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And Tyler No More
Kill the president of the United States? How could a rational and law-abiding citizen ever conclude that assassination is an option? What if one death could stop the growth of slavery? 1844. President John Tyler is weeks away from submitting to the Senate a treaty for the annexation of the Republic of Texas into the Union. Slaveholding Texas. A doubling of the amount of enslaved territory in the country. Giving the southern states a majority in the Senate. Monty Tolliver, a former top aide to an influential senator, is as sane and dutiful as they come. Along with his best friend, Ben Geddis, a naval officer and an abolitionist, they determine to stop Tyler, an unelected president who, in their view, has already committed multiple transgressions. Filled with the political intrigue of the 1840s and interaction with historical figures, along with a national tragedy and a mysterious death, And Tyler No More explores the battle between morality and legality, between loyalty and betrayal, and confirms that dysfunction in Washington is not a modern American phenomenon.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 25, 2021
53 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Stan Haynes
4 books2 followersStan Haynes, an attorney, spent his legal career as a litigator with a Baltimore law firm. A graduate of the College of William & Mary and of the University of Virginia School of Law, he has had a lifelong interest in American political history, particularly concerning the presidency. He resides in Maryland. Visit his website at www.stanhaynes.com.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 26, 2021
First and foremost, a large thank you to Reedsy Discovery and Stan Haynes for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
A great fan of all things political, I was drawn to Stan Haynes’ novel about a political assassination. Political history can be quite intriguing, as there are usually so many moving parts that help sketch out goings-on from a variety of perspectives. After ascending to the presidency, John Tyler begins to govern as though he possesses the powers of an elected leader. Many disagree, including one man who sees the country going in the wrong direction. Plotting action against Tyler will take more than simply desire, but the blowback could be even more troubling. Haynes does well to capture the reader’s attention in his piece, mixing history with some great character development.
The death of President William Henry Harrison a month after he took office in 1841 shook America. Never had a president died in office, forcing constitutional scholars to scour the document to determine what would happen next. In the short term, Harrison’s vice-president, John Tyler, assumes the role, as denoted in the US Constitution. It is what happens next that leads to a great deal of confusion.
As Tyler begins ruling the country, he alienates many within his Whig Party. His views and actions push some to the brink, including Henry Clay, a powerful senator from Kentucky. Working alongside Clay is Monty Tolliver, a young man who idolises his boss. Tolliver speaks openly about his disdain for Tyler and the actions taken, spreading his sentiments to his best friend, Ben Geddis.
As the years pass, Tolliver and Geddis concoct a plot that would see Tyler removed from office, not on a political scandal, but through his death. While assassination is treason, these two men cannot stand idly by as President Tyler eyes bringing Texas into the Union and fomenting more division over the question of slavery. They draw up a plan and thought it foolproof, only to have things go awry and leave Ben injured.
After Ben turns up dead a few days later, possibly by his own hand, Tolliver begins to process what he has done, only to learn that there was something not entirely right about his friend’s apparent suicide. Working with a Washington City detective, Tolliver tries to get to the root of what happened, as well as keep secret the plot of his attempt on Tyler’s life. An intriguing piece of historical fiction, indeed!
While I had not heard of Stan Haynes before this novel, I was quite impressed with his writing. There is something for everyone in this piece, which offers readers a glimpse into a time gone by, as well as some great historical backstory around a small piece in pre-Civil War times. I can only hope that there is more to come, as Haynes has me eager to add to my knowledge of US history.
Monty Tolliver plays a central role in the story, working through not only his impressionable years, but also some key moments of self-reflection. The story offers a little backstory, but much of it is about the development of Monty’s views and sentiments about making such a rash decision as to plot the assassination of a sitting president. Haynes keeps him as a strong character throughout and left me wanting to know more about the man who would one day rise to claim a seat in the House of Representatives.
I would suppose that the greatest issue with writing historical fiction is to keep true to the events, while also developing a spot for characters to thrive and carve out their own paths. Haynes does this effectively, keeping the reader intrigued not only with the goings-on that match the history books, but also offering a personal glimpse into events. The strong narrative helped to keep this going, while using a plot that is likely not entirely well known (if not fictitious entirely). Great characters and some poignant moments helped keep the story moving, especially through two timelines. Short chapters made me want to push through, if only to get to the climactic moments and see how they played out. I will certainly look into some of Stan Haynes’ non-fiction work, but am hoping for more in the fiction column as well.
Kudos, Mr. Haynes for a great foray into the world of historical fiction. I hope others with a penchant for the genre take note as well.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
A great fan of all things political, I was drawn to Stan Haynes’ novel about a political assassination. Political history can be quite intriguing, as there are usually so many moving parts that help sketch out goings-on from a variety of perspectives. After ascending to the presidency, John Tyler begins to govern as though he possesses the powers of an elected leader. Many disagree, including one man who sees the country going in the wrong direction. Plotting action against Tyler will take more than simply desire, but the blowback could be even more troubling. Haynes does well to capture the reader’s attention in his piece, mixing history with some great character development.
The death of President William Henry Harrison a month after he took office in 1841 shook America. Never had a president died in office, forcing constitutional scholars to scour the document to determine what would happen next. In the short term, Harrison’s vice-president, John Tyler, assumes the role, as denoted in the US Constitution. It is what happens next that leads to a great deal of confusion.
As Tyler begins ruling the country, he alienates many within his Whig Party. His views and actions push some to the brink, including Henry Clay, a powerful senator from Kentucky. Working alongside Clay is Monty Tolliver, a young man who idolises his boss. Tolliver speaks openly about his disdain for Tyler and the actions taken, spreading his sentiments to his best friend, Ben Geddis.
As the years pass, Tolliver and Geddis concoct a plot that would see Tyler removed from office, not on a political scandal, but through his death. While assassination is treason, these two men cannot stand idly by as President Tyler eyes bringing Texas into the Union and fomenting more division over the question of slavery. They draw up a plan and thought it foolproof, only to have things go awry and leave Ben injured.
After Ben turns up dead a few days later, possibly by his own hand, Tolliver begins to process what he has done, only to learn that there was something not entirely right about his friend’s apparent suicide. Working with a Washington City detective, Tolliver tries to get to the root of what happened, as well as keep secret the plot of his attempt on Tyler’s life. An intriguing piece of historical fiction, indeed!
While I had not heard of Stan Haynes before this novel, I was quite impressed with his writing. There is something for everyone in this piece, which offers readers a glimpse into a time gone by, as well as some great historical backstory around a small piece in pre-Civil War times. I can only hope that there is more to come, as Haynes has me eager to add to my knowledge of US history.
Monty Tolliver plays a central role in the story, working through not only his impressionable years, but also some key moments of self-reflection. The story offers a little backstory, but much of it is about the development of Monty’s views and sentiments about making such a rash decision as to plot the assassination of a sitting president. Haynes keeps him as a strong character throughout and left me wanting to know more about the man who would one day rise to claim a seat in the House of Representatives.
I would suppose that the greatest issue with writing historical fiction is to keep true to the events, while also developing a spot for characters to thrive and carve out their own paths. Haynes does this effectively, keeping the reader intrigued not only with the goings-on that match the history books, but also offering a personal glimpse into events. The strong narrative helped to keep this going, while using a plot that is likely not entirely well known (if not fictitious entirely). Great characters and some poignant moments helped keep the story moving, especially through two timelines. Short chapters made me want to push through, if only to get to the climactic moments and see how they played out. I will certainly look into some of Stan Haynes’ non-fiction work, but am hoping for more in the fiction column as well.
Kudos, Mr. Haynes for a great foray into the world of historical fiction. I hope others with a penchant for the genre take note as well.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
December 10, 2021
Wow, just wow!
As a huge fan of American history and historical fiction I really enjoyed this book. The “ whodunit “ aspect was well played out . Mr. Haynes research and knowledge of political history is without a doubt impressive . I look forward to following this author !
As a huge fan of American history and historical fiction I really enjoyed this book. The “ whodunit “ aspect was well played out . Mr. Haynes research and knowledge of political history is without a doubt impressive . I look forward to following this author !
November 14, 2021
Tyler No More is a fictional account of an assassination plot against President John Tyler. It expertly creates the political backdrop of the time and weaves the reader though the internal debates happening amongst the Whig Party, primarily regarding slavery and the annexation of Texas. Though conversations with a dying Senator Henry Clay, we learn about the struggles of the Whigs to find a coherent voice on the issue of slavery, but also how it had come to dominant the politics of the time.
Tyler, who came to office after the death of W.H. Harrison, was loathed by many for not having won the election, but rather assuming the office after the president died. This was the first time a sitting president died which created a very unique situation for those on The Hill.
Haynes explains the politics and nuances of the conventions with clarity and intrigue. I relished being guided thought the narratives of the time and the getting glimpses into the life of a page in the Senate and into political conventions.
Apart from the superbly crafted politics of the story, Haynes gives us a sympathetic protagonist and several twists and surprises. The story becomes a "whodunnit" towards the end before settling back down to the larger issues at play. While occasionally being cheesy with the dialogue and not always offering enough insight into his characters, Tyler No More still greatly succeeds at portraying a hyper-partisan time in American politics with an intriguing storyline. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in presidential history, historical mysteries, or the politics of abolitionism. I enjoyed this immensely!
Tyler, who came to office after the death of W.H. Harrison, was loathed by many for not having won the election, but rather assuming the office after the president died. This was the first time a sitting president died which created a very unique situation for those on The Hill.
Haynes explains the politics and nuances of the conventions with clarity and intrigue. I relished being guided thought the narratives of the time and the getting glimpses into the life of a page in the Senate and into political conventions.
Apart from the superbly crafted politics of the story, Haynes gives us a sympathetic protagonist and several twists and surprises. The story becomes a "whodunnit" towards the end before settling back down to the larger issues at play. While occasionally being cheesy with the dialogue and not always offering enough insight into his characters, Tyler No More still greatly succeeds at portraying a hyper-partisan time in American politics with an intriguing storyline. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in presidential history, historical mysteries, or the politics of abolitionism. I enjoyed this immensely!
March 16, 2022
American history can sometimes conjure up "what if" scenarios and one such moment in our historical political past was during the presidency of John Tyler. He ascended to the high office, as vice president, after President William Harrison died in April of 1841. As a member of the Whig Party, he was a strong supporter of states rights and of slavery. He was also a proponent of the annexation of Texas, which, at the time, would increase the institution of slavery.
Enter the idea of assassinating Tyler and stemming the spread of slavery; and you now introduce into the story Monty Tolliver, a top aid to Senator Henry Clay- who also rebelled against Tyler after the president sought to bypass the Whig establishment. Monty teams up with a naval officer friend of his, Ben Geddis and together they launch a plot to kill Tyler. This story is very compelling and it brings into view several historical figures and it begs the question: What can a few do to advance the cause of morality and what does it mean to be human?
Historical fiction is great because it can teach as well as entertain. We, as a nation, now live in very turbulent and troubling times and sometimes when we look back, we can learn a great deal about who we are and who we were. What we soon realize is: Our time of trouble and moral reasoning isn't uncommon to the ones who lived before us. We'll continue to seek out a moral compass.
Stan Haynes has all the right literary tools, along with a prolific and an astute imagination, to become one of the best in this genre. And Tyler No More is a must read.
Enter the idea of assassinating Tyler and stemming the spread of slavery; and you now introduce into the story Monty Tolliver, a top aid to Senator Henry Clay- who also rebelled against Tyler after the president sought to bypass the Whig establishment. Monty teams up with a naval officer friend of his, Ben Geddis and together they launch a plot to kill Tyler. This story is very compelling and it brings into view several historical figures and it begs the question: What can a few do to advance the cause of morality and what does it mean to be human?
Historical fiction is great because it can teach as well as entertain. We, as a nation, now live in very turbulent and troubling times and sometimes when we look back, we can learn a great deal about who we are and who we were. What we soon realize is: Our time of trouble and moral reasoning isn't uncommon to the ones who lived before us. We'll continue to seek out a moral compass.
Stan Haynes has all the right literary tools, along with a prolific and an astute imagination, to become one of the best in this genre. And Tyler No More is a must read.
June 2, 2022
Embroidered, not alternative, history
I had some hope, when I began reading this book, that it would be an alternative history novel, which is one of my favorite genres. However, it turned out to be just another historical fiction novel, and not one of the better ones I’ve read. The basic premise is that three young friends set out to assassinate President John Tyler, who became president on the sudden and untimely death of the elected president, William Henry Harrison. Through a series of mishaps, the assassination does not take place, and one of the conspirators is found dead several days later. The main character spends the rest of the book trying to find out what really happened. It drags on far too long, but I suppose the author had to make it fit the timeline he’d set for a framework. The parts about Henry Clay are interesting but none of the characters are very well developed. I wish it really had been alternative history instead.
I had some hope, when I began reading this book, that it would be an alternative history novel, which is one of my favorite genres. However, it turned out to be just another historical fiction novel, and not one of the better ones I’ve read. The basic premise is that three young friends set out to assassinate President John Tyler, who became president on the sudden and untimely death of the elected president, William Henry Harrison. Through a series of mishaps, the assassination does not take place, and one of the conspirators is found dead several days later. The main character spends the rest of the book trying to find out what really happened. It drags on far too long, but I suppose the author had to make it fit the timeline he’d set for a framework. The parts about Henry Clay are interesting but none of the characters are very well developed. I wish it really had been alternative history instead.
May 14, 2022
This is a very good read if you enjoy history. The author, Stan Haynes, creates three fictional characters who get together to plan the assassination of President Tyler. President Tyler was the first President of the United States who succeeded a President who died in office (President Harrison). Many people felt that he was not the true President as he was not elected to office, however the three conspirators felt that slavery would be spread and that there would be a war with Mexico if Texas were admitted to the Union. This book explores the events of the time: the explosion of the Peacemaker cannon aboard the Princeton warship, Henry Clay's long illness (and his political savvy), slavery and other issues of the day. At the end of the book the author describes some of the characters he had in his book. It was amusing to see a madam was buried in the Congressional cemetery!
November 26, 2023
An Interesting, Fictionalized Pre-Civil War History Book
This was more a long, in-depth History Lesson, written as a novel with fictional and non-fictional characters well intermixed.
The actual plot to do away with President Tyler was interesting and kept The Reader involved —- but, now that I’m done with the book — it seems more of a side-story, since the gist of this novel was describing the Whig party prior to The Civil War.
This was more a long, in-depth History Lesson, written as a novel with fictional and non-fictional characters well intermixed.
The actual plot to do away with President Tyler was interesting and kept The Reader involved —- but, now that I’m done with the book — it seems more of a side-story, since the gist of this novel was describing the Whig party prior to The Civil War.
April 30, 2022
An interesting and educational read for me. It was interesting to see how things developed in "the old days" and read about well-known people.
December 5, 2023
Intriguing re-imagining of a tragic historic event. Can Monty Tolliver must navigate blind alleys, dead ends, and too little information to uncover what really happened.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews