John Jakes – Bickerstaff Booksellers

The Warriors

Kim — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 18:12:23 +0000

The Warriors is the sixth book in John Jakes’ Kent Family Chronicles, a historical fiction series that follows the Kent family through major events in American history, with this installment focusing on the end of the Civil War and the expansion of the Union Pacific Railroad. The novel depicts the family’s internal conflicts and struggles as they navigate the changing landscape of post-war America, including romance, betrayal, and the ruthless pursuit of wealth and power.

The Seekers

Kim — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 18:12:22 +0000

The Seekers is the third novel in John Jakes’ Kent Family Chronicles, published in 1975, following the story of Abraham Kent as he leaves Boston to seek his fortune on the American frontier from 1794 to 1814, blending fictional characters with historical events and figures. It’s a historical fiction saga about westward expansion, romance, and adventure, and was adapted into a TV movie in 1979.

The Rebels

Kim — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 18:12:21 +0000

The Rebels is the second book in John Jakes’s popular Kent Family Chronicles, a historical fiction series following the Kent family through American history, focusing here on the Revolutionary War era. Published in 1975, it centers on the protagonist Philip Kent as he fights as a patriot soldier, experiencing the battles and turmoil of the war, while also following the antagonist Judson Fletcher through his own dramatic and often tragic story. The novel blends fictional characters with historical events and figures, capturing the spirit of the American Revolution.

The Furies

Kim — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 18:12:18 +0000

The Furies is the fourth book in John Jakes’s Kent Family Chronicles, a historical fiction series, focusing on the saga of the Kent family during America’s westward expansion in the 1830s and 1840s, particularly following the courageous heroine Amanda Kent as she survives the Battle of the Alamo and seeks to rebuild the family’s legacy through the California Gold Rush. The novel blends fictional characters with real historical figures like Davy Crockett, Santa Anna, and Frederick Douglass, covering events from the Texas Revolution to the brink of the Civil War.

The Bastard

Kim — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 18:12:15 +0000

The Bastard is the first novel in John Jakes’s Kent Family Chronicles, a historical fiction series that follows the Kent family through pivotal moments in American history, starting with the illegitimate son of an English duke who flees to America and becomes involved in the Revolutionary War. Published in 1974, the book introduces the protagonist, Phillipe Charboneau (who changes his name to Philip Kent), as he navigates the events leading up to and during the American Revolution, encountering historical figures like Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Adams.

California Gold

Kim — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 18:11:56 +0000

James Macklin Chase was a poor Pennsylvanian who dreamed of making it rich in California. But at the turn of the century, the money to be made was in oil, citrus, water rights, and the railroads. Mack would have it all, if he had his way. And along the way, the men and women he met, the passion he found, the enemies he made, and the great historical figures like William Randolph Hearts, Leland Stanford, and Theodore Roosevelt, he encountered, helped bring glory to the extraordinary century. “Riveting…CALIFORNIA GOLD strikes pay dirt….This sweeping epic is a dynamite tribute to the sheer pluck of one man who scorns all obstacles. He instills vibrancy in all his characterizations.” RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH A Literary Guild Main Selection