND SOUTH as 4 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
After watching the miniseries I knew I just had to read the books. Since then I have reread them many times and every time I was struck by the way John Jakes was able to convey the extreme emotionality of the Civil War Era.
If anyone has not yet read this book series, they need to add it to their TBR (To Be Read) list.
I rate NORTH AND SOUTH as 4 out of 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
April 14, 2023
Gave me a good perspective of the social and political situation in the united states before, during and after the civil war. The story is good and well researched.
September 15, 2025
Great Saga
Fictional saga of family struggles during a terrible time in our country. Characters fully developed. it is a tale of survival and the cost of war and greed.
Fictional saga of family struggles during a terrible time in our country. Characters fully developed. it is a tale of survival and the cost of war and greed.
February 4, 2016
I started reading this one in the vet's office while waiting on test results for my elderly dog. So far good. I really enjoyed this one - I finished it 12-19-15. Then I bought a couple of other books and will read at least one before going on to "Love and War"
1-8-16 Started "Love and War" after finishing "the gallio affair". I am really starting to get very interested in the Hazard and Main families. I am very much looking forward to reading what happens next. I finished this one 1-15-16. The detail that goes into the story shows how very destructive the Civil War was. Not only to the family involved, but to the land itself and everything around it. I will read another book, then come back and the finish trilogy.
1-29-16 Started "Heaven and Hell" this morning. Looking forward to story.
2-4-16 Finished this one with my morning coffee. What a great trilogy!! I am very glad to have spent the money for the set. I might see about buying more books from this writer. I just with that more of his books came in sets like this one.
To anyone that enjoys historal fiction this one is for you. ENJOY!!
1-8-16 Started "Love and War" after finishing "the gallio affair". I am really starting to get very interested in the Hazard and Main families. I am very much looking forward to reading what happens next. I finished this one 1-15-16. The detail that goes into the story shows how very destructive the Civil War was. Not only to the family involved, but to the land itself and everything around it. I will read another book, then come back and the finish trilogy.
1-29-16 Started "Heaven and Hell" this morning. Looking forward to story.
2-4-16 Finished this one with my morning coffee. What a great trilogy!! I am very glad to have spent the money for the set. I might see about buying more books from this writer. I just with that more of his books came in sets like this one.
To anyone that enjoys historal fiction this one is for you. ENJOY!!
March 23, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars
What an Incredible Price ($1.99 today) for Three Fantastic Books!!
Format: KINDLE EDITION
What an incredible story!! John Jakes is a very talented writer. He brings his characters to life and makes them believable. This saga was so very insightful into both sides of the Civil War that you could sympathize and understand what each side felt and their justification for their way of life. I'm not taking sides, but seeing them.
The Mains were a genteel, wealthy family of the South and the Hazards were very successful in their Pennsylvania steel company. Orry Main and George Hazard met at West Point and became lifelong friends. Even through the war between the states, when they were on opposing sides, they remained true to their friendship. This three-book saga takes you through the years leading up to the war and brings you through the devastation and aftermath of the war. This is definitely worth investing the time to read.
Wishing You Happy Reading!!
https://www.amazon.com/North-South-Tr...
What an Incredible Price ($1.99 today) for Three Fantastic Books!!
Format: KINDLE EDITION
What an incredible story!! John Jakes is a very talented writer. He brings his characters to life and makes them believable. This saga was so very insightful into both sides of the Civil War that you could sympathize and understand what each side felt and their justification for their way of life. I'm not taking sides, but seeing them.
The Mains were a genteel, wealthy family of the South and the Hazards were very successful in their Pennsylvania steel company. Orry Main and George Hazard met at West Point and became lifelong friends. Even through the war between the states, when they were on opposing sides, they remained true to their friendship. This three-book saga takes you through the years leading up to the war and brings you through the devastation and aftermath of the war. This is definitely worth investing the time to read.
Wishing You Happy Reading!!
https://www.amazon.com/North-South-Tr...
May 12, 2017
I haven't finished even book one of the trilogy, but I have to stop. On the positive side, Jakes has very well developed characters. The interaction between them is believable. And his stories are interesting. My problem is how much I felt like I was reading a soap opera. Sorry, but that's they only way I can put it. For me, the story dragged with too much detail and too many characters. After several pages, the story had made little progress.
I am curious where the story goes, but I may have to pick up the mini-series for satisfaction.
I am curious where the story goes, but I may have to pick up the mini-series for satisfaction.
