The Kent Family Chronicles Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Order

For readers diving into the sweeping historical world of John Jakes, the path forward is remarkably simple: read the books in their publication order. Because the Kent Family Chronicles (often referred to as the American Bicentennial Series) follow a direct multi-generational timeline, the order in which the books were written matches their chronological settings exactly. Reading them out of sequence will result in major spoilers, as characters age, families grow, and the historical landscape of the United States shifts dramatically from page to page.

Here is the chronological and publication order for the eight novels in the main series:

1. The Bastard (1974) — Spans from 1770 to 1775, chronicling the origins of Philippe Charboneau as he travels from Europe to Boston and becomes Philip Kent.
2. The Rebels (1975) — Follows Philip Kent through the fiery trials of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1781).
3. The Seekers (1975) — Follows the next generation, centering on Philip's son, Abraham Kent, as the family pushes into the Ohio frontier and experiences the War of 1812.
4. The Furies (1976) — Focuses on Philip's granddaughter, Amanda Kent, against the backdrop of the Battle of the Alamo and the California Gold Rush (1836–1852).
5. The Titans (1976) — Explores the fractured family dynamics and early years of the American Civil War (1860–1862).
6. The Warriors (1977) — Concludes the Civil War narrative, tracking characters through Sherman's March and the immediate post-war era (1862–1868).
7. The Lawless (1978) — Set during the Reconstruction era, covering the rise of industrialization, labor unions, and Chicago's growth (1869–1877).
8. The Americans (1979) — Focuses on the final generation, including Will Kent, as they navigate the late Gilded Age up to the year 1890.

Understanding the Timeline and Characters

The Kent Family Chronicles were originally commissioned in the mid-1970s to celebrate the United States Bicentennial. While the original goal of the publisher was to have the series cover two centuries of American history all the way up to 1976, Jakes concluded the saga in the late 19th century. This decision allowed him to give the characters and their historical contexts the depth they deserved rather than rushing through the 20th century.

Throughout these eight volumes, the fictional Kents intermingle with real-life historical figures. Philip Kent rubs shoulders with Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and George Washington. Later generations cross paths with Abraham Lincoln, Davy Crockett, and major figures of the Gilded Age. This blend of meticulously researched history and melodrama is what made Jakes the first author to have three books on the New York Times bestseller list in a single calendar year (1975).

Can the Books Be Read as Standalones?

While John Jakes includes brief summaries and context clues at the beginning of each book to help guide returning readers, we strongly recommend against reading them as standalones. The narrative is heavily serialized. Major conflicts in later books—such as the fierce ideological divisions during the Civil War in The Titans and The Warriors—rely on the reader's understanding of family feuds and legacies built generations prior. To get the most emotional resonance out of the saga, you should start with The Bastard and watch the family branch out over more than a century.

Adaptations and Related Works

In the late 1970s, the immense popularity of the series led to a high-profile television adaptation. The first three books—The Bastard, The Rebels, and The Seekers—were adapted into television films by Operation Prime Time. These broadcasts featured star-studded casts including Andrew Stevens as Philip Kent, alongside William Shatner, Kim Cattrall, and Lorne Greene. The adaptations are highly regarded as relics of the 1970s miniseries boom and are occasionally collected on home media as "The Kent Chronicles."

Readers often ask if John Jakes' other famous trilogy, North and South, is connected to the Kent Family Chronicles. The short answer is no. While both are multi-generational historical family sagas focusing on pivotal eras of American history, North and South features entirely different families (the Hazards and the Mains) and exists in its own separate narrative universe. However, if you enjoy Jakes' style in the Kent saga, his Crown Family Saga (comprising Homeland and American Dreams) offers a similar multi-generational experience set in the 20th century.

What to Know Before You Start

Because the series was written in the 1970s and is set in earlier, harsher eras of American history, it features mature themes, violence, and period-typical language. Jakes does not shy away from the brutality of war or frontier life, which adds to the series' realistic texture but may require reader discretion. Additionally, editions of the books may vary slightly in their listed publication dates (specifically The Americans, which is sometimes cataloged under 1980 depending on the printing and distribution region), but the reading order remains unchanged.