The Author John Jakes
English version: Jan 17th, 2025
Inhalt Contents
Foreword Of The Author On "North and South"
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About His Life
John
William Jakes was born on March 31st, 1932 in Chicago, IL. As far as the 1950s,
when still visiting college, he began writing fantasy stories for genre
magazines. He studied stage arts and creative writing at DePauw University in
Greencastle, IN. Then he achieved Master Artium for american literature at Ohio
State University.
The
following 20 years, Jakes published - besides his main occupation in the
advertising industry - several stories and novels in the fantasy, science
fiction, western and also historical field. Beginning in 1971, he focussed
solely on writing. Until 1963 he also wrote under the pseudonym of Jay
Scottland.
Jakes
came to great public regocnition until late in the 1970s with his novel series
"The Kent Family Chronicles", that was sold 55 million copies in a
200 years nation-wide book selling record. Since then, he only made history
novels, mostly telling about the American history, as the novel trilogy
"North and South" on the American Civil War, that sold 10 million
times and was filmed for television.
Jakes
and his wife Rachel, to whom he is married since 1951, today live in South
Carolina and Florida. Until today, 16 of his novels reached top ranking
position in the New York Times Bestseller List. On his habit to place
fictivious characters in real and very exactly told historical backgrounds, he
is also called "teacher for American History."
John
Jakes received several honors for his works:
- 1995 he received the Celebrity Award and trhe Citizen's Award of the White House Conference on Libraries and Information simultaneously.
- 1996 he was the 10th living person to be introduced to the South Carolina Academic of Authors.
- 1997 he received the Professional Achievment Award of the Ohio State University Alumni Association.
- 1998 the South Carolina Humanities Association awarded its highest honor, the Carreer Achievement to him for his efforts to support humatity.
- 2002 he received the Cooper Medal of the Cooper Library, University of South Carolina. For his historical studies, he was a member of a research group on the university from 1989 to 1996.
John
Jakes, who had never totally given up on his professions as actor, director and
script writer for his book writing, calls Charles Dickens his most important model
in the art. Ken Follet is among his personal friends.
Addition:
John Jakes died on March 11th, 2023 at the age of almost 91 in his house in
Sarasota, FL.
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Among others, John Jakes had authored and written the following historical novels fitting to the theme of "North and South":
The Kent Family Chronicles
http://www.johnjakes.com/kentchronicles.htm
A
family saga over the span of several generations, planted into the historical
events beginning with the American War of Independence, over the expansion to
the West and the Civil War to the formation of the American nation in the form
of today around the 1890s. Originally, Jakes had planned to continue the series
over a span of 200 years to the U.S. bi-centennial in 1976.
Book 1 - The Bastard
1974, 544 pages, ISBN 0-451-21103-0 (paperback, english)
Phillip Kent, extramartial son of a french woman and an english lord manages to reach America in the 1770s and soon takes part in the effords on independence.
Book 2 - The Rebels
1975, 432 pages, ISBN 0-451-21172-3 (, english)
As a soldier, Phillip Kent fights against the crown and for his new home, his and his son Abraham. When getting into contact to General George Washington, he is sent out for a highly risky mission.
Book 3 - The Seekers
1975, 544 pages, ISBN 0-451-21249-5 (paperback, english)
Phillip's son Abraham serves his country at the western frontier against the Indians. He rejects the planned-out career in the family business of printing and publishing and moves to the West with his wife only to face new challenges there.
Book 4 - The Furies
1976, 480 pages, ISBN 0-451-21283-5 (paperback, english)
Amanda Kent is one of the surviving women of the Alamo, flees to California and gets into the whirlwind during the outbreak of the gold feaver.
Book 5 - The Titans
1976, 560 pages, ISBN 0-451-21347-5 (paperback, english)
Abolitionist Jephtha Kent finds himself in the Civil War on the opposite side of his own sons.
