Discount Price: $8.99
Price fluctuation possible.
How soon does it ship: Normal ship time within one day
Shipping? Absolutely FREE if you qualify for Super Saver Shipping.
Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9780451211033
ISBN number: 0451211030
Label: Signet
Manufacturer: Signet
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 544
Printing Date: January 06, 2004
Publishing house: Signet
Release Date: January 06, 2004
Sale Popularity Level: 205913
Studio: Signet
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
This is the story of Philip Kent. The illegitimate son of a British nobleman who was denied his heritage, he embraces the ideals of the fledgling nation of America-and takes up arms against his father's homeland.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
-
John Jakes is one of my favorite writers. I'm currently reading my 11th John Jakes book, since I discovered "The Kent Family Chronicles". He makes reading history interesting. Historical fiction is the best way to get into the experience of history. I can't put this stuff down!
He is a gifted and prolific story teller. Like Louis L'Amour, he really knows how to lead-up to a fight and create cliff hangers. He gets into all sides of people's characters and feelings - both men and women, young and old. There are timeless lessons about man's lust for greed and power. More impressively, his books have a consistent theme of what is good about mankind, and how some people struggle to make things right and fair. He never loses his directional moral compass.
You will be entertained by his books, as well as learn important lessons about the making of America. Writers like him are a treasure.
Rated by buyers 
-
The title of this review is meant as a compliment on John Jakes being so well-known to readers of this genre and as a reference to his prolific output, although Jakes is far inferior to King as a writer.
John Jakes knowns how to write a book that keeps someone reading, which is the mark of a good storyteller. However, his books drive me nuts. His characters are everywhere at once, somehow knowing everyone famous or important in history and managing to take part in or at least witness the most influential historical events of whatever time they're living in: they'll be a participant in the Boston Tea Party, Lexington and Concord and the Boston Massacre, all three, for example. This book is no exception and in fact set the rule among Jakes' later works. The writing here is adequate and this story does move along in a good way, but there is just so much silliness to this creation that it insults a person's intelligence. Why does Jakes feel the need to set his cast down right into major events? Why can't he write about people who merely lived through great times intead of being set down right in them? All that said, there's nothing really "harmful" about anything John Jakes writes, including The Bastard, just unrealistic. I'll show you what I mean. In this book we are expected to swallow the fact the fictional main character here is, though illegitimate, the heir to an English Duke (not a country squire or baronet or even an Earl, no, a DUKE), that he saves the life of Lafayette, that he beats up an Anglican Bishop, gets his teeth done by Paul Revere, befriends Samuel Adams, is personally known by name to George Washington, etc etc etc. Come ON! I know it's fiction, but too much tips the scales and reminds someone that they're reading a book, and that's something a writer wants his reader to forget. Disbelief must be suspended. Okay, so anyway, Jakes doesn't suck but he's not great, either. His works aren't bad stories but they're not convincing. If they give a few hours of escape they've done their job, but I wish this author had corrected a few flaws and improved himself and his books by so doing.
Rated by buyers 
-
The very first novel in the 7 part series. It starts of in England and ends up in America. The book has lots of rich and interesting characters. Philip Kent is the main character he flees England with his mother to get away from his Brother who wants them dead. When Philip arrives in America he meets a beatiful women adn gets involved in the Boston Tea Party. On the journey through out the book he come along maney historic figures. The book is a great read the only bad thing is when you dont know that much about american history it's confussing at times. Overall i cant wait to read the others.
Rated by buyers -
I do admit that I love historical fiction. I've read a lot on the Civil War that way ~~ and now I am reading John Jake's American series. I have forgotten how wonderful a story-teller John Jake is! From the very very first word he manages to ensnare the reader into a life very different from our own. He fires the reader's imagination to the hardships and the horrors, the inspirations and dreams of ordinary people that help shape our country to be what it is today.
This novel focuses on Philip Kent, an illegimate son of a Duke in England. Though born and raised in France, Philip was taught by his mother to be educated in spite of their poverty. His mother's dream was to see her son walking among the nobility. Circumstances destroyed that dream and his mother and forced them to flee France and England to the colonies across the sea. Caught up in the fervor of the times, Philip becomes one of the Colonies' fighters and dreamers.
If you're interested in reading a bit on the Revolution ~~ this book is a great start to get you going. I wish I had read this series years ago. This is wonderful ~~ full of stories of all humans from all walks of life and it definitely fires your imagination as you read about lives past.
12-20-04
Rated by buyers -
I picked up this book at a garage sale and made the mistake of buying this book and then reading it. It was a mistake because this book is so good and addictive that I had to find the succeeding books in the series, which was no easy task.
This book introduces the Kent clan's founder Phillip Kent. Forced to flee his native England he sneaks his way to the colonies. Along the way he meets several interesting historical characters from his good friend Lafayette to Ben Franklin. A ton of historical fact is presented here that the reader will remember more than if they read a textbook.
Find other books like this one:
