Shawn Callon's Blog, page 6
February 24, 2022
The Russian Bear
Europe slept while the Russian Bear planned its next invasion – read about Russia’s strategy to Demoralize, Disrupt and Destroy our way of life
The Diplomatic Spy: Welcome to clever illusion and cold-hearted treachery
The Repentant Spy: A Journey of Remorse, Romance and Retribution
The Diplomatic Spy: Welcome to clever illusion and cold-hearted treachery
The Repentant Spy: A Journey of Remorse, Romance and Retribution
February 17, 2022
Napoleon the Plunderer Emperor
Napoleons Plunder and the Theft of Veroneses Feast
Plunder: Napoleon's Theft of Veronese's Feast by Cynthia Saltzman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Read this book as part of the reading group I belong to at my local Museum of Art. I didn't know that Napoleon set out to plunder so much art as he slaughtered his way thru Europe, only to be outmatched by Hitler as he in turn slaughtered his way thru Europe.
Napoleon sought to "liberate" fine art from the hands of the aristocrats and papal authorities as part of his plan to "free" Europe from its elitist past - only to become First Consul and Emperor of France. So much for equality! In France the visual arts were linked for some reason to political power so it would seem that the more art he stole the bigger his power base would become. He was very successful; he had the unquestioning support of the French Government and their citizens; he threatened and cajoled cities to surrender, demanded huge sums of money and quantities of fine art and if they refused he would unleash the fury of his Grand Army.
After the loss of five to six million lives over the twenty fives years' of French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, the European powers got their act together at last and defeated him in the Peninsular War under the leadership of Wellington and then at Waterloo under the leadership of Wellington and Blucher.
It was good to read that the British Government supported the return of the stolen art to the Vatican and wanted the restitution of hundreds of other paintings and sculptures to their previous owners.
Shawn Callon, author of The Simon Montfort Series of Spy Novels, wrote this review.
View all my reviews
Plunder: Napoleon's Theft of Veronese's Feast by Cynthia SaltzmanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Read this book as part of the reading group I belong to at my local Museum of Art. I didn't know that Napoleon set out to plunder so much art as he slaughtered his way thru Europe, only to be outmatched by Hitler as he in turn slaughtered his way thru Europe.
Napoleon sought to "liberate" fine art from the hands of the aristocrats and papal authorities as part of his plan to "free" Europe from its elitist past - only to become First Consul and Emperor of France. So much for equality! In France the visual arts were linked for some reason to political power so it would seem that the more art he stole the bigger his power base would become. He was very successful; he had the unquestioning support of the French Government and their citizens; he threatened and cajoled cities to surrender, demanded huge sums of money and quantities of fine art and if they refused he would unleash the fury of his Grand Army.
After the loss of five to six million lives over the twenty fives years' of French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, the European powers got their act together at last and defeated him in the Peninsular War under the leadership of Wellington and then at Waterloo under the leadership of Wellington and Blucher.
It was good to read that the British Government supported the return of the stolen art to the Vatican and wanted the restitution of hundreds of other paintings and sculptures to their previous owners.
Shawn Callon, author of The Simon Montfort Series of Spy Novels, wrote this review.
View all my reviews
Napoleon the Plunderer
Read this book as part of the reading group I belong to at my local Museum of Art. I didn't know that Napoleon set out to plunder so much art as he slaughtered his way thru Europe, only to be outmatched by Hitler as he in turn slaughtered his way thru Europe.
Napoleon sought to "liberate" fine art from the hands of the aristocrats and papal authorities as part of his plan to "free" Europe from its elitist past - only to become First Consul and Emperor of France. So much for equality! In France the visual arts were linked for some reason to political power so it would seem that the more art he stole the bigger his power base would become. He was very successful; he had the unquestioning support of the French Government and their citizens; he threatened and cajoled cities to surrender, demanded huge sums of money and quantities of fine art and if they refused he would unleash the fury of his Grand Army.
After the loss of five to six million lives over the twenty fives years' of French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, the European powers got their act together at last and defeated him in the Peninsular War under the leadership of Wellington and then at Waterloo under the leadership of Wellington and Blucher.
It was good to read that the British Government supported the return of the stolen art to the Vatican and wanted the restitution of hundreds of other paintings and sculptures to their previous owners.
Napoleons Plunder and the Theft of Veroneses Feast
Napoleon sought to "liberate" fine art from the hands of the aristocrats and papal authorities as part of his plan to "free" Europe from its elitist past - only to become First Consul and Emperor of France. So much for equality! In France the visual arts were linked for some reason to political power so it would seem that the more art he stole the bigger his power base would become. He was very successful; he had the unquestioning support of the French Government and their citizens; he threatened and cajoled cities to surrender, demanded huge sums of money and quantities of fine art and if they refused he would unleash the fury of his Grand Army.
