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Callan
Callan | James Mitchell
3 posts | 2 read
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review
Bookwomble
Callan | James Mitchell
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Pickpick

Callan was one of my favourite TV shows when I was a kid, and having recently watched all the surviving episodes (British TV companies in the 60s and early 70s had a habit of recording over shows in their archives due to the high costs of the tapes, hence the loss of certain episodes of Callan, Doctor Who, et al) is one of the few shows that not only is as good as I remember, but is actually better now that I better understand its themes. 👇🏼

Bookwomble Callan was a reaction to, and against, the prevailing glossy image of the spy depicted in the James Bond films and TV shows like The Man from UNCLE. David Callan is decidedly down-at-heel, living in a shabby flat and, having been forcibly retired from his job as executioner for 'The Section', working as an accounts clerk for an unpleasant wholesale grocer. 👇🏼 4y
Bookwomble Although one of their most efficient operatives, Callan had started to question his orders and had developed a guilty conscience about some his assassination jobs. Inevitably, Callan is drawn back into the murky world of national security, but is he prepared to embrace that life again? If he does, can he live with his conscience? If he doesn't, will the Section chief, Hunter, allow him to live? 4y
Leftcoastzen Wow , sounds fantastic! 4y
Bookwomble @Leftcoastzen It's still one of my favourite shows, and this novelization of the pilot episode is written by the screenwriter and creator, so it's a faithful adaptation. Apart from the spy- thriller elements, it deals with Callan's moral conflicts about being an efficient killer, the tension between friendships and duty, the British class system, and a hard look at whether the West has any moral authority. Plus he has the worst boss & co-workers! 4y
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blurb
Bookwomble
A Magnum for Schneider | James Mitchell
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How hard is David Callan? He only goes and effing kills Darth Vader with his bare hands! The force is strong in this one!

https://youtu.be/ALII4qwRpME

review
Bookwomble
A Magnum for Schneider | James Mitchell
post image
Pickpick

Callan was one of my favourite TV shows when I was a kid, and having recently watched all the surviving episodes (British TV companies in the 60s and early 70s had a habit of recording over shows in their archives due to the high costs of the tapes, hence the loss of certain episodes of Callan, Doctor Who, et al) is one of the few shows that not only is as good as I remember, but is actually better now that I better understand its themes. 👇

Bookwomble Callan was a reaction to the prevailing glossy image of the spy shown in James Bond and The Man from UNCLE. David Callan is decidedly down-at-heel, living in a shabby flat and, having been forcibly retired from his job as executioner for 'The Section', works as an accounts clerk for a wholesaler. One of their most efficient operatives, Callan had started to question orders and had developed a guilty conscience about some his assassination jobs.👇 6y
Bookwomble Callan is drawn back into the murky world of national security, but is he prepared to embrace that life again? If he does, can he live with his conscience? If he doesn't, will the Section chief allow him to live? Given my love of the show, it was unlikely I'd find much wrong with this book. My only gripe is that it sticks too closely to the show and I would have liked to have had some more background on Callan and his smelly sidekick, Lonely. 👇 6y
Bookwomble My obvious bias aside, this is a superior thriller, the more so for being a realistic and earthy depiction of the works of the security and intelligence services (at least, as far as I can tell, not being a spy myself). 6y
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