Reading Order List β€” Book Series Reading Order Guide

John Jakes Reading Order

15 series Β· 94 books Β· Born 1932

John Jakes was a prolific American author known for his historical and speculative fiction, with an impressive catalog of 94 books spanning 15 series. Among his notable works are the "Johnny Havoc," "Lou Largo," and "Brak the Barbarian" series, as well as the acclaimed "Kent Family Chronicles." Active from 1952 to 2016, Jakes captivated readers with his engaging storytelling and rich narratives.

Anthologies Series

Complete

18 books (1967–2016)

Start with Orbit 3, the first of 18 books in the Anthologies series.

#Title
1
2
Cover of Swords Against Tomorrow
Swords Against Tomorrow
3
Flashing Swords! #2
4
Fantastic Stories Special - 1975 Sword & Sorcery Annual
5
Cover of Six Science Fiction Plays
Six Science Fiction Plays
6
Deadly Arts
7
Cover of Tales of Mystery
Tales of Mystery
8
Cover of New Trails: Twenty-Three Original Stories
New Trails: Twenty-Three Original Stories
9
Cover of The Mammoth Book of Short Spy Novels
The Mammoth Book of Short Spy Novels
10
Cover of 100 Sneaky Little Sleuth Stories
100 Sneaky Little Sleuth Stories
11
Cover of Hollywood Fantasies: Ten Surreal Visions of Tinsel Town
Hollywood Fantasies: Ten Surreal Visions of Tinsel Town
12
The Best of the American West II
13
Cover of A Century of Great Western Stories
A Century of Great Western Stories
14
Cover of The Spider Chronicles
The Spider Chronicles
15
Cover of Law of the Gun
Law of the Gun
16
Cover of Science Fiction Gems, Vol. One
Science Fiction Gems, Vol. One
17
Cover of Science Fiction Gems, Volume 9
Science Fiction Gems, Volume 9
18
Silent Night, Deadly Night

Brak the Barbarian Series

Complete

5 books (1968–1985)

Start with Brak the Barbarian, the first of 5 books in the Brak the Barbarian series.

#Title
1
Cover of Brak the Barbarian
Brak the Barbarian
2
Brak vs. The Sorceress / Witch of the Four Winds
3
Cover of Brak vs. the Mark of the Demons
Brak vs. the Mark of the Demons
4
Cover of When the Idols Walked
When the Idols Walked
5
Cover of The Fortunes of Brak
The Fortunes of Brak

Gavin Black Series

Complete

1 book (1972–1972)

#Title
1
Witch of the Dark Gate

II Galaxy Series

Complete

3 books (1969–1969)

Start with The Planet Wizard and read in order.

#Title
1
The Planet Wizard
2
The Wagered World
3
Cover of Tonight We Steal the Stars
Tonight We Steal the Stars

Johnny Havoc Series

Complete

4 books (1960–1968)

Start with Johnny Havoc, the first of 4 books in the Johnny Havoc series.

#Title
1
Johnny Havoc
2
Cover of Havoc for Sale / Havoc Meets Zelda
Havoc for Sale / Havoc Meets Zelda
3
Cover of Holiday for Havoc / And The Doll Who Had 'It'
Holiday for Havoc / And The Doll Who Had 'It'
4
Cover of Johnny Havoc and the Siren in Red / Making It Big
Johnny Havoc and the Siren in Red / Making It Big

Kent Family Series

Complete

8 books (1974–1979)

Start with The Bastard, the first of 8 books in the Kent Family series.

#Title
1
Cover of The Bastard
The Bastard
2
Cover of The Rebels
The Rebels
3
Cover of The Seekers
The Seekers
4
Cover of The Furies
The Furies
5
Cover of The Titans
The Titans
6
Cover of The Warriors
The Warriors
7
Cover of The Lawless
The Lawless
8
Cover of The Americans
The Americans

Lou Largo Series

Complete

3 books (1961–1962)

Start with Make Mine Mavis and read in order.

#Title
1
Make Mine Mavis
2
And So to Bed
3
Give Me This Woman

Non-Fiction Series

Complete

3 books (1967–1969)

Start with Famous Firsts in Sports and read in order.