After the loss of five to six million lives over the twenty fives years' of French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, the European powers got their act together at last and defeated him in the Peninsular War under the leadership of Wellington and then at Waterloo under the leadership of Wellington and Blucher.
It was good to read that the British Government supported the return of the stolen art to the Vatican and wanted the restitution of hundreds of other paintings and sculptures to their previous owners.
Napoleons Plunder and the Theft of Veroneses Feast
February 15, 2022
Two Hot Issues
I gave my new book 5 stars, I know I shouldn't do that but I want to shine some light on two humanitarian issues that are very important to me - the increasing problem of international refugees/internally displaced people and the growth in global human trafficking. Also I want to give a lift to the excellent work that my local anti-trafficking non-profit does - www.chainsinterrupted.com
In this sequel Simon embarks on an exciting journey where, although burdened by his recent acts of treachery and greed as a diplomat, you will witness him put aside marital infidelity and his own nightmarish past to embark on a journey of Remorse, Romance and Retribution – confronting the evils of human trafficking in the desperate world of refugees.
Allegations of murder by the French police together with attempts to abduct his spouse, Béatrice, are just a few of the obstacles that could block Simon’s road to repentance. But with the help of friends, both human and spiritual, he commits to rain down retribution on an evil criminal syndicate. However, there is one more challenge – will an opportunity for romance finally distract him from his path?
Shawn Callon wrote this review of the latest story in the Simon Montfort Series of Spy Novels.
The Repentant Spy: A Journey of Remorse, Romance and Retribution
In this sequel Simon embarks on an exciting journey where, although burdened by his recent acts of treachery and greed as a diplomat, you will witness him put aside marital infidelity and his own nightmarish past to embark on a journey of Remorse, Romance and Retribution – confronting the evils of human trafficking in the desperate world of refugees.
Allegations of murder by the French police together with attempts to abduct his spouse, Béatrice, are just a few of the obstacles that could block Simon’s road to repentance. But with the help of friends, both human and spiritual, he commits to rain down retribution on an evil criminal syndicate. However, there is one more challenge – will an opportunity for romance finally distract him from his path?
Shawn Callon wrote this review of the latest story in the Simon Montfort Series of Spy Novels.
The Repentant Spy: A Journey of Remorse, Romance and Retribution
February 5, 2022
Muted Warning
This is a conspiracy thriller written in a really flippant style. The bad guys are trying to convince the US Government to outsource the activities of the CIA to a third party who don't care about civil rights, illegal surveillance etc.
It's a humorous somewhat dark novel full of vulgar conversations and silly escapades. You can read it with little need for reflection. But you could argue that it does send a muted warning about the growing tendency of our Government to use "contractors" to wage our wars and work with private security companies to track 'persons of interest'!
Shawn Callon, author of The Simon Montfort Series of Spy Novels, wrote this review.
True Fiction
It's a humorous somewhat dark novel full of vulgar conversations and silly escapades. You can read it with little need for reflection. But you could argue that it does send a muted warning about the growing tendency of our Government to use "contractors" to wage our wars and work with private security companies to track 'persons of interest'!
Shawn Callon, author of The Simon Montfort Series of Spy Novels, wrote this review.
True Fiction
February 3, 2022
Unconvincing Story
This novel is a fast-paced, heart-stopping thriller from the first page until the end. The collaboration between two well-known women gives a terrifying view of where the USA and the world could end up.
There are some rather confusing aspects as the story unfolds. There are way too many characters to track, there are sudden shifts in scenes with little explanation of plot changes and towards the end there's an unnecessary and unconvincing contrivance with the inclusion The Three Pines element from Penny's series of novels.
Ellen is an improbable character as she flits from country to country seeking the Bad Guys. The ending is slightly farcical as the traitor(s) is/are revealed.
Shawn Callon, author of The Simon Montfort Series of Spy Novels, wrote this review.
State of Terror
There are some rather confusing aspects as the story unfolds. There are way too many characters to track, there are sudden shifts in scenes with little explanation of plot changes and towards the end there's an unnecessary and unconvincing contrivance with the inclusion The Three Pines element from Penny's series of novels.
Ellen is an improbable character as she flits from country to country seeking the Bad Guys. The ending is slightly farcical as the traitor(s) is/are revealed.
Shawn Callon, author of The Simon Montfort Series of Spy Novels, wrote this review.
State of Terror
February 1, 2022
The Repentant Spy Published!
Hi Readers and Writers,
Pleased to announce that my new book is now available on #amazon.
The Repentant Spy is a thrilling adventure set against the backdrop of international refugees and human trafficking.
Burdened by his recent acts of treachery and greed as a diplomat, Simon Montfort puts aside marital infidelity and his own nightmarish past to embark on a journey of remorse – confronting the evils of human trafficking in the desperate world of refugees.
