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XPD
Len Deighton's brilliant new masterwork of intrigue and suspense carries the reader, with a pace that never once flags, from the mansions of Beverly Hills to the back streets of King's Cross, from Lake Geneva to the Baltic Sea, until it reaches a characteristically ingenious and unexpected climax on a film set of the Fϋhrer's study under the shadow of a Nazi eagle.June 11, 1940:
Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain, took off in a pirvate aircraft from a small town in central France. His destination: a deserted airfield near the Belgian border. His mission: a clandesitne meeting with the would-be conqueror of Europe, Adolf Hitler.
Summer 1979.
A stolen World War II document kept secret since then is about to surface, propelling the most ruthless secret agents of Great Britain, America, Germany, and the Soviet Union into a desperate battle of wits and violence. Anyone who learns of the paper must die, his file stamped XPD: expedient demise.
Len Deighton is a master of cunning. No-one explores with greater ingenuity or such wry skill the world of double-dealing and conspiracy, of treachery and deceit. With its expert interweaving of fact and invention, its wheels-within-wheels of mystery and surprise, XPD is a supreme example of his craft.
400 pages, Paperback
First published March 9, 1981
71 people are currently reading
762 people want to read
About the author
Len Deighton
222 books929 followersDeighton was born in Marylebone, London, in 1929. His father was a chauffeur and mechanic, and his mother was a part-time cook. After leaving school, Deighton worked as a railway clerk before performing his National Service, which he spent as a photographer for the Royal Air Force's Special Investigation Branch. After discharge from the RAF, he studied at St Martin's School of Art in London in 1949, and in 1952 won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1955.
Deighton worked as an airline steward with BOAC. Before he began his writing career he worked as an illustrator in New York and, in 1960, as an art director in a London advertising agency. He is credited with creating the first British cover for Jack Kerouac's On the Road. He has since used his drawing skills to illustrate a number of his own military history books.
Following the success of his first novels, Deighton became The Observer's cookery writer and produced illustrated cookbooks. In September 1967 he wrote an article in the Sunday Times Magazine about Operation Snowdrop - an SAS attack on Benghazi during World War II. The following year David Stirling would be awarded substantial damages in libel from the article.
He also wrote travel guides and became travel editor of Playboy, before becoming a film producer. After producing a film adaption of his 1968 novel Only When I Larf, Deighton and photographer Brian Duffy bought the film rights to Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop's stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War! He had his name removed from the credits of the film, however, which was a move that he later described as "stupid and infantile." That was his last involvement with the cinema.
Deighton left England in 1969. He briefly resided in Blackrock, County Louth in Ireland. He has not returned to England apart from some personal visits and very few media appearances, his last one since 1985 being a 2006 interview which formed part of a "Len Deighton Night" on BBC Four. He and his wife Ysabele divide their time between homes in Portugal and Guernsey.
Deighton worked as an airline steward with BOAC. Before he began his writing career he worked as an illustrator in New York and, in 1960, as an art director in a London advertising agency. He is credited with creating the first British cover for Jack Kerouac's On the Road. He has since used his drawing skills to illustrate a number of his own military history books.
Following the success of his first novels, Deighton became The Observer's cookery writer and produced illustrated cookbooks. In September 1967 he wrote an article in the Sunday Times Magazine about Operation Snowdrop - an SAS attack on Benghazi during World War II. The following year David Stirling would be awarded substantial damages in libel from the article.
He also wrote travel guides and became travel editor of Playboy, before becoming a film producer. After producing a film adaption of his 1968 novel Only When I Larf, Deighton and photographer Brian Duffy bought the film rights to Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop's stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War! He had his name removed from the credits of the film, however, which was a move that he later described as "stupid and infantile." That was his last involvement with the cinema.
Deighton left England in 1969. He briefly resided in Blackrock, County Louth in Ireland. He has not returned to England apart from some personal visits and very few media appearances, his last one since 1985 being a 2006 interview which formed part of a "Len Deighton Night" on BBC Four. He and his wife Ysabele divide their time between homes in Portugal and Guernsey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
October 1, 2017
Originally published on my blog here in July 2004.
The second of an (otherwise unrelated) trio of Deighton novels concerned with the Second World War, XPD is actually set in 1979, contemporary with its writing. It is close as Deighton has got to the idea driven thrillers of Frederick Forsyth, and has many similarities to The Odessa File, published almost a decade earlier. It deals with a plot by a group of former SS officers to sieze power in Germany. Their plans are based around the publication of some Third Reich documents about a secret meeting between Hitler and Churchill in June 1940, in which Churchill offered a British ceasefire on terms that would destroy his reputation, if known. These papers ended up with a huge consignment of looted gold in a salt mine, and the American soldiers charged with removing it at the end of the war proved to be less than totally honest. They managed to steal enough gold to set up their own private Swiss bank - and they picked up the documents at the same time.
The story becomes exceptionally complicated, and in the end is not among Deighton's most plausible plots, even if the original idea was obviously sparked by thoughts about oddities in published details of Churchill's itinerary in June 1940. (We see the central character of XPD carrying out what must be the same research in the middle of the novel.) The SS officers' plot is bizarrely backed by the KGB, something which might have made more sense in the late seventies than it does now, and I found it hard to see how the documents, however scandalous, could cause the kind of chaos in West Germany that would have been needed for the coup. Indeed, it occurs to several of the characters to wonder who precisely would care enough if the meeting became public knowledge. (When one says "It would destroy the Tory party", that does seem to be the most likely consequence, and unpleasant though that may have seemed to Margaret Thatcher, the newly incoming prime minister at the time, I could hardly care less.)
The title comes from a subplot; there is clearly a leak exposing details of the British Secret Service investigation into the affair, and at one point the central character of the novel, heading the investigation, wonders if he has possibly been made the subject of an expedient demise order or XPD, which is basically an instruction to kill an agent who has become a liability. This becomes another part of the plot which doesn't quite work for me, as it seems to be a paranoid fantasy and remains unconnected to anything else in the novel for too long.
Comparing XPD and The Odessa File does reveal how much better Deighton is at characterisation than Forsyth. The background, whether flashbacks to the forties, the Hollywood film industry or the meeting rooms of Whitehall, is also extremely well done. Were it not for the clunkiness of the plot, this could have been one of Deighton's best novels.
The second of an (otherwise unrelated) trio of Deighton novels concerned with the Second World War, XPD is actually set in 1979, contemporary with its writing. It is close as Deighton has got to the idea driven thrillers of Frederick Forsyth, and has many similarities to The Odessa File, published almost a decade earlier. It deals with a plot by a group of former SS officers to sieze power in Germany. Their plans are based around the publication of some Third Reich documents about a secret meeting between Hitler and Churchill in June 1940, in which Churchill offered a British ceasefire on terms that would destroy his reputation, if known. These papers ended up with a huge consignment of looted gold in a salt mine, and the American soldiers charged with removing it at the end of the war proved to be less than totally honest. They managed to steal enough gold to set up their own private Swiss bank - and they picked up the documents at the same time.
The story becomes exceptionally complicated, and in the end is not among Deighton's most plausible plots, even if the original idea was obviously sparked by thoughts about oddities in published details of Churchill's itinerary in June 1940. (We see the central character of XPD carrying out what must be the same research in the middle of the novel.) The SS officers' plot is bizarrely backed by the KGB, something which might have made more sense in the late seventies than it does now, and I found it hard to see how the documents, however scandalous, could cause the kind of chaos in West Germany that would have been needed for the coup. Indeed, it occurs to several of the characters to wonder who precisely would care enough if the meeting became public knowledge. (When one says "It would destroy the Tory party", that does seem to be the most likely consequence, and unpleasant though that may have seemed to Margaret Thatcher, the newly incoming prime minister at the time, I could hardly care less.)
