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Callan Uncovered Volume 2 by James Mitchell
Created by James Mitchell, David Callan became a cult hero of British spy fiction from his first appearance in the television play A Magnum for Schneider in 1967. He went on to feature in the hugely successful television series Callan, a movie, five novels and at least 40 short stories syndicated in newspapers across the world. Here, collected for the first time, are the first 15 Callan stories, which appeared in the Sunday Express 1970-72 along with Get Callan, a feature by James Mitchell for TV Times in 1970 to promote the third series of the hit television show. Callan Uncovered 2 also contains reconstructed James Mitchell scripts from two early television Goodness Burns Too Bright, broadcast in July 1967, and Blackmailers Should Be Discouraged, from February 1969. No known recordings of these episodes exist.
Mass Market Paperback
First published May 28, 2015
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About the author
James Mitchell
34 books9 followersJames William Mitchell (12 March 1926, South Shields - 15 September 2002, Newcastle-upon-Tyne) was a British writer of crime fiction and spy thrillers. Mr. Mitchell also wrote under the pseudonyms James Munro and Patrick O. McGuire. He received bachelor's and master's degrees from Oxford.
Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 28, 2015
Almost 50 years after Callan hit the small screen fans of the series really are being spoilt by Ostara who give us a second collection of James Mitchell's Callan short stories; crisp and sharp tales of violence, deception, regret, and ruin. The briefness of the stories mean most characters remain very plainly drawn, and in these early stories, which were originally published before those in Volume 1, it is only when Lonely appears that the writing comes to life with the character's humorous and colourful turn of phrase.
Similarly very little background is on display in the short stories apart from a poignant detail we get from Lonely's childhood experience as an evacuee. Callan himself remains a blunt instrument in the short tales; sure he's the narrative engine, but for the most part the plots remain focused on the jobs at hand.
It in the other content that we see more of Callan's background and psychology; Get Callan, a collection of biographical from his Section file fill in a few details and occasionally Mitchell brings the text to life voices of the characters 'writing' the reports comes through, such as the cautious and clinical comments from the psychologist Snell, and a more colourful character sketch from the Armourer.
The two scripts presented here are the key documents in the collection and to the overall career of Callan, highlighting the tragedy that the original productions would appear to have been lost to viewers due to either poor archive management or the financial necessity of re-using video tape back in the late 60s and early 70s. This loss is mostly structural in the case of Goodness Burns Too Bright with the plot helping explain the transition between the end of the pilot episode Magnum for Schneider, which saw Callan seemingly burning his bridges with the section and ending up in a red file, and the surviving episodes of series one where Callan appears as a full member of the section. This episode sports a bolder villain than most in the series with Bauer driven to revenge and losing sight of the mission in stark contrast to the more contained Callan.
The second episode here, Blackmailers should be Discouraged from series two, is a more full blooded episode shoot through with the moral decay of the Section with a cast of flawed characters immersed in betrayal, greed, and self deception. Their suffering at the hands of the righteous has a strong emotional impact, and the script is a prime example of Mitchell's interest in espionage as a pressure cooker for character studies, not just an arena for spycraft and violence.
This anthology is a cracking good read for those looking for short and sharp tales of espionage, and as with Volume 1 it is an essential volume for any fan of the series who wants all the Callan that can be had. Fingers crossed for a Volume 3....
Similarly very little background is on display in the short stories apart from a poignant detail we get from Lonely's childhood experience as an evacuee. Callan himself remains a blunt instrument in the short tales; sure he's the narrative engine, but for the most part the plots remain focused on the jobs at hand.
It in the other content that we see more of Callan's background and psychology; Get Callan, a collection of biographical from his Section file fill in a few details and occasionally Mitchell brings the text to life voices of the characters 'writing' the reports comes through, such as the cautious and clinical comments from the psychologist Snell, and a more colourful character sketch from the Armourer.
The two scripts presented here are the key documents in the collection and to the overall career of Callan, highlighting the tragedy that the original productions would appear to have been lost to viewers due to either poor archive management or the financial necessity of re-using video tape back in the late 60s and early 70s. This loss is mostly structural in the case of Goodness Burns Too Bright with the plot helping explain the transition between the end of the pilot episode Magnum for Schneider, which saw Callan seemingly burning his bridges with the section and ending up in a red file, and the surviving episodes of series one where Callan appears as a full member of the section. This episode sports a bolder villain than most in the series with Bauer driven to revenge and losing sight of the mission in stark contrast to the more contained Callan.
The second episode here, Blackmailers should be Discouraged from series two, is a more full blooded episode shoot through with the moral decay of the Section with a cast of flawed characters immersed in betrayal, greed, and self deception. Their suffering at the hands of the righteous has a strong emotional impact, and the script is a prime example of Mitchell's interest in espionage as a pressure cooker for character studies, not just an arena for spycraft and violence.
This anthology is a cracking good read for those looking for short and sharp tales of espionage, and as with Volume 1 it is an essential volume for any fan of the series who wants all the Callan that can be had. Fingers crossed for a Volume 3....
January 17, 2017
A collection of newspaper stories from the 60s/70s detailing the further adventures of Callan. The stories are short - no more than a few pages each, but they convey the feeling of the show beautifully. The stories are engaging and brutal as one would hope. There is a definite formula to the stories - Hunter briefs Callan; Callan hires Lonely; the pair investigate and then Callan shoots the bad guy. But these stories were intended as a quick read in a daily tabloid - they are intentionally light and uncomplicated. As a quick read to dip in and out of, the format is just right. The book is complemented by scripts of two early missing episodes. This is the second volume of short stories, but the contents cover the first 15 newspaper Callan stories, discovered by the publisher after the first volume had gone to press.
July 15, 2015
More great stories
It is wonderful to be able to read more stories about Call an by James Mitchell. Interesting plots and twists jammed into short stories. Loved everyone.
It is wonderful to be able to read more stories about Call an by James Mitchell. Interesting plots and twists jammed into short stories. Loved everyone.
November 30, 2015
Such a fantastic find for a fan like me. Just when you thought there were no more Callan stories, even more pop up. Now all we need to do is find the missing episodes from Series 1.
November 11, 2019
Good follow-up book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews