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Crisis of the House Never United: A Novel of Early America Hardcover – September 28, 2022

by Chuck DeVore (Author)
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The American experiment almost died in infancy. After winning independence in 1783, America started to descend into lawlessness as both the national and state governments struggled to raise enough revenue to pay their debts. Gold and silver were scarce, yet taxes had to be paid in hard currency. Farmers rebelled, resentful towards the merchants and large landowners and even former pro-British tories who returned to reclaim their property.

In this powder keg, a Massachusetts militia captain by the name of Shays had enough. He rebelled against Boston's rule with the unrest threatening to spread. It is with Shays' Rebellion that the Crisis of the House Never United charts an alternate path for American history through the eyes of Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and a rich cast of supporting characters trying to make their way in tumultuous times, navigating rebellion, resentment, and foreign intrigue.

As Americans grappled with how best to govern themselves, it was a time of maximum danger and heated passions when men were not yet sure as to whether ballots or bullets would decide the fates of governments.

The infant America was organized under the Articles of Confederation, a weak system of national government in which the states reigned supreme.

The Crisis of the House Never United explores a highly probable early history of the United States, one in which ratification of the Constitution failed and the loosely bound states broke apart in a divorce, some 60 years before the Civil War, though for largely different reasons.

This early national divorce is more relevant than ever with increasing talk among pundits of a so-called “national divorce” as Americans grow weary of each other. On one side, the proclivity to use increasingly vast federal powers—whether through Congress acting as the people’s elected representatives, or through unelected bureaucrats wielding regulatory powers—has made large segments of society wishing to be left alone. On the other side, the demand to conform, to trade some freedom for security or collective equality (real or perceived) has caused some to wonder if they’d be better off without the benighted populations of flyover country.

These complaints that threaten to escalate into unrest are a symptom of a deeper problem, namely, that our Constitutional order appears to be breaking down. Rather than a federal system with strong checks and balances, both at the national level and checked by the states, power has been increasingly centralized in Washington, D.C. with much of that power held by the administrative state—a sprawling professional bureaucracy.

Yet our Constitution is the world's best—should we choose to follow it. And it almost didn't happen.

In addition to Crisis of the House Never United, Chuck DeVore is the author of China Attacks, a novel, and Prosperity in the Lone Star State and Lessons for America. DeVore is an executive with the Texas Public Policy Foundation and is a senior contributor to The Federalist. He served as a California State Assemblyman for six years. He's a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel.
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  1. Print length
    296 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    September 28, 2022
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.93 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-13
    979-8355064044
  6. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

The reader can tell that DeVore did his homework
"The reader can tell that DeVore did his homework... At the back of the book are copious notes explaining the historical deviations for those without an encyclopedic knowledge of events...
I recommend Crisis of the House Never United for anyone who loves the era, or would like some context for how we arrived where we are today and what stands to be lost if we don't fight to preserve it."
- Daily Caller

Burr (a satisfyingly well-developed character...)
"But what if the Constitution had failed to win ratification? That's the alternative timeline DeVore explores.... [after] ratification fails... ...Burr (a satisfyingly well-developed character, much more rounded than Burr's 'Hamilton' version) sees his opportunity. Before long, the divided nation falls apart, as separatists (quite logically) quote the Declaration of Independence to justify dissolving the union."
- The Federalist

This book works as an object lesson in the functionality and genius of our Constitution
"...what if the Constitution failed in its shaky bid for ratification? A weakened America, barely held together by the Articles of Confederation, is a tempting target for European powers... Infighting leads to civil conflict, and soon the new nation splits, setting up even larger conflicts. Without the checks and balances of the Constitution, the former colonies prove to be fertile ground for despotism and war. ...this book works as an object lesson in the functionality and genius of our Constitution."
- The Daily Signal

A great Christmas book (for anyone) who loves American history and action stories
"...a great Christmas book idea for yourself or someone who loves American history and action stories... 'Crisis' is an alternative history novel premised on America never adopting the U.S. Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation. Instead, it splits into loose state coalitions manipulated by the major European powers..."
- The Orange County Register

From the Author

Crisis of the House Never United explores what might have happened if America suffered an early break up, an idea more relevant than ever with increasing talk among pundits of a so-called "national divorce" as Americans grow weary of each other.

On one side, the proclivity to use increasingly vast federal powers—whether through Congress acting as the people's elected representatives, or through unelected bureaucrats wielding regulatory powers—has made large segments of society wishing to be left alone. On the other side, the demand to conform, to trade some freedom for security or collective equality (real or perceived) has caused some to wonder if they'd be better off without the benighted populations of flyover country.

These complaints that threaten to escalate into unrest are a symptom of a deeper problem, namely, that our Constitutional order appears to be breaking down. Rather than a federal system with strong checks and balances, both at the national level and checked by the states, power has been increasingly centralized in Washington, D.C. with much of that power held by the administrative state—a sprawling professional bureaucracy.

Yet our Constitution is the world's best—should we choose to follow it. And it almost didn't happen.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BGNKPTLR
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (September 28, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8355064044
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.93 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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Chuck DeVore

Chuck DeVore

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Chuck DeVore is the author of four books: "Crisis of the House Never United - a Novel of Early America," "China Attacks - 2024," "The Texas Model: Prosperity in the Lone Star State and Lessons for America," and "China Attacks," a novel.

DeVore is a veteran of the U.S. Army and served as an intelligence officer. He retired as a lieutenant colonel.

DeVore has traveled extensively abroad, using his overseas observations in his writings.

He frequently appears on Fox News and writes regularly for Fox and The Federalist.

DeVore is an executive at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, one of America's premier free market think tanks.

Before joining the Foundation in 2011, DeVore was a California State Assemblyman from 2004 to 2010 where he was vice chairman of the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation.

He worked in the aerospace industry for 13 years before his election to office.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan appointed him a Special Assistant for Foreign Affairs in the Department of Defense.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
24 global ratings
Great book
5 out of 5 stars
Great book
Just finished my second reading of Crisis. Besides its imaginative plot, the book is rich with details and amazing anecdotes. I especially appreciate his inclusion of characters who have been forgotten outside of history textbooks.
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Top reviews from the United States

The Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, a reminder of how lucky we are in America
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2024
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We have heard the tale of Benjamin Franklin being asked by a lady what kind of government our founding fathers were preparing for us, to which Mr. Franklin purportedly replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it.” Americans held their collective breath in those early days as our nation was forming, not only to see what kind of government we would get, but to see if it would hold. Throughout history, very few nations succeeded for long without sliding into dictatorship, from the Roman Republic to the Weimar Republic, to what we see happening in Belarus, Turkey, or elsewhere in the world today. Many nations have never experienced a breath of freedom from the start, and in America’s infancy the threat of us continuing this historic trend of a monarchy or other form of dictatorship was very real. In the novel titled “Crisis of the House Never United: A Novel of Early America,” author Chuck DeVore explores through rich storytelling just what life might have been like if America had not stayed free. What if the constitution had not been ratified and we quickly slid into a totalitarian form of government like so many nations who came before her?

The best way to tell history, or in this case, a dark alternate history, is through personal stories. Chuck does a fantastic job doing this through the eyes of familiar names such as Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams, among others. What we see in these stories are humans, and as much as we would like to fool ourselves believing human nature is good at the core, the reality is humans are corrupt, greedy, often power-hungry individuals when not guided by external moral principles. These moral principles are embodied in our constitution, and the fact that we had a few good men leading our nation at the start who understood the danger of a too-powerful government and who were faithful both to God and country are what saved America from a dark fate in those early uncertain days.

I have traveled throughout the world, both in and out of the military. From those experiences and as a student of history, I can say with absolute certainty that what we have here in the United States under our constitution is truly unique, remarkable, and wonderful. Author Chuck DeVore brings his decades of experience as a military intelligence officer, understanding just how special our place is in the world, and conveys this message phenomenally in his book. All too many Americans do not understand just how special and fragile our way of life is. Despite this book being a work of historical fiction, the narrative touches on a very real threat, not just in our early history but continuing to the present day. Today, forces still exist working to exploit our constitution in order to destroy us from within. “Crisis of the House Never United” is a compelling read that explores the “what if” which was terrifyingly close to being a reality. I recommend it for any lovers of history. This thought-provoking narrative is a stark reminder of just how lucky we are to live in this great nation, and how we are not immune from the grip of oppression.
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Trevor
5.0 out of 5 stars The Nightmare That Might Have Been
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2023
Verified Purchase
Every few months, it seems that the vast majority of Twitter is suddenly comprised of experts in US Constitutional law. Then we slip into a morass of sticky arguments about the role of the government: “Do we want more freedom, or more safety?” “More regulation or less?” “Is it time for a national divorce?” What we may not realize is that questions have existed in one form or another from the moment of our founding.

