New Historical Fiction Novel— "Journey Through Hell Almost to Heaven," written by Mel King
A young doctor’s journey through horrors of the civil war with mass casualties, and the emergence of modern medicine
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / PRURGENT
September 26, 2018—Monterey, California
Inspired by recent often violent disputes about displaying the Confederate flag and monuments to Confederate military and political ‘heroes’ in public parks and government buildings, Mel King wrote his third book: JOURNEY THROUGH HELL ALMOST TO HEAVEN, a historical fiction novel that follows the journey of a young doctor through the horrors of the Civil War.
Prior to the 1860s, armies used the Napoleonic tactics of war; their rifles were smooth-barreled muskets inaccurate at more than 100 yards; medicine had hardly changed in hundreds of years; the existence of bacteria and the cause of disease were not known; sanitation was not practiced and its benefits were unknown and even ridiculed; surgery was very risky with often deadly results.
All that changed with improvements in weaponry that resulted in massive increases in casualties during the Civil War, which was brought about by Southern States’ attempt to secede from the Union so as to preserve the abominable institution of slavery. In this novel, a young doctor experiences the horrors of the Civil War with the emergence of modern warfare and the beginnings of modern medicine.
For more than a century and a half since the end of that War, most Southerners have almost reverently referred to the Civil War as “The Lost Cause”, and to its military leaders [Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, etc.] as heroes. In setting forth the historical facts, the author leaves it up to the reader to decide whether they should be remembered as valiant heroes or traitors to the United States. What is certain is that their actions led to the devastation of the South and a legacy of bigotry and oppression of blacks for far more than a century.
The book is available at Amazon Books, in Kindle or paperback editions.
https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Through-Hell-Almost-Heaven/dp/0692180818/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
The author hopes this novel will inspire an interest in history, because, in the words of George Santayana:
“THOSE WHO CANNOT REMEMBER THE PAST ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT IT.”
BRIEF AUTHOR BIO
Mel King is a graduate of Bates College and Harvard Law School. After 5 years as a professor at a California law school, and over 45 years as a successful trial attorney, he retired and moved with his wife, Shirley, to the central coast of California, with its magnificent scenery, abundant wildlife [deer, seals, sea otters, pelicans, bobcats—and even mountain lions]. At the urging of his wife to take up an avocation or hobby, he turned to writing stories. Realizing that many high school and college graduates lack the knowledge of history, he began writing about that genre. | 
