North and South (trilogy)
Encyclopedia
North and South is a 1980s trilogy
of bestselling novels by John Jakes
which take place before, during, and after the American Civil War
. The saga tells the story of the enduring friendship between Orry Main of South Carolina
and George Hazard of Pennsylvania
, who become best friends while attending the United States Military Academy at West Point
but later find themselves and their families on opposite sides of the war. The slave-owning Mains are rural gentleman planters while the big-city Hazards live by manufacturing and industry, their differences reflecting the divisions between North and South that eventually led to the Civil War.
The first novel, North and South, was published in 1982, and was followed by Love and War in 1984. The trilogy was completed with Heaven and Hell in 1987. All three novels debuted on The New York Times Best Seller list, with North and South reaching #1 within four weeks on February 28, 1982. All three novels were also ranked within the top ten hardcover fiction best sellers for their respective years by Publishers Weekly
. As of 2007, ten million copies of the trilogy remain in print.
The novels were each adapted into television miniseries
starring Patrick Swayze
and James Read
in 1985, 1986, and 1994. The first installment, 1985's North and South
, remains the seventh-highest rated miniseries in TV history.
Published in 1982, North and South introduces the rice-growing Mains of South Carolina and the ironworking Hazards of Pennsylvania, whose respective scions Orry and George meet and become friends at West Point. Over the next two decades (1842–1861) the men fight in the Mexican–American War
, suffer various family conflicts, and witness the increasing discord between the North and the South regions of the United States.
The companions graduate and become officers in the United States Army
during the Mexican-American War. On the way to Mexico, George courts a young Irish woman in Texas named Constance. George and Orry end up in the Battle of Vera Cruz, where Orry's arm is badly wounded and eventually amputated. He is sent home, but George stays. George is later released from the Army due to his father's death, and he and Constance return to George's home in Pennsylvania and marry. George and Orry eventually meet up again and resume their friendship as tensions strengthen between the North and South. Soon, Orry's younger sister Brett falls in love with George's younger brother Billy. Later, Billy is a classmate of Orry's cousin Charles at West Point.
In 1858, as Orry is planning a trip to Pennsylvania, Brett begs him to take her with him so they can continue to St. Louis, where Billy is stationed with the Army Corps of Engineers. On the train back to South Carolina, the train is stopped by raiders under the command of the radical abolitionist
John Brown
in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, then part of the state of Virginia. Brett and Orry are sent on their way to South Carolina unharmed.
Two years after the Mains and Hazards rendezvous in Pennsylvania, Billy joins the U.S. Army as the American Civil War draws near. Stationed only a few miles away from the Main plantation at Major Robert Anderson
's garrison at Fort Sumter
in Charleston Harbor
, Billy is given leave and marries Brett the next day. A few nights later, Confederate
forces under the command of Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard open fire on Fort Sumter, setting off the Civil War. Orry and George say their final good-bye before the war, hoping for the best for each other.
.
The saga continues in 1984's Love and War, which follows the Mains and Hazards for the duration of the American Civil War (1861–1865). Orry finally marries his star-crossed love Madeline but is later killed, and both families suffer their share before the war is over.
, and #7 by The New York Times
.
The trilogy concludes with 1987's Heaven and Hell, as the Mains and Hazards face more challenges and obstacles while weathering the post-war Reconstruction. Set chiefly between 1865 and 1868, the novel follows Orry's cousin Charles Main, a veteran of the Confederate army who fights in the subsequent wars with the Native Americans and must recover from the trauma of his violent life. The presumed-dead Bent murders George's wife Constance and targets the Mains and Hazards for complete destruction, while Orry's widow Madeline, previously revealed to be an octoroon, becomes a target of a new, fanatical, and dangerous group called the Ku Klux Klan
.
.
for ABC which premiered on November 3, 1985. Starring Patrick Swayze
as Orry Main and James Read
as George Hazard, it remains the seventh-highest rated miniseries in TV history. Its sequel
, an adaptation of Love and War called North and South: Book II for television, debuted on May 4, 1986 to similar success. A final installment, Heaven and Hell: North and South Book III, premiered on February 27, 1994 but failed to match the success of its predecessors.
The miniseries follow the general plot of the novels, even though the focus is moved from the frictions between the North and the South more to the love story between Orry Main and Madeline Fabray LaMotte Hazard, with the notable exceptions of Swayze's Orry surviving through the end of Love and War, and Kirstie Alley
's Virgilia Hazard not and of Elkanah Bent being a wiry Georgian instead of an obese Ohioan and of Cooper Main being omitted from the first 2 miniseries.
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
of bestselling novels by John Jakes
John Jakes
John William Jakes is an American writer, best known for American historical fiction.-Early life and education:...
which take place before, during, and after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The saga tells the story of the enduring friendship between Orry Main of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and George Hazard of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, who become best friends while attending the United States Military Academy at West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
but later find themselves and their families on opposite sides of the war. The slave-owning Mains are rural gentleman planters while the big-city Hazards live by manufacturing and industry, their differences reflecting the divisions between North and South that eventually led to the Civil War.
The first novel, North and South, was published in 1982, and was followed by Love and War in 1984. The trilogy was completed with Heaven and Hell in 1987. All three novels debuted on The New York Times Best Seller list, with North and South reaching #1 within four weeks on February 28, 1982. All three novels were also ranked within the top ten hardcover fiction best sellers for their respective years by Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
. As of 2007, ten million copies of the trilogy remain in print.
The novels were each adapted into television miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
starring Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
and James Read
James Read
James Christopher Read is an American actor, best known for his role of George Hazard in the North and South television miniseries.-Early life:...
in 1985, 1986, and 1994. The first installment, 1985's North and South
North and South (TV miniseries)
North and South is the title of three American television miniseries broadcast on the ABC network in 1985, 1986, and 1994. Set before, during, and immediately after the American Civil War, they are based on the 1980s trilogy of novels North and South by John Jakes. The 1985 first installment, North...
, remains the seventh-highest rated miniseries in TV history.
North and South (1982)
Published in 1982, North and South introduces the rice-growing Mains of South Carolina and the ironworking Hazards of Pennsylvania, whose respective scions Orry and George meet and become friends at West Point. Over the next two decades (1842–1861) the men fight in the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
, suffer various family conflicts, and witness the increasing discord between the North and the South regions of the United States.
Plot
Orry Main from South Carolina and George Hazard from Pennsylvania meet on their way to the United States Military Academy at West Point. They soon become close friends, frequently confronting their regional differences within the frame of their friendship. During their time at the academy, Orry and George are tormented by a sadistic Ohio cadet named Elkanah Bent, but in time are able to effect Bent's expulsion from West Point.The companions graduate and become officers in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during the Mexican-American War. On the way to Mexico, George courts a young Irish woman in Texas named Constance. George and Orry end up in the Battle of Vera Cruz, where Orry's arm is badly wounded and eventually amputated. He is sent home, but George stays. George is later released from the Army due to his father's death, and he and Constance return to George's home in Pennsylvania and marry. George and Orry eventually meet up again and resume their friendship as tensions strengthen between the North and South. Soon, Orry's younger sister Brett falls in love with George's younger brother Billy. Later, Billy is a classmate of Orry's cousin Charles at West Point.
In 1858, as Orry is planning a trip to Pennsylvania, Brett begs him to take her with him so they can continue to St. Louis, where Billy is stationed with the Army Corps of Engineers. On the train back to South Carolina, the train is stopped by raiders under the command of the radical abolitionist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
John Brown
John Brown (abolitionist)
John Brown was an American revolutionary abolitionist, who in the 1850s advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery in the United States. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre during which five men were killed, in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas, and made his name in the...
in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, then part of the state of Virginia. Brett and Orry are sent on their way to South Carolina unharmed.
Two years after the Mains and Hazards rendezvous in Pennsylvania, Billy joins the U.S. Army as the American Civil War draws near. Stationed only a few miles away from the Main plantation at Major Robert Anderson
Major Robert Anderson
Robert Anderson was an American military leader. He served as a Union Army officer in the American Civil War, known for his command of Fort Sumter at the start of the war. He is often referred to as Major Robert Anderson, referring to his rank at Fort Sumter...
's garrison at Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
in Charleston Harbor
Charleston Harbor
The Charleston Harbor is an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean at Charleston, South Carolina. The inlet is formed by the junction of Ashley and Cooper rivers at . Morris and Sullivan's Island, shelter the entrance...
, Billy is given leave and marries Brett the next day. A few nights later, Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
forces under the command of Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard open fire on Fort Sumter, setting off the Civil War. Orry and George say their final good-bye before the war, hoping for the best for each other.
Reception
North and South debuted at #12 on The New York Times Best Seller list, and reached #1 within four weeks on February 28, 1982. It was later ranked the #8 hardcover fiction best seller of 1982 by Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
.
Love and War (1984)
The saga continues in 1984's Love and War, which follows the Mains and Hazards for the duration of the American Civil War (1861–1865). Orry finally marries his star-crossed love Madeline but is later killed, and both families suffer their share before the war is over.
Reception
Love and War debuted at #5 on The New York Times Best Seller list, and rose as high as #2. It was later ranked the #4 hardcover fiction best seller of 1984 by Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
, and #7 by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
Heaven and Hell (1987)
The trilogy concludes with 1987's Heaven and Hell, as the Mains and Hazards face more challenges and obstacles while weathering the post-war Reconstruction. Set chiefly between 1865 and 1868, the novel follows Orry's cousin Charles Main, a veteran of the Confederate army who fights in the subsequent wars with the Native Americans and must recover from the trauma of his violent life. The presumed-dead Bent murders George's wife Constance and targets the Mains and Hazards for complete destruction, while Orry's widow Madeline, previously revealed to be an octoroon, becomes a target of a new, fanatical, and dangerous group called the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
.
Reception
Heaven and Hell debuted at #8 on The New York Times Best Seller list, and rose as high as #2. It was later ranked the #9 hardcover fiction best seller of 1987 by Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
.
TV adaptations
North and South was adapted into a six-part television miniseriesMiniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
for ABC which premiered on November 3, 1985. Starring Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
as Orry Main and James Read
James Read
James Christopher Read is an American actor, best known for his role of George Hazard in the North and South television miniseries.-Early life:...
as George Hazard, it remains the seventh-highest rated miniseries in TV history. Its sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, an adaptation of Love and War called North and South: Book II for television, debuted on May 4, 1986 to similar success. A final installment, Heaven and Hell: North and South Book III, premiered on February 27, 1994 but failed to match the success of its predecessors.
The miniseries follow the general plot of the novels, even though the focus is moved from the frictions between the North and the South more to the love story between Orry Main and Madeline Fabray LaMotte Hazard, with the notable exceptions of Swayze's Orry surviving through the end of Love and War, and Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Louise Alley is an American actress known for her role in the TV show Cheers, in which she played Rebecca Howe from 1987–1993, winning an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991...
's Virgilia Hazard not and of Elkanah Bent being a wiry Georgian instead of an obese Ohioan and of Cooper Main being omitted from the first 2 miniseries.