Brian Callison
Encyclopedia
Brian Callison is a UK
novelist known for his best-selling thrillers and sea stories. Born in Manchester
, England
in 1934, he was educated at the High School of Dundee
, and went to sea at the age of 16 as a midshipman
with the Blue Funnel Line
, sailing aboard cargo ships between ports in Europe
and East Asia
. Callison subsequently left the sea, studied at Dundee
College of Art in Scotland
, and went into business. His first published novel, A Flock of Ships, appeared in 1970 to widespread critical and popular acclaim. It became an international bestseller, and established Callison's reputation as a leading writer of sea stories. In 2008 he completed a three-year appointment as a Fellow of The Royal Literary Fund at the University of Dundee, mentoring staff and students in all aspects of practical writing.
Currently Brian continues to work with private clients as a literary consultant, career adviser and mentor at http://www.writermentoring.co.uk http://www.writermentoring.co.uk.
A Plague of Sailors and its sequel A Frenzy of Merchantmen, along with A Web of Salvage and Spearfish, are straightforward present-day thrillers similar to the work of Desmond Bagley
and Hammond Innes
. They pit a tough, competent hero against more-numerous and better-equipped enemies that only he can stop.
A Flock of Ships, The Sextant, and The Stollenberg Legacy, like several works by Duncan Kyle
, are driven by a present-day hero's attempt to make sense of shadowy events that unfolded during World War II
. Though characterized by violence, danger, and the uncovering of secrets, they are as much mysteries
as thrillers.
The Dawn Attack and The Bone Collectors are military adventure stories set entirely in odd corners of World War II
, like the work of John Harris
and Nicholas Monsarrat
. The former is a grimly realistic depiction of a commando
raid on occupied Norway, the latter the story of a rescue ship attached to North Atlantic convoy
s.
A Ship is Dying, The Auriga Madness, A Thunder of Crude, and Ferry Down are modern sea stories dealing with the last days (or hours) of doomed ships.
The five-book (to date) "Captain Trapp" series, begun by Trapp's War, is broad farce
: the adventures of the cheerfully amoral title character, his decrepit tramp steamer, and his colourfully degenerate crew. The series begins in World War II and extends into the 1990s, departing further from reality with every instalment.
Essentially, however, his "heroes" are Merchant Seamen. The lead character in the thrillers, Brevet Cable, is a Merchant Navy Mate, the present day character solving the old mysteries is again a Merchant seamen, with a personal connection to the past mystery, and the heroes of the Trapp series are Trapp himself, a Merchant Seaman and Royal Navy Reserve Officer, and the more morally bound narrator, also a Merchant Navy and Royal Navy Reserve Officer. "The Bone Collector" is a "military adventure" only in that it is set during the Battle of the North Atlantic. It is really about the ordinary people, civilians, caught up in that horrific episode. Finally, all of the others, the "doomed ships" series, reflect the author's feeling about the Merchant Navy in general.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
novelist known for his best-selling thrillers and sea stories. Born in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1934, he was educated at the High School of Dundee
High School of Dundee
The High School of Dundee is an independent, co-educational, day school in the city of Dundee, Scotland which provides both primary and secondary education to just over one thousand pupils...
, and went to sea at the age of 16 as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
with the Blue Funnel Line
Blue Funnel Line
Alfred Holt and Company, marketed as the Blue Funnel Line, was founded by Alfred Holt on 16 January 1866.The main operating subsidiary was the Ocean Steam Ship Company, which owned and operated the majority of the company's vessels....
, sailing aboard cargo ships between ports in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
. Callison subsequently left the sea, studied at Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
College of Art in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and went into business. His first published novel, A Flock of Ships, appeared in 1970 to widespread critical and popular acclaim. It became an international bestseller, and established Callison's reputation as a leading writer of sea stories. In 2008 he completed a three-year appointment as a Fellow of The Royal Literary Fund at the University of Dundee, mentoring staff and students in all aspects of practical writing.
Currently Brian continues to work with private clients as a literary consultant, career adviser and mentor at http://www.writermentoring.co.uk http://www.writermentoring.co.uk.
Works
Virtually all of Callison's novels are set on or near the sea, but they vary widely in plot, character, and tone. The following categorization, though hardly definitive, illustrates the diversity of his work.A Plague of Sailors and its sequel A Frenzy of Merchantmen, along with A Web of Salvage and Spearfish, are straightforward present-day thrillers similar to the work of Desmond Bagley
Desmond Bagley
Desmond Bagley , was a British journalist and novelist principally known for a series of best-selling thrillers...
and Hammond Innes
Hammond Innes
Ralph Hammond Innes was a British novelist who wrote over 30 novels, as well as children's and travel books....
. They pit a tough, competent hero against more-numerous and better-equipped enemies that only he can stop.
A Flock of Ships, The Sextant, and The Stollenberg Legacy, like several works by Duncan Kyle
Duncan Kyle
John Franklin Broxholme is an English thriller writer who published fifteen novels in a little over twenty years using the pen name of Duncan Kyle....
, are driven by a present-day hero's attempt to make sense of shadowy events that unfolded during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Though characterized by violence, danger, and the uncovering of secrets, they are as much mysteries
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
as thrillers.
The Dawn Attack and The Bone Collectors are military adventure stories set entirely in odd corners of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, like the work of John Harris
John Harris
-Politics and government:*John Harris , English MP for Grampound in 1555*John Harris English MP for Bere Alston in 1640*John Harris , English MP for Liskeard...
and Nicholas Monsarrat
Nicholas Monsarrat
Commander Nicholas John Turney Monsarrat RNVR was a British novelist known today for his sea stories, particularly The Cruel Sea and Three Corvettes , but perhaps best known internationally for his novels, The Tribe That Lost Its Head and its sequel, Richer Than All His Tribe.- Early life :Born...
. The former is a grimly realistic depiction of a commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
raid on occupied Norway, the latter the story of a rescue ship attached to North Atlantic convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s.
A Ship is Dying, The Auriga Madness, A Thunder of Crude, and Ferry Down are modern sea stories dealing with the last days (or hours) of doomed ships.
The five-book (to date) "Captain Trapp" series, begun by Trapp's War, is broad farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
: the adventures of the cheerfully amoral title character, his decrepit tramp steamer, and his colourfully degenerate crew. The series begins in World War II and extends into the 1990s, departing further from reality with every instalment.
Essentially, however, his "heroes" are Merchant Seamen. The lead character in the thrillers, Brevet Cable, is a Merchant Navy Mate, the present day character solving the old mysteries is again a Merchant seamen, with a personal connection to the past mystery, and the heroes of the Trapp series are Trapp himself, a Merchant Seaman and Royal Navy Reserve Officer, and the more morally bound narrator, also a Merchant Navy and Royal Navy Reserve Officer. "The Bone Collector" is a "military adventure" only in that it is set during the Battle of the North Atlantic. It is really about the ordinary people, civilians, caught up in that horrific episode. Finally, all of the others, the "doomed ships" series, reflect the author's feeling about the Merchant Navy in general.