Part one of the #1 New York Times bestselling North and South Trilogy—the Civil War saga that inspired the classic television miniseries North and South—with over five million copies sold!

“An entertaining…authentic dramatization of American history.”—The New York Times

From master storyteller John Jakes comes the epic story of two families—the Hazards and the Mains. Separated by vastly different ways of life, joined by the unbreakable bonds of true friendship, and torn asunder by a country on the brink of a bloody conflict that will irrevocably change them all… “A panoramic, populous…lusty trek through the pages of American history.”—San Francisco Chronicle
 
“A marvelous book…should become one of the great novels of American history.”—Nashville Banner
 
“At the very heart of every Jakes saga is a story that throbs to the beat of history.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
“Jakes at his best…Keep[s] the reader turning the pages.”—Boston Herald America
 
“Jakes has few peers…he winds a spell…that won’t be broken until the last page of the last volume is turned.”—Detroit Free Press