North and South

North and South Trilogy, Book 1

By: John Jakes

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 30 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Two strangers, young men from Pennsylvania and South Carolina, meet on the way to West Point.... Thus begins this brilliant novel of antebellum America, spanning three generations and chronicling the lives and loves of two great family dynasties. The Hazards and the Mains are brought together in bonds of friendship and affection that neither jealousy nor violence can shatter - until a storm of events sunders the nation and brings the cataclysm of war!

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

Great book

I loved every moment about the book. It was better than the t. V. Version

Wonderful story

The story between the two families and the love for each other is a wonderful part of the story. It is beautifully written and transports the reader to the darker days of American history. I can’t wait to read the next book!

Life in words of a transition in America

Vivid descriptions of the landscapes and the interactions of the characters. I liked the transition from peace to war.

Great story

I am really enjoying this book, but I love this period in history. Interesting characters. Every so often it gets a bit slow, but it always picks up again.

Loved it AGAIN

Read this book when it first came out many years ago, so this was like brand new to me I really didn't remember much of the story. I enjoyed it then, I loved it now, history, romance, mystery has it all. The characters are wonderful, I lived in the North for many years and now in the South for many years and I can tell you everyone tells a different story about the war depending on where you live - North or South. Just started Book 2 and it's just as good.

Great trip down memory lane.

Would you consider the audio edition of North and South to be better than the print version?

I read the book years ago. And I watched the tv mini series. The pictures in my mind may have been influenced by the mini series. But I found listening very enjoyable. I loved the narration. Played it in the car on a long trip with my spouse and we both enjoyed the tale.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I really have a hard time picking a favorite. I think Ory would be the best choice. He had to change his attitude about so many things during the book. I felt I had a much better appreciation for the real people who lived through our civil war.

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Hearing the story read aloud just makes it so much more personal. I loved the narration.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I am not good at this sort of question.

Any additional comments?

This is not great literature. North and South is a great yarn set in a real period of conflict in our nation. Many people have their own personal stories of relatives who lived through the time. I think this book helps to flesh out those stories. It is interesting how quickly the pulse of a nation can change.

Entertaining and enlightening!

Historical fiction is a difficult genre - play too close to Historical fact and people will accuse you of straying from the facts. Play too loose with facts and people will accuse you of not paying attention at all. This book strikes the balance - fictional characters that are period appropriate, that happen to be in some historically significant places at the correct (or incorrect) time. It cannot be an easy balance to strike, but Mr. Jakes has done so and as a result has produced a book that is both entertaining and mostly factual. By using fictional characters, one is liberated from any one particular person and what they said or did not say and can instead set up the possibility of a pair of families that symbolize the struggle of North vs. South in the era leading up to the Civil War. This book is an excellent read and is very well read. For anyone interested in the Civil War, Historical fiction, or just plain good fiction - this book has something for you. I already bought the second one!

The Insight Is The Best Part

What did you love best about North and South?

John Jakes did the research and then brought out what it would have been like for various characters who lived during the years leading up to the Civil War. What did it feel like to live in the north or in the south in those years. History books give us the facts, but John Jakes gives us insight into what various individuals might have felt under different circumstances -- in the north and in the south. Especially interesting is his insight into the mood of the country and the characters in his book in the days leading up to Lincoln's election and the start of the war. How did it feel to be a northerner in the south or to be a southerner in the north in those days. While he may have emphasized extreme positions to some extent, it is likely that the scenes and emotions he described did exist in those troubled days. He gives us an understanding history books can't.

What other book might you compare North and South to and why?

The Winds of War and War and Remembrance gave similar insight for World War II.

Any additional comments?

The sex descriptions seem to be thrown in to make the book attractive to those who like that kind of thing. They are overdone at times and not important to the story.

The narrator is average at best.

Wonderful!!!

Would you listen to North and South again? Why?

I really enjoyed this book, so much more than the watching the TV movie version. It's a very long story, so I'm not sure I'll have time to listen to it again.

Great historical story of the Civil War!

This is a must read for Civil War and American history enthusiasts. John Jakes is an entertaining Author that brings the human element into the Civil War and the events leading up to it.