John Jakes
John Jakes
1932-03-31 – 2023-03-11 · From United States- Books
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About
John Jakes (March 31, 1932 – March 11, 2023) was an American author born in Chicago. He began publishing science fiction and fantasy stories as a teenager and went on to write roughly sixty books across mystery, western, sword-and-sorcery and historical fiction.
He is best known for the bestselling Kent Family Chronicles, an eight-book saga of one American family from the Revolution onward, and for the North and South Civil War trilogy (North and South, Love and War, Heaven and Hell). His early sword-and-sorcery work includes the Brak the Barbarian stories, and he also wrote under pen names such as Jay Scotland.
He lived in Sarasota, Florida, where he died at age 90.
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Fiction Historical Fiction History Military Fantasy
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John Jakes is widely recognized for his historical fiction, particularly the Kent Family Chronicles, which chronicled American history through the eyes of a fictional family. He also gained significant acclaim for his Civil War trilogy, North and South.
For the Kent Family Chronicles, the books follow a chronological order of American history, starting with The Bastard. The North and South trilogy should also be read in order: North and South, Love and War, and Heaven and Hell.
The North and South trilogy was adapted into a highly popular television miniseries, starring Patrick Swayze and James Read, which aired in the 1980s.
While best known for historical fiction, John Jakes also wrote science fiction, fantasy, and westerns earlier in his career, often under various pseudonyms.