North and South (trilogy)

North and South is a 1980s trilogy of best-selling novels by John Jakes which take place before, during, and after the American Civil War.^[1] 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.^[1] The slave-owning Mains are rural gentleman planters while the big-city Hazards live by manufacturing and industry, their differences reflecting the real divisions between North and South which ultimately led to war.

The first novel, North and South, was published in 1982, and was followed by Love and War in 1984.^[2] The trilogy was completed with Heaven and Hell in 1987.^[3] All three novels debuted on The New York Times Best Seller list,^[4][5][6] with North and South reaching No. 1 within four weeks on February 28, 1982.^[7][8] All three novels were also ranked within the top ten hardcover fiction bestsellers for their respective years by Publishers Weekly.^[9] As of 2007, ten million copies of the trilogy remain in print.^[10][11]

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.^[10][11][12]