North & South by John Jakes
John Jake's North & South isn't the type of book that I typically review. However, I enjoyed this novel because it provides excellent insight into the American Civil War and West Point Military Academy. It also reinforces social and class values, mainly what it means to be a gentleman.
The saga is primarily about two men, their families, and relationships before and after the Civil War. George is the son of a steel mill owner in Pennsylvania, and Orry Maine is the son of a Southern Plantation owner. 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 story begins as the two men start their education at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Orry and George form a deep bond as they play pranks and battle a sadistic lieutenant named Elkanah Bent. The companions graduate and become officers in the U.S. Army and fight together at the Mexican-American War. Unfortunately, when the Civil War begins, both find themselves on opposite sides of the war.
#NorthandSouth #BookReview #JohnJakes #CivilWar #WestPoint #Industry #OldSouth #Plantation
The saga is primarily about two men, their families, and relationships before and after the Civil War. George is the son of a steel mill owner in Pennsylvania, and Orry Maine is the son of a Southern Plantation owner. 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 story begins as the two men start their education at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Orry and George form a deep bond as they play pranks and battle a sadistic lieutenant named Elkanah Bent. The companions graduate and become officers in the U.S. Army and fight together at the Mexican-American War. Unfortunately, when the Civil War begins, both find themselves on opposite sides of the war.
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