John Jakes books in order
American historical novelist and fantasy writer
- Lived
- 1932–2023
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 37
- Series
- 2
- Also writes as
- Jay Scotland
John Jakes published 32 novels, 1 novella, 2 short story collections, 1 children's book and 1 other book, beginning with The Bastard (1974). The 2 series include The Kent Family Chronicles (8 books, starting with The Bastard) and The North and South trilogy (3 books, starting with North and South). The best-known is North and South (1982).
Updated September 2026
The Kent Family Chronicles books in order (8)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Bastard (1974) · 2 The Rebels (1975) · 3 The Seekers (1975) · 4 The Furies (1976) · 5 The Titans (1976) · 6 The Warriors (1977) · 7 The Lawless (1978) · 8 The Americans (1980)
- 1.
The Bastard (1974)
- 2.
The Rebels (1975)
- 3.
The Seekers (1975)
- 4.
The Furies (1976)
- 5.
The Titans (1976)
- 6.
The Warriors (1977)
- 7.
The Lawless (1978)
- 8.
The Americans (1980)
The North and South trilogy books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 North and South (1982) · 2 Love and War (1984) · 3 Heaven and Hell (1987)
- 1.
North and South (Feb 1982)
- 2.
Love and War (1984)
- 3.
Heaven and Hell (1987)
Where to start with John Jakes
Start here
North and South
John Jakes's most-read book and the first of the 3 The North and South trilogy books.
Standalone novels in order
Arena (1963)
Planet Wizard (1969)
Brak the Barbarian (1970)
Brak the Barbarian -the Sorceress (1970)
Six-gun Planet (1970)
The Stars Around Us (1970), with Alfred Bester and Roger Zelazny
Time Gate (1972)
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1974)
The American Bicentennial Series (1975)
Veils Of Salome (1976)
Excalibur! (1980)
The Kent Family Chronicles (1982)
California Gold (1989)
Homeland (1993)
In the Big Country (1993)
American Dreams (1998)
On Secret Service (2000)
The Bold Frontier (2001)
Charleston (2002)
Savannah, Or, a Gift for Mr. Lincoln (2004)
The Gods of Newport (2006)
Novellas in order
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1998)
Short story collections in order
The Best Western Stories of John Jakes (1991)
New Trails (1994)
Children's books in order
Susanna of the Alamo (1986)
Other books in order
Mention My Name in Atlantis (1972)
Free to read
All free classics
About John Jakes
John William Jakes was an American writer, best known for historical and speculative fiction. His American Civil War trilogy, North and South, has sold millions of copies worldwide. He was also the author of The Kent Family Chronicles. Jakes used the pen name Jay Scotland among others.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
John Jakes FAQ
- How many books has John Jakes written?
- John Jakes published 32 novels, 1 novella, 2 short story collections, 1 children's book and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read John Jakes's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start The Kent Family Chronicles with The Bastard and The North and South trilogy with North and South. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is John Jakes's last book?
- The Gods of Newport (2006).
- What is John Jakes's most famous book?
- North and South (1982) is John Jakes's most widely read book.
- Are John Jakes's books connected?
- 11 books belong to 2 series (The Kent Family Chronicles and The North and South trilogy); the other 26 books stand alone.
- Does John Jakes write under a pen name?
- Yes: John Jakes has also published as Jay Scotland.
- Can I read John Jakes's books for free?
- Yes. 6 books by John Jakes are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like John Jakes
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Annie Proulx
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Walter M. Miller Jr.
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Damon Knight
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Alfred Bester
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.