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Explore the Ashes series by William W. Johnstone with books in order and short summaries to help you follow Ben Raines through a devastated America.

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Ashes books in publication order

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34 books

1

Out of the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1983

After nuclear war devastates America, former soldier Ben Raines searches for his missing family. Meeting other survivors leads him toward organizing resistance and rebuilding a community, but marauders and hostile government forces threaten the society he hopes to create.

2

Anarchy in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1984

Ben Raines and his Rebels are rebuilding society after nuclear and biological war. Their plans face destruction when mercenary Sam Hartline assembles an invading Russian army, forcing Raines to defend both his followers and their fragile new nation.

3

Fire in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1984

Ben Raines tries to create a new America from the ruins of nuclear war, but government forces drive his Rebels into civil conflict. A dangerous breed of mutants adds another enemy, threatening everyone’s hopes of rebuilding a viable society.

4

Alone in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1985

Separated from his Rebel forces, Ben Raines becomes a target for armed gangs roaming post-apocalyptic America. Crossing a ruined country alone, he must evade leaders such as Cowboy Vic and Texas Red while deciding when to turn on his pursuers.

5

Blood in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1985

A violent cult called the Ninth Order threatens Ben Raines’s effort to rebuild America after nuclear disaster. Its followers launch attacks and cultivate betrayal within the Rebels, putting both Raines’s life and his community’s future at risk.

6

Wind in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1986

Ben Raines prepares an assault against Russian invaders and the turncoat Sam Hartline from a hidden western base. With reinforcements still absent, he must fight alone while his Rebels’ plans for rebuilding America hang on the coming confrontation.

7

Smoke from the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1987

Ben Raines and his Rebels face attacks by the terrorist Khamasin as they rebuild a devastated America. In the ruined cities, starving cannibal mutants present another threat, forcing the survivors to defend their communities on more than one front.

8

Danger in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1988

While battling cannibals in post-apocalyptic America, Ben Raines encounters a resurgent Ku Klux Klan. The group’s campaign of racial hatred threatens the society his Rebels are rebuilding, adding an organized human enemy to the dangers of the ruined cities.

9

Valor in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1988

A decade after nuclear war, Ben Raines leads his Rebels from Louisiana toward New York City. They must confront the cannibalistic Night People in towers and underground tunnels, taking their effort to rebuild America into a heavily defended urban stronghold.

10

Trapped in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1989

Ben Raines and his Rebels are trapped in the ruins of New York as enemies prepare to join forces against them. Facing terrorists, cannibals, and Sister Velora's followers, he must organize a decisive counterattack.

11

Death in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1990

In a nuclear-devastated America, Ben Raines continues his war against the cannibalistic Night People. His Rebel army targets their hiding places, hoping to force the mutants into the open before they can threaten the rebuilding nation.

12

Survival in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1990

Ben Raines and his guerrillas camp beside what used to be the Mississippi River, only to become trapped between armed troops and fanatical assassins. Their effort to rebuild America now depends on surviving another deadly confrontation.

13

Courage in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1991

Ben Raines has driven many of America's gangs and killers out of the lower states after nuclear war. With survivors retreating into Alaska's wilderness, he and his Rebels follow them to protect the country's fragile recovery.

14

Fury in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1991

Ben Raines and his Rebel army face bands of violent mutants on America's West Coast. In a country shattered by nuclear war, their latest campaign is another test of whether their effort to rebuild can survive.

15

Terror in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1992

Ben Raines takes his Rebel army to Ireland to fight warlord Jack Hunt's mercenaries. As new enemies reinforce Hunt's forces, Raines must weigh his soldiers' survival against the lives of civilians caught in the campaign.

16

Battle in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1993

After nuclear war, Ben Raines is working to rebuild America when a huge neo-Nazi army advances from South America. His Rebels must confront the invading force before it can destroy the fragile society they're trying to restore.

17

Flames from the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1993

Jesus Mendoza Hoffman's army spreads violence across North America, overwhelming Ben Raines's Rebels. When Hoffman captures their leader and demands surrender, Raines's followers must attempt a rescue before their movement and its hopes are destroyed.

18

Vengeance in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1993

While fighting slavers and cannibals in Hawaii, Ben Raines learns that a neo-Nazi army is advancing toward America. His capture leaves the outnumbered Rebels facing an enemy determined to destroy both their leader and their cause.

19

D-Day in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1994

Ben Raines's Rebels are asked to bring order beyond North America after their campaigns at home. With international recognition at stake, they take on a European mission against gangs and cannibals, insisting on fighting their own way.

20

Treason in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1994

Ben Raines positions his outnumbered Rebels against federal forces threatening their rebuilt nation. As the fighting begins, danger emerges from within his own ranks, making loyalty as important as firepower to their survival.

21

Betrayal in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1996

Europe faces a new Reich under neo-Nazi leader Bruno Bottger while America struggles to recover from catastrophe. Ben Raines and his Rebels must confront a force that the remaining European powers cannot stop.

22

Chaos in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1996

Ben Raines has helped rebuild a shattered America, but opponents threaten the society he established. As renewed civil war spreads violence through the Tri-States, his Rebel Army must struggle to hold the nation together.

23

Ambush in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1997

Ben Raines and his Rebels advance into southern Africa in pursuit of Bruno Bottger's neo-Nazi forces. Their campaign confronts an army threatening to extend its rule and turn a devastated region into a new Reich.

24

Judgment in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1997

Religious leader Simon Border labels Ben Raines the Antichrist and directs his followers toward war. Raines and the SUSA Rebels must counter a dangerous plan fueled by people willing to obey Border without question.

25

Slaughter in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1997

Ben Raines faces criminal gangs disrupting the nation his Rebels helped rebuild after the apocalypse. In northern Maine, an underground group of cannibals presents a threat that brings his campaign for order into particularly dangerous territory.

26

Crisis in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1998

Ben Raines and his Southern United States face missile attacks from the defeated leaders of the USA. The Rebels retaliate and advance into enemy territory as another struggle for control brings destruction across the continent.

27

Hatred in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1998

Ben Raines returns from victories in Africa to an America consumed by renewed conflict. A new president wants him captured or killed for treason, forcing the Rebel leader into another fight for his nation's survival.

28

Standoff in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1998

President Claire Osterman orders the destruction of the Southern United States and its leader, Ben Raines. Facing a powerful opponent determined to end their nation, Raines and his Rebels prepare for another bitter civil war.

29

Triumph in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

1998

Bruno Bottger's germ warfare has unleashed violent chaos among African civilians. Outnumbered by his armed forces as well, Ben Raines and the Rebels face a campaign against both the neo-Nazi army and the devastation it created.

30

Tyranny in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

2000

Ousted leader Claire Osterman allies with warlord Perro Loco to attack the Southern United States from Mexico. Ben Raines takes his force south, hoping to stop the invasion before the renewed war reaches his own territory.

31

Destiny in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

2001

Ben Raines's Southern United States has secured peace, but the neighboring northern nation remains vulnerable. When warlord Abdullah El Farrar invades and recruits northern citizens, Raines must decide how to defend a country that was once his enemy.

32

Warriors from the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

2001

Ben Raines's rebels face attacks from both north and south as President Osterman advances and rival armies unite in Mexico. Defending their desert stronghold requires fighting a war on two fronts against forces equipped with devastating weapons.

33

Enemy in the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

2002

Warlord El Farrar threatens oil reserves with support from the president of the Northern United States. Backed by the Southern United States, Ben Raines leads his army against an alliance whose control of resources could strengthen its power.

34

Escape from the Ashes

by William W Johnstone

2003

Ben Raines survives a plane crash in Canada's Northwest Territory but loses his memory. Stranded and vulnerable to a terrorist organization, the rebel leader must rely on survival skills while struggling to distinguish potential allies from enemies.

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