Book 6 - The Warriors
1977, 592 pages, ISBN 0-451-21381-5 (paperback english)
Confederate corporal Jeremiah Kent executes his commander's last order durung the Union Army detroying Georgia.
Book 7 - The Lawless
1978, 704 pages, ISBN 0-451-21452-8 (paperback, english)
Jeremiah Kent evolves to a feared gunman in the Wild West and searches his fate barely ending in a bloodbath.
Book 8 - The Americans
1979, 816 pages, ISBN 0-451-21490-0 (paperback, english)
The health of Gideon Kent and his family denies him for the service his country now so badly needs.
On Secret Service
http://www.johnjakes.com/recentreleases.htm
2000, 480 pages, ISBN 0-451-20405-0 (paperbach, english)
This
novel - as usual full of ample details - embraches the secret service
activities during the Civil War. Not even the very few intimates to the U.S.
President ware able to draw a plan that Richmond would not get notice of.
Charleston
http://www.johnjakes.com/charleston.htm
2002, 532 pages, ISBN 0-451-20-733-5 (paperback, english)
Members
of the so very diverse Bell family from Charleston in South Carolina experience
and are part of America's history in the years between the revolution and the Civil
War.
Savannah (or: A Gift for Mr. Lincoln)
http://www.johnjakes.com/charleston.htm
2004, 304 pages, ISBN 0-451-21570-2 (paperpack, english)
A
story on battlefield dangers, war time romantics and unparalleled courage.
Diverse characters are leading through a time when General Sherman's army
performes the Civil War in its highest cruelty in Georgia.
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Foreword Of The Author on North and South
The
"North and South" Trilogy consists of three books, "North and
South", "Love and War", and "Heaven and Hell". The
first two books had been cut into 6 90 minutes episodes each for television.
The
Hazard's, foundry owners in Pennsylvania, and the Main's, rice planters in
South Carolina, made their first connections when a son from each family meets the
other one by chance in New York of 1842. George Hazard and Orry Main continue
their journey together up the Hudson River. When leaving the boat, they turn
into West Point cadets.
They
are going through multiple events together, strenthening their natural
affection to each other. There was a lot to learn - easy for George, but who
had no particular interrest in a military career - hard for Orry who doesn't
want to anything else. They both succeed withholding the harassments of an overdrawn
- you could also say, morbid - elder cadet named Elkanah Bent. After a series
of series cruelties, they used a ruse to get him dismissed from the army. But
using his connections in Washington, Bent returns to the academy to graduate,
and he promises George and Orry a lasting rememberance and revenge for the
pains suffered by them.
The
Main's and the Hazard's get to know each other, as it occurs between Northern
and Southern families occurs frequently, while the fuse slowly burns up to the
powder keg of secession. You pay visits, form alliances - and intrigues as
well. Even George and Orry get into heated discussions from time to time.
George was on the Main plantation, "Mont Royal", when a slave runs off,
gets cought again and punished hard by orders of Orry's father. In their
arguments thereafter, both friends realize clearer than ever the danger for
their friendship residing in the ways of life drifting apart more and more like
slow poison.
The
Mexican War sees both friends on duty as lieutenants in the same infantry
regiment, then separates them unexpectedly. An incident with Captain
"butcher" Bent takes place, who sends both George and Orry into enemy
fire to the Churubusco Road. Orry's left arm gets destroyed by an exploding
grenade and ends his military career.
Shortly
thereafter, on the death of his father, George returns home, because his mother
instinctively cannot solely rely on George's elder brother Stanley to run the
large business enterprise effectively alone. Shortly after his entry at Hazard
Iron, George releases the irresponsible Stanley of his duties for the company.