August 20, 2017
North and South trilogy
Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! This is one of the most detailed and graphic trilogies that I have ever read. I land on reading his other books. Highly recommended!
Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! This is one of the most detailed and graphic trilogies that I have ever read. I land on reading his other books. Highly recommended!
October 31, 2019
Great read!
Why is it we never seem to be able learn from history. One hundred and fifty years later and you can see the parallels.
Why is it we never seem to be able learn from history. One hundred and fifty years later and you can see the parallels.
May 12, 2020
I did it! I read all three!
I remember in the 80's watching the TV Miniseries. I think I only watched Book One. A few years ago, friends of our began wintering near Charleston. The walks downtown on King Street and the Battery piqued those memories of the miniseries. I decided I wanted to watch the miniseries again, but first, read the books. And so I began. Once each book was read, I watched the TV version.
Each year we visit our friends, and when we visit, the stories and characters come to life once again. I remember studying the Civil War, but I don't remember the details. Reading about the events through the eyes of the character teaches me about the war in a way no textbook ever could.
The books are l-o-n-g. I am a voracious reader, but even I had to take a break in between books. Thus, it taking me almost a year to get through all three. John Jakes is meticulous in his writing...preserving the factual within the fiction. He utilizes hundreds of characters, and at times, keeping the minor characters and the subplots is tedious.
I may never read them again, but I did it once! And the books are way better than the miniseries!
I remember in the 80's watching the TV Miniseries. I think I only watched Book One. A few years ago, friends of our began wintering near Charleston. The walks downtown on King Street and the Battery piqued those memories of the miniseries. I decided I wanted to watch the miniseries again, but first, read the books. And so I began. Once each book was read, I watched the TV version.
Each year we visit our friends, and when we visit, the stories and characters come to life once again. I remember studying the Civil War, but I don't remember the details. Reading about the events through the eyes of the character teaches me about the war in a way no textbook ever could.
The books are l-o-n-g. I am a voracious reader, but even I had to take a break in between books. Thus, it taking me almost a year to get through all three. John Jakes is meticulous in his writing...preserving the factual within the fiction. He utilizes hundreds of characters, and at times, keeping the minor characters and the subplots is tedious.
I may never read them again, but I did it once! And the books are way better than the miniseries!
July 25, 2018
4.5 stars. Took me seven weeks to read all three books straight through... but I honestly enjoyed all three. Exactly the kind of historical fiction I like- it uses the fictional characters to paint a thorough and compelling picture of a historical era I know about mostly from the classroom and a few movies (i.e. Gone with the Wind). Jakes uses the two families and the people that they meet to really detail the lives of people as diverse as the "southern belle gone wrong," the "westward explorer torn by his feelings of love/family and revenge," the "iron magnate," and the "buffalo soldier." Because he didn't try to cover too much ground- basically just covering a forty year time period- we get an in-depth look at the lead-up, experience of, and "reconstruction" after the Civil War. I thoroughly recommend the trilogy. The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because the writing, while excellent, never really "grabbed" me in and of itself.
November 14, 2019
The trilogy was great, I learned a lot about that time period in our history. I did have to take a break between the second and third volumes as they are all monster sized. The only beef I really have is with the last volume Heaven and Hell, not the story so much but the formatting in Kindle. Throughout the book, a paragraph would be on one subject then the very next line in the following paragraph would be an entirely new subject and or storyline, no page break, dotted line or new chapter - very distracting. Also, a lot of, what I’m guessing were newspaper excerpts in the print copy often came out as hard to follow gibberish. I’m thinking something was messed up when converted to digital. I don’t remember this with the first two volumes. All in all it is a great epic, one I’ll always remember.
September 15, 2022
A must read
The history, the insights into history and the personalities reflected from history are accurate and enjoyable reading, as well as thought provoking. I found myself examining some of my actions and thoughts as reflections of the racist era and environment of my youth; I suspect Jake's did the same.
The only element of the books that I found objectionable was the character, Bent. It might be that there is historical evidence of individuals like Bent and, if so, that might account for his inclusion. If not, it is a storyline I felt inappropriate and only added for its macabre drama. There's plenty of drama without Bent.
The history, the insights into history and the personalities reflected from history are accurate and enjoyable reading, as well as thought provoking. I found myself examining some of my actions and thoughts as reflections of the racist era and environment of my youth; I suspect Jake's did the same.