The title comes from a subplot; there is clearly a leak exposing details of the British Secret Service investigation into the affair, and at one point the central character of the novel, heading the investigation, wonders if he has possibly been made the subject of an expedient demise order or XPD, which is basically an instruction to kill an agent who has become a liability. This becomes another part of the plot which doesn't quite work for me, as it seems to be a paranoid fantasy and remains unconnected to anything else in the novel for too long.
Comparing XPD and The Odessa File does reveal how much better Deighton is at characterisation than Forsyth. The background, whether flashbacks to the forties, the Hollywood film industry or the meeting rooms of Whitehall, is also extremely well done. Were it not for the clunkiness of the plot, this could have been one of Deighton's best novels.
June 2, 2022
XPD is a spy novel by Len Deighton, published in 1981, and set in 1979. The plot sees an ambitious plan by a group of former SS officers to seize power in West Germany. They intend to publish wartime documents about an alleged secret meeting between Churchill and Hitler in 1940. Along with the efforts of a British agent, Boyd Stuart, to prevent the documents becoming public. As if this information were made public, it would ruin Churchill’s reputation.
The title is the code used by the Secret Intelligence Service in the novel. It refers to assassinations it carries out, short for "expedient demise."
XPD merges seamlessly three areas of Deighton’s extensive expertise:
1. World War Two history,
2. spy fiction, and
3. Hollywood movies.
Deighton’s extraordinary talent for writing fantastic dialogue between characters and while the elaborate plot is convoluted, it’s a decent enough tale.
I listened to the 1985 BBC dramatization of the novel.
The title is the code used by the Secret Intelligence Service in the novel. It refers to assassinations it carries out, short for "expedient demise."
XPD merges seamlessly three areas of Deighton’s extensive expertise:
1. World War Two history,
2. spy fiction, and
3. Hollywood movies.
Deighton’s extraordinary talent for writing fantastic dialogue between characters and while the elaborate plot is convoluted, it’s a decent enough tale.
I listened to the 1985 BBC dramatization of the novel.
January 25, 2018
I have had this one on my TBR (to-be-read) pile for a while. I had purchased it at the same book sale where I found "Mexico Game" & "Berlin Set", but I didn't really connect with the series & Deighton until I finally scored "London Match". I then kind of got hooked on Bernard Sampson & went on a tear with "Spy Hook/Line/Sinker", then "Winter" & finally, "Faith", "Hope" & "Charity". After the latter, I decided to finally read "XPD".
I knew that it would not follow Bernard Sampson, but I was unprepared for the vast cast of characters that it did include. It started really slowly for me, especially with the comings & goings of so many characters in the early going. Another drawback was the non-linear plot, which jumped between WWII & 1979. I almost abandoned it a couple/few times, but since I had nothing pressing (like a library book), I decided to stick it out.
In retrospect, it strikes me as more of a movie or television show with their jump cuts & flashbacks. Once I found the groove of reading it, I got more and more immersed until I could not really put it down, but it was a slog in the early going.
I am not going to go into the plot in any great detail, but it helps to think of it as a spider's web/web diagram with the rumor of an early meeting between Hitler & Churchill at its center & then numerous factions with variegated interests radiating out from said center. Have you seen Kubrick's "The Killing"? A like pattern.
Finally, as a retired teacher of English, imagery was never so strong as on p. 361: "General Shumuk's attempt to appear inconspicuous had resulted in a slightly absurd mixture of Western garments. A bright green shirt hung limply on his thin frame, and from its short sleeves his arms emerged like sticks. His trousers were of corduroy and his shoes had gilt buckles. The effect was of a man rescued from a disaster at sea and clothed by an overworked charity." Ha! I am a writer, but that was brilliant! Jelly.
I knew that it would not follow Bernard Sampson, but I was unprepared for the vast cast of characters that it did include. It started really slowly for me, especially with the comings & goings of so many characters in the early going. Another drawback was the non-linear plot, which jