NF Kent Family Chronicles

[huskerblitz]

I was curious if anyone here has read this series? I'm about to start on the final book of the series (The Americans) on audiobook. This will be the third time through the series and first time in over a decade. I'm a fan of Jakes' historical novels, especially his North and South trilogy.

John Jakes wrote the series to commemorate the bi-centennial of the United States in the 1970s. He follows the Kent family from pre-Revolution to 1880s. Jakes weaves in his fictional family tree with many historical figures and events and tackles the issues of the day that affected Americans and the building of the nation.

If you like historical fiction you may enjoy his series. They even made the first three books into a mini-series in the late-70s with a whos-whos cast.

 

[mofederal]

I have read many of his books, including all of the Kent Family Chronicles. I liked the first 6 books the best, of those I thought the first 4 were the best. I liked the first three miniseries type events The Bastard, The Rebels and The Seekers. I owned the VHS tapes of all three at one time. I have most of his novels too, including his earliest books. There was a later writer Robert Vaughn, a person I know well, who finished the series, it went on into the 1990's or 2000. Vaughn used to live pretty near me, and I belonged to a writer's group he was a member of. He said jakes dropped him a note about the books.

 

[huskerblitz]

I have read many of his books, including all of the Kent Family Chronicles. I liked the first 6 books the best, of those I thought the first 4 were the best. I liked the first three miniseries type events The Bastard, The Rebels and The Seekers. I owned the VHS tapes of all three at one time. I have most of his novels too, including his earliest books. There was a later writer Robert Vaughn, a person I know well, who finished the series, it went on into the 1990's or 2000. Vaughn used to live pretty near me, and I belonged to a writer's group he was a member of. He said jakes dropped him a note about the books.

Really? I didn't know that. I will have to check that out.

They have the mini-series on DVD now, I got mine from Amazon not that long ago.

I'm not sure which books I like the best. The one thing I didn't like was leaving a character (like Philip) for a number of years before revisiting them. They also undergo some changes in their character without some explanation. For example, Philip becomes kind of a crotchety old man toward Abraham in his older age, not something I would think his younger self would have become. Amanda becomes obsessed with restoring the family name after decades, somewhat out of the blue. Jeremiah becomes a killer even though he killed (mostly) in self defense after the war in Georgia. But those are minor complaints. I like Gideon's character.

 

[huskerblitz]

Point of clarification: This Vaughan completed the Kent Family series or had one similar to it?

 

[mofederal]

http://robertvaughan.com/

ttps://www.geni.com/people/James-Reed/6000000018427329915

Vaughn wrote for the same creative team that created the Bicentennial Series of Jakes. Robert told me this after he had written the first few books of the rest of the series. It was something Jakes would not have on his own. He was finished with the series. I think the first books was called The Dawn of the Century. His book about the Donner Party called Survival won some awards, and was a best seller. Some of the Donner party members were from Springfield, Ill., and may have known Lincoln. James F. Reed did serve in the Black hawk War with Lincoln, Douglas and Clyman in the Springfield volunteer militia company.

 

[huskerblitz]

Sounds like an interesting series. But other than the premise and the fact Random House picked it up I don't think Vaughn's series is connected in any way with Jakes' series. Jakes original contract was for 5 books (he went 8) before wanting to write something different (he would begin North and South shortly afterward). There is also more than a decade between the series. But I will have to check out Dawn of the Century to see what it's like. Thanks for the heads' up!

 

[mofederal]

if I remember right the original cover of The Dawn of the Century had a blurb on it being the from the people who brought you the Kent Family Chronicles, editors, etc. I seem to remember it that way. Different books seem to carry a blurb like this from time to time. Same creative team, except for the author.