The
amputation of his left arm plunges Orry into a dark, hopeless mood for some
time. After he inherited the leadership of the plantation after his father's
death and learns to do two-hand work with one arm, he lightens up and his
friendship with George is renewed. Orry serves as best man on George's wedding
to Constance Flynn, a roman catholic woman that George has met on the way to
Mexico. Thereafter, George's youngest brother Billy decides on an enducation at
West Point, while Orry looks for a way to aim the up to now useless life of his
cousin Charles on attending West Point as well. Charles and Billy, alreading
knowing each other, then develop a friendship equal to that of her older
relatives.
In
the last decade of peace, many Northerners and Southerners are still personal
friends, to the opposit of the rhetoric getting hotter and the actions of the
political leaders and public figures on both sides getting meaner day by day.
This is also true for these two families. The Main's travel North, the Hazard's
visit them in the South - even though under troubles. George's sister Virgilia,
who passed the invisible boundary from her passionate abolitionism to
extremism, nearly ruins their friendship by using their visit at the Main's
platation to help a slave running off.
For
some time, Billy is fascinated by Orry's beautiful but moral-free sister
Ashton, but then sees the fine and natural properties of Ashton's younger
sister Brett. In her stubborn and upset ways, Ashton seeks her chance for
revege for the setback. Under some conspiracy, she arranges for a duel where
Billy - no two hours after his wedding with Brett at Mont Royal - should find
death. But cousin Charles, in his direct manner as a cavalry officer, exposes
the plot and intercepts. Orry sends Ashton and her shady husband James Huntoon
off the Main's lands for good.
Virgilia's
black lover Grady, the slave having escaped with her help, joins the murderous band
of John Brown at Harpers Ferry. Virgilia gets arrested, but escapes from her
prison and returns home. So she is present occasionally when Orry pays a visit.
This visit and the following escalation in arguments cause a serious rift between
Orry and George - in a time where the respective parts of their country reoare
to fight each other in earnest.
Orry's
unobtrusive older brother Cooper opposes most Southerners on their social institutions.
Despite the common economy based on land ownership and the work theron by owned
workers, he follows the example of the North - in no way perfect, but following
the new worldwide trend of industrialization. In the North, free workers drive
forward a prosperous future in the rhythm of the machines, withought the weight
of utdated methodes and ideologies, heavy as ancle balls, and it pays off. By
traditional view of Cooper's state and religion, the slaves are safer and
therefore more happy, the workers in the North on the other side are bound to
the hammering machines by unvisible chains. Cooper could only laugh to that. A
factory worker surely sometimes feels hunger by what he gets paid, but he
cannot be bought and sold like any goods. He can leave, and no search posse
would catch him, torture him, and fixate him to the flywheel of a giant
machine.
Cooper
works to erect a ship building industry in Charleston and already begins to
work on a first iron ship following the examples of English ingenieur Brunel.
George supports this with capital, more by their friendship and by
understanding Cooper's principles but by speculating on quick profits.
In
the last days of Fort Sumter's existence as a Union bastion - the war seems to
be inevitable - Orry brings up as much money as possible and even takes a
mortgage on the family estate. With 650.000 of the formally 2 million Dollars
invested by George in a shabby bag, and despite of his clear Southern accent, he
takes the train North. The rist is great, but he travels in person for reasons
of the friendship and his honor.
In
the night the two friends meet, Virgilia activates a mob - very likely with the
goal to lynching the visitor. But this failes, and Orry reaches the evening
train unmolested. At home, on Mont Royal, all that is left is his hope on some happyness.
Madeline LaMotte, whom he loves and who returns that feelings despite being
held in captivity in her unhappy marriage, rushes to Mont Royal to report on
the murder plot against Billy. And she never returns to her cruel and abusive husband
again.
The
storm on Fort Sumter also requires other decisions, sometimes unsecure and
emotional ones. Charles joins a cavalry legion in South Carolina after having
left the U.S. army. His best friend Billy stays with the Union, and Billy's
wife Brett, born in the South, now lives in Lehigh Station. The personal words
of the Main's and the Hazard's hangs in a fragine balance, when these massive, violent
and unforseeable forces around them get stronger and stronger.
John Jakes
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