#Title
1
Famous Firsts in Sports
2
Great Women Reporters
3
Mohawk: The Life of Joseph Brant

North and South Series

Complete

3 books (1982–1987)

Start with North and South and read in order.

#Title
1
Cover of North and South
North and South
2
Cover of Love and War
Love and War
3
Cover of Heaven and Hell
Heaven and Hell

Planet of the Apes Series

Complete

5 books (1963–2001)

Start with Planet of the Apes(By: Pierre Boulle), the first of 5 books in the Planet of the Apes series.

#Title
1
Cover of Planet of the Apes(By: Pierre Boulle)
Planet of the Apes(By: Pierre Boulle)
2
Cover of Beneath The Planet of The Apes(By: Michael Avallone)
Beneath The Planet of The Apes(By: Michael Avallone)
3
Escape from the Planet of the Apes(By: Jerry Pournelle)
4
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
5
Cover of Planet of the Apes Movie Novelization(By: William T. Quick)
Planet of the Apes Movie Novelization(By: William T. Quick)

Plays Series

Complete

1 book (1998–1998)

#Title
1
Cover of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol

Short Stories/Novellas Series

Complete

1 book (1973–1973)

#Title
1
Ghoul's Garden

Short Story Collections Series

Complete

2 books (1977–1991)

Start with The Best of John Jakes and read in order.

#Title
1
Cover of The Best of John Jakes
The Best of John Jakes
2
Cover of The Best Western Stories of John Jakes
The Best Western Stories of John Jakes

Standalone Novels Series

Complete

35 books (1952–2006)

Start with The Texans Ride North, the first of 35 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#Title
1
The Texans Ride North
2
Wear a Fast Gun
3
The Devil Has Four Faces
4
Cover of The Seventh Man
The Seventh Man
5
Cover of I, Barbarian
I, Barbarian
6
The Imposter
7
Strike the Black Flag
8
Sir Scoundrel
9
Cover of Veils of Salome
Veils of Salome
10
11
G. I. Girls
12
Cover of The Man from Cannae
The Man from Cannae
13
Traitors' Legion
14
Cover of Secrets of Stardeep
Secrets of Stardeep
15
Cover of The Asylum World
The Asylum World
16
The Hybrid
17
The Last Magicians
18
Cover of Black in Time
Black in Time
19
Monte Cristo #99
20
Cover of Six-Gun Planet
Six-Gun Planet
21
Cover of The Star Virus/Mask of Chaos
The Star Virus/Mask of Chaos
22
Mention My Name in Atlantis
23
24
25
Cover of Fortune's Whirlwind
Fortune's Whirlwind
26
Cover of To an Unknown Shore
To an Unknown Shore
27
King's Crusader
28
Cover of A Night for Treason
A Night for Treason
29
Cover of Excalibur!(With: Gil Kane)
Excalibur!(With: Gil Kane)
30
Cover of California Gold
California Gold
31
Cover of On Secret Service
On Secret Service
32
Cover of The Bold Frontier
The Bold Frontier
33
Cover of Charleston
Charleston
34
Cover of Savannah, or A Gift for Mr. Lincoln / Savannah Christmas
Savannah, or A Gift for Mr. Lincoln / Savannah Christmas
35
Cover of The Gods of Newport
The Gods of Newport

The Crown Family Saga Series

Complete

2 books (1993–1998)

Start with Homeland and read in order.

#Title
1
2
Cover of American Dreams
American Dreams

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has John Jakes written?
John Jakes has written 94 books across 15 series. Their published works span from 1952 to 2016.
What is the first book in each John Jakes series?
Here are the first books in John Jakes's series: Anthologies: Orbit 3; Brak the Barbarian: Brak the Barbarian; II Galaxy: The Planet Wizard; Johnny Havoc: Johnny Havoc; Kent Family: The Bastard.
What order should I read John Jakes's books?
We recommend reading John Jakes's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
Are John Jakes's series complete?
John Jakes has 15 completed series.

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