This book is a departure from Mitchell's previous historical fiction books which combined the concepts of time travel into actual historical events. Although still traveling in time to a past era, Beyond the Arc is truly a fictional novel. Mitchell, longtime a student of military history, during the centennial years 1961-1965 was Vice President of the Chicago Civil War Round Table, a prestigious gathering of authors and historians. When asked during an interview why he chose to deviate from his past writings, he responded, "Because I always wanted to do this book." Mitchell is a native Illinoisan and a retiree from the old Bell Telephone System. He and his wife, Shirley, have resided in Arizona since his retirement.