Allegations of murder by the French police together with attempts to abduct his spouse, Béatrice, are just a few of the obstacles that could block Simon’s road to repentance. But with the help of friends, both human and spiritual, he commits to rain down retribution on an evil criminal syndicate. However, there is one more challenge – will an opportunity for romance ♥♥♥ finally distract him from his path?
Thank you for your interest in my novels and supporting the great work that www.chainsinterrupted.com does everyday to combat human trafficking.
The Repentant Spy
Pleased to announce that my new book is now available on #amazon.
The Repentant Spy is a thrilling adventure set against the backdrop of international refugees and human trafficking.
Burdened by his recent acts of treachery and greed as a diplomat, Simon Montfort puts aside marital infidelity and his own nightmarish past to embark on a journey of remorse – confronting the evils of human trafficking in the desperate world of refugees.
Allegations of murder by the French police together with attempts to abduct his spouse, Béatrice, are just a few of the obstacles that could block Simon’s road to repentance. But with the help of friends, both human and spiritual, he commits to rain down retribution on an evil criminal syndicate. However, there is one more challenge – will an opportunity for romance ♥♥♥ finally distract him from his path?
Thank you for your interest in my novels and supporting the great work that www.chainsinterrupted.com does everyday to combat human trafficking.
The Repentant Spy
January 24, 2022
Hockney - Techno Geek!
Most of this book in written in a Q&A style which I've never experienced before. It works quite well except when the author wanders off into discussing another aspect of Hockney's work and you realize eventually it's not a long question. It got a bit over technical for me at times e.g. the chapter on perspectives was heavy and also the several pages explaining the use of different lenses were boggling.
I learned a lot about Hockney - artist, photographer, film maker, muralist, techno geek, music lover and his knowledge about many artists and their styles. The sections I really appreciated were his echoes of the views of Da Vinci and Vasari on acquiring basic skills - his insistence that artists look hard and long at nature and his disappointment that the skill of drawing was no longer taught at art schools.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, wrote this review
A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney
I learned a lot about Hockney - artist, photographer, film maker, muralist, techno geek, music lover and his knowledge about many artists and their styles. The sections I really appreciated were his echoes of the views of Da Vinci and Vasari on acquiring basic skills - his insistence that artists look hard and long at nature and his disappointment that the skill of drawing was no longer taught at art schools.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, wrote this review
A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney
January 21, 2022
Thriller full of Surprises
I read Wall of Silence some time ago and thoroughly enjoyed that novel. Like this book of hers, Circle of Doubt draws you slowly into Buchanan's web of subtle and sometimes violent intrigue.
Emma is clearly a loner who lacks confidence and finds it difficult to fit into the culture of the superficially idyllic village of Forest Grove. As she struggles to cement relationships there are some clever hints about her background - hints about her past that could lead to her losing her adopted daughter. When a fashionable couple move into the village showcasing their Mcmansion and extravagant lifestyle, Emma's comfortable existence takes an uncomfortable turn. She feels threatened by the wife who looks just like her daughter's birth mother; she becomes a marketing consultant for the smooth, handsome husband.
The author develops her plot very expertly and reveals several exciting surprises in this psychological thriller - surprises that I didn't expect. One of them concerning her sister caught me completely off guard.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, wrote this review.
Circle of Doubt
Emma is clearly a loner who lacks confidence and finds it difficult to fit into the culture of the superficially idyllic village of Forest Grove. As she struggles to cement relationships there are some clever hints about her background - hints about her past that could lead to her losing her adopted daughter. When a fashionable couple move into the village showcasing their Mcmansion and extravagant lifestyle, Emma's comfortable existence takes an uncomfortable turn. She feels threatened by the wife who looks just like her daughter's birth mother; she becomes a marketing consultant for the smooth, handsome husband.
The author develops her plot very expertly and reveals several exciting surprises in this psychological thriller - surprises that I didn't expect. One of them concerning her sister caught me completely off guard.
Shawn Callon, author of The Diplomatic Spy, wrote this review.
Circle of Doubt
January 20, 2022
The Repentant Spy
★A Journey of Remorse, Romance and Retribution★
Book 2 in The Simon Montfort Series will be published in February.
The Repentant Spy is a thrilling adventure set against the backdrop of international refugees and human trafficking.
Burdened by his recent acts of treachery and greed as a diplomat, Simon Montfort puts aside marital infidelity and his own nightmarish past to embark on a journey of remorse – confronting the evils of human trafficking in the desperate world of refugees.
Allegations of murder by the French police together with attempts to abduct his spouse, Béatrice, are just a few of the obstacles that could block Simon’s road to repentance. But with the help of friends, both human and spiritual, he commits to rain down retribution on an evil criminal syndicate. However, there is one more challenge – will an opportunity for romance ♥♥♥ finally distract him from his path?
I will donate 50% of all net sales to leading anti-trafficking non-profit www.chainsinterrupted.com
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