The only element of the books that I found objectionable was the character, Bent. It might be that there is historical evidence of individuals like Bent and, if so, that might account for his inclusion. If not, it is a storyline I felt inappropriate and only added for its macabre drama. There's plenty of drama without Bent.
July 28, 2020
This was an excellent read for the summer. These started out strong but ended a little weekly. I found the plot twists and turns a little predictable in the third book. I was especially disappointed by the fact that one of the main heroes made really poor decisions simply for the sake of suspense. I doubt anyone would have done what he did. I was actually surprised to see quite a few typos In the third book as well. As far as a historical fiction, it is outstanding, and I would recommend it for anyone who would like to see what life before during and after the Civil War was like.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2017
I don't believe John Jakes has ever written a bad book. He gives the reader a journey into the life and times of the subject. I love his series books that cover generations and time. This series gives the reader insight into the difficulty and the relationship between the North and South before, during and after the Civil War. This is a great read. Tho it is historical fiction, Mr. Jakes weaves fact through out the books. Thank you Mr. Jakes for your talent and skill as a story teller.
October 18, 2017
Thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy, it keeps you turning pages and repeatedly telling yourself, I'll finish this page and then go to sleep. The trilogy made the civil war so fresh in your mind, as though you were there. It really made it real for you. I have some of his other books and need to put them in order so I read them in sequence, even though they can stand alone.
May 25, 2019
Long read
Even though these books took me awhile to read, I really enjoyed them. I love the way James described the South ,the civil war, and the country moving on from there. I enjoyed seeing how the Mains and the Hazards lives Cindy through all these events. If you love history and a good story about how families survive, then this series is for you. I highly recommend.
Even though these books took me awhile to read, I really enjoyed them. I love the way James described the South ,the civil war, and the country moving on from there. I enjoyed seeing how the Mains and the Hazards lives Cindy through all these events. If you love history and a good story about how families survive, then this series is for you. I highly recommend.
March 23, 2023
emotional
I had long wanted to read this trilogy and at the same time resisted. Boy, am I glad I did. It was not what I expected. After reading this and fast forwarding to today, I realize that some things never change. But some do. And one thing is certain, that we will all come to an end. Brilliant and tragic.
I had long wanted to read this trilogy and at the same time resisted. Boy, am I glad I did. It was not what I expected. After reading this and fast forwarding to today, I realize that some things never change. But some do. And one thing is certain, that we will all come to an end. Brilliant and tragic.
September 8, 2017
Compelling
More than a re-telling of a period of American history, this trilogy explores the emotions our ancestors (and we moderns) dealt with regarding slavery, racism and bigotry. One day, books like this will be quaint. Until then, we continue to struggle.
More than a re-telling of a period of American history, this trilogy explores the emotions our ancestors (and we moderns) dealt with regarding slavery, racism and bigotry. One day, books like this will be quaint. Until then, we continue to struggle.
February 20, 2019
Engrossing
This one of those books you are sorry to see end. The historic detail is woven into a fictional story of two families, one from the north and the other from the south. The friendship of two men span generations and withstood the test of time.
This one of those books you are sorry to see end. The historic detail is woven into a fictional story of two families, one from the north and the other from the south. The friendship of two men span generations and withstood the test of time.
August 23, 2024
Let’s not Revisit the Era
Read & loved stories when first published & just now reread on my Kindle over many a late night. Thought it was a good time to be reacquainted with terrible effects of the period as we find ourselves so divided.
Read & loved stories when first published & just now reread on my Kindle over many a late night. Thought it was a good time to be reacquainted with terrible effects of the period as we find ourselves so divided.
July 15, 2017
Amazing - all three of the books in the series.
October 20, 2017
John Jakes
You could do no better than to choose John Jakes as your go to author. Hands down , he is stellar.
You could do no better than to choose John Jakes as your go to author. Hands down , he is stellar.
January 23, 2018
very long
March 7, 2018
Great read. Found them hard to put down.
April 12, 2018
Have red the whole series before this is a re-read. They are awesome books.
June 1, 2018
I just love this series. It has problems as most of the villains seem to only have one side and most people have more than one side we are not all good or death eaters as my favorite character says.
January 20, 2019
Good
Very good series I had trouble putting it down it has the right amount of detail and a great story line
Very good series I had trouble putting it down it has the right amount of detail and a great story line
December 18, 2019
I re read this series I love John Jakes. This series is my favorite of all his stories.
December 31, 2019
Long saga....lost interest many times but sort of bumbled my way through it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews