• Love and War: Volume Two of the North and South Trilogy

  • By: John Jakes
  • Narrated by: Grover Gardner
  • Length: 42 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,826 ratings)

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Love and War: Volume Two of the North and South Trilogy  By  cover art

Love and War: Volume Two of the North and South Trilogy

By: John Jakes
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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Publisher's summary

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.

America's master storyteller continues his reign with Love and War, a story steeped in passion and betrayal. 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.

©1982 John Jakes (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Love and War: Volume Two of the North and South Trilogy

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Can't believe I haven't read this before...

Others have criticized book 2 in this series as not as good as the first. I disagree, and found the story a natural extension of the first. It is, however a fairly dark story, but entertaining and captivating nonetheless.

The story was very well done. Well researched, it is what I would consider as accurate as far as can be in a work of fiction. Be forewarned, however, that this also means that terminology and attitudes of that era are also presented the same way. For those with a thin skin, this could be somewhat shocking.

Although my favourite narrators tend to be Brits, Mr. Gardner is well matched to this series. I thoroughly enjoyed his pace, inflections, and interpretations of characters.

So, keeping things short, if you have any interest in the Civil War era, and perhaps a glimpse into how the US has evolved into what it is today with regards to politics, this series may be of interest to you while simultaneously providing a darned good story.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

UNNECESSARILY RACIAL (AS OPPOSED TO "RACIST")

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

White people only. I have never been over-sensitive to racial slurs and/or racism in literature, as long as it is done in the proper context. This book, however, takes racial hatred and ignorance to a level that I found hard to bear.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Well, I thought it was going to be John Jakes" Heaven and Hell", the 3rd book in this series. I'd already purchased it. But I'm returning BOTH books.

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

Grover Gardner was outstanding. His mastery of the southern and northern accents was great. Plus there are so many different characters in this book, yet he was able to give each its own identity.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

ANGER. Anger at a level that I haven't experienced in decades. I actually thought I might hurt somebody by the middle of Part 2 - which was as much as I could take.

Any additional comments?

This book is very well written and researched. However, John Jakes went a bit far in his depiction of racism among American whites. I have never EVER before been upset by the use of the word "nigger" in books or the description of the oppression and cruelty endured by my people as slaves in this country. I loved Shelby Foote's "Civil War" series because it gave an accurate, unbiased, and non-stereotypical account of that period in American history. I have many books about racism - both fact and fiction - in my Audible.com Library of over 1,400 audiobooks but I don't know what it is about this book which took me over the cusp of what I could handle. Not just as a black person, but as a HUMAN BEING. I sincerely hope that Jakes exaggerated the cruelty, the hatefulness, and the ignorance of white people towards black people in the years before, during and after the Civil War. This account doesn't stress enough the economic necessity for slavery, which I understood, if I didn't actually agree with. Here, Jakes depicts the only need for slavery was because whites merely hated blacks so much - that the only place for us was in chains or having our women raped or, as one character states in this book, to be be freed only to be shot and killed on sight. I was nauseated by John Jakes' characterization of white people towards blacks. No book nor movie has ever made me this sick in my stomach. I'm even more stunned by the fact that I seem to be the only person appalled by this book. This story could have been written without the level of hatred that it depicts. I am left to wonder what was really in Jakes' heart when he wrote this book. It also disturbs me to think that white people are STILL this awful and hateful. For the first time in my life, I am afraid....

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The second is as good as the first!!!

Let me start off by saying this is a great book!! The book is better than the mini series!! John Jakes does a great job with the civil war and the family events!! I hated to lose some of the main characters but all great things have to come to an end.. With the end of the war and the start of the rebuild of Mont Royal and Charles trying to find his way with his new life and his new love this should be a great way to start the third book!! Can't wait!!!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Long and boring

I had enjoyed North and South, and looked forward to this sequel. The reader was good, and I enjoy historical novels and the Civil War in particular. I stayed with this story for about 14 hours before I decided that I was too bored to go on. At first, I thought that it was the long recap of the first book that made it dull. This book had too many characters doing too many different things to keep momentum going. Too little happened in the "war" parts, and the "love" was pretty sparse and unengaging. Maybe it would have gotten better, but I was not going to waste any more time. The fact that I considered listening to more is the reason I gave it two stars. I had cared about some characters from the first novel, but this one did not sustain that interest.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Not your average Civil War book

Would you listen to Love and War again? Why?

I will definitely listen to Love and War again. If history class had been this interesting in school, I probably would have paid more attention! This is NOT another factual account of Civil War battles. This is a look at all the things you didn't learn in history class tied together in a story line that will let you see and feel both sides of the the most atrocious event in American history. The characters were so real. You loved them, you hated them, you understood them, and you didn't. You come away from it feeling like you have lived through that period in history.

What other book might you compare Love and War to and why?

Obviously, North and South, however, I liked this one much better. Often you think you will be disappointed by a second book in a series, or by a book that has been made a movie or t.v. show, but this one will change your mind.

Which scene was your favorite?

Without spoiling anything, it involved Sport, the horse.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Impossible due to the length, but I listened non-stop for days!

Any additional comments?

If you like historical fiction, don't miss this one! I was very moved by it. It is definitely one of the best uses of my credits in recent years. I can't wait for the third installment in this series to be released in Audio!

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absoutely Fantastic!

I love good historical fiction and this series is some of the best I have ever enjoyed. These people make the history live. I couldn't stop listening and can't wait for the next one.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

Would you consider the audio edition of Love and War to be better than the print version?

The American civil war and its many component intrigues me. I have listened to many books about this era however John Jakes has done a splendid job in his books – North and South, Love and War. Apart from just enjoying the books, I also learned something about the North and South that I never knew.
I love the story lines- mixing history with some make belief. You feel as if you were there. Both books (since they are connected) as a whole have left a deep impression in my heart about valuing relationships. I am glad a few characters in the book got what they deserved and also very sorry that one of the main characters died. I guess the story will not be realistic if this did not happen.
I have already pre-ordered the last book – Heaven and Hell. I would like to see the three books made into a movie :)

The narrator - Grover Gardner could not have done better - good job

What was one of the most memorable moments of Love and War?

When Orie died or when Charles found his son

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

I loved every part of his performance. Loved the way he could switch from one character to the other

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

movie - perhaps?

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it as much as the first book

If you could sum up Love and War in three words, what would they be?

Captivating, intricate, occasionally predictable

What other book might you compare Love and War to and why?

I would compare to Outlander in that both sagas are captivating and the character development is extraordinary.

Which scene was your favorite?

The series is so in depth it is difficult to pick just one.

Who was the most memorable character of Love and War and why?

Madeline Mayne (funny how on audiobooks you are unsure of spelling of names) is compelling.

Any additional comments?

I couldnt stop listening to this series

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very good story --- but not equal to vol. one!

Though this second volume was very good it seemed to fall short of the first. There is a great deal of unnecessary dialog that I felt was to NO point or purpose in the story! The aforementioned seemed to make the story/book a bit to looooooong.

Irrespective of the above comments I GENUINLY look FORWARD to volume three!!!

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not as strong as Volume 1, but good

I was literally counting the hours until my pre-order of this book arrived. It was certainly compelling, but not as strong as the first volume, in my opinion.

The plot got very complicated -- yes, the Civil War was complicated, but the battles and plot twists were sometimes hard to follow -- and as another reviewer mentioned, some of the dialogue was long-winded.

What I felt in this book was that characters that were quite well-drawn in Volume One became a bit more stereotypical in this book. The "villains," Ashton and Bent, were somewhat ridiculous in the first book -- I thought heaving bosoms and nymphomania were the stuff of really bad romance novels -- but became very caricatured in this one. The sex scenes were cringeworthy.

But even well-drawn characters like Charles and Orrie lost some luster here.They often fulfilled the stereotype of the Southerner as "hot-blooded" and "impetuous" -- if they'd been horses they might have stomped their feet!

I generally like Grover Gardner as a narrator, but he's pretty weak on accents.

Having expressed these reservations, it's still a really engaging and moving story, and gives a sense of the human bravery and sacrifice that shaped this terrible period in American history.

Now counting the days and hours until Part 3 arrives!

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