While I would never claim to be expert in anything legal, I know enough world history to understand that the US Constitution is unique and the best legal document ever written. What I never considered is how US history would be different (or even exist) if it hadn’t been ratified. Precious things tend to fragile, especially in their infancy. So too with the creation of our system of government.

Which brings us to Crisis of the House never United.

Author Chuck DeVore takes a different approach to alternate history. And given his background serving in both the military and government, he’s more than qualified to reconsider the past and write of battles, both with ballots and bullets (to borrow from the back cover). Usually authors include some fantastic element like a major technological advancement as justification for altering events. The closest thing to which I can compare Crisis of the House Never United is Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, and even that framed its retelling of the Napoleonic Wars with magic.

There's nothing like that here, let me be clear so that so no one quits this book frustrated. Rather, DeVore's novel attempts to answer the question "What would have happened if the Constitution had not been ratified?" Put another way, "What if key players in US history, like Aaron Burr, hadn't miscalculated their opponents?" and "What if (as many of today's generation complain) slavery had been abolished immediately at our founding?"

The answer, it seems, would be a national divorce, an idea that's come into vogue as of late. And it's not pretty.

All history eventually becomes story, and real-life figures morph into characters no more or less real to us than Luke Skywalker or Huckleberry Finn. In an undertaking like this, it falls to the author to research and replicate the once-living men and women in close approximation to how they truly were. The reader can tell that DeVore did his homework as he writes of the time with meticulous detail and authority, so one can safely assume he did the same with Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Paine, et al. At the back of the book are copious notes explaining the historical deviations for those without an encyclopedic knowledge of events.

It's frustrating to me that there are so few novels (and films, and TV shows) set during our nation's founding. Having visited Colonial Williamsburg, I know that it was a vibrant and fascinating time. So even though war is hell and this novel speculates a much darker post-Revolutionary War era than the difficult reality, I savored the depictions of day-to-day life.

Through this narrative speculation, we're reminded that this country which the whole world takes for granted has always been poised on the edge of a knife. Sometimes the edge has been a little sharper than at others. There's never been a nation like the United States, and there likely never will be again, for all our successes over the last 250 years. To suggest that we burn it all down and start over, that if we'd been there we would have done better, or that smashing it to pieces now would improve things, is foolish and dangerous.

One small criticism: I wish that DeVore had taken on a co-author schooled in writing fiction just to polish the dialog and narration. The plot flows organically and maintains its logic, yet the writing is sometimes stilted and the dialog awkward. Those flaws take away from the pleasant experience of reading a novel, though the intent here is to be thought provoking more than entertaining.

That aside, I recommend Crisis of the House Never United for anyone who loves the era, or would like some context for how we arrived where we are today and what stands to be lost if we don't fight to preserve it.
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Sarah French
5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging read but watch out, you might learn something! :)
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2023
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I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this book because I’m not a history buff, but it’s actually perfect for someone who doesn’t remember their American history class! The narrative storytelling is compelling and keeps the reader engaged. I suppose the genre would be “historical fiction” but that feels too simple. I’ve never read another book that asks the question, “what if it had happened this way instead?” What’s fun is that, in addition to providing an engaging read, the book ACTUALLY MAKES YOU LEARN HISTORY because you want to find out how the book compares to what really happened. Very sneaky, Mr. DeVore. At least he provides a helpful timeline at the end.
On top of entertaining the reader and stealthily teaching them history, the book is actually doing something much bigger by showing the reader how miraculous it is that America’s Constitution even exists, and how different our world might look today if the Constitution had not been ratified. Regardless of your political views, I think this book will give you a greater appreciation for the union that we have, as imperfect as it may be.
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