The Kent Family Chronicles (also known as The American Bicentennial Series) is a series of eight
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
s by
John Jakes written for
Lyle Engel of Book Creations, Inc. to commemorate the
200th anniversary of the
Declaration of Independence of the United States.
The books became
best sellers, with no novel in the series selling fewer than 3.5 million copies.
[Mary Ellen Jones]
"John Jakes"
''Dictionary of Midwestern Literature,'' pp. 286-288 With ''
The Rebels,'' ''
The Seekers,'' and ''
The Furies,'' Jakes became the first author to have three books on the
''New York Times'' bestseller list in a single year, 1975.
[Kay Kipling]
"The John Jakes Chronicles"
''Sarasota Magazine,'' November 2006.
The books feature different members of the Kent family, connecting them with historical events at the time of the
American Revolution. The first novel begins just before the American Revolution, with
Frenchman Phillipe Charboneau, who travels to
England and later to the
New World, changing his name to Philip Kent along the way and meeting several key figures of the Revolution, including
the Marquis de Lafayette,
Benjamin Franklin,
Samuel Adams,
Paul Revere,
Joseph Warren, and others. The saga ends some generations later in 1890, with the death of Gideon Kent in ''
The Americans.'' The series was originally intended to continue until 1976, covering 200 years.
[Mary Ellen Jones]
"Part Two: The Kent Family Chronicles
''John Jakes: A Critical Companion,'' Greenwood Press, 1996, p. 29.
The first two novels in the series were made into
telefilms in 1978 and 1979, both starring
Andrew Stevens
Herman Andrew Stevens (born June 10, 1955) is an American executive, film producer, director and actor.
Early life
Stevens was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the only child of actress Stella Stevens and her former husband Noble Herman Stephens.
Ca ...
as Philip Kent, with the third adapted as a 1979 telefilm starring
Randolph Mantooth
Randolph Mantooth (born Randy DeRoy Mantooth, September 19, 1945) is an American actor who has worked in television, documentaries, theater, and film for more than 40 years. A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he was discovere ...
as the son, Abraham Kent. "Operation Prime Time" premiered in syndication with the first of these.
Novels
* ''
The Bastard'' (1974)
* ''
The Rebels'' (1975)
* ''
The Seekers'' (1975)
* ''The Furies'' (1976)
* ''The Titans'' (1976)
* ''The Warriors'' (1977)
* ''The Lawless'' (1978)
* ''The Americans'' (1979)
Footnotes
External links
John Jakes Official Homepage''The Bastard''
on IMDb
''The Rebels''
on IMDb
''The Seekers''
on IMDb
Family saga novels
Novels by John Jakes
American historical novels
Novels set during the American Civil War
Fictional families
1970s novels
United States Bicentennial
{{AmericanCivilWar-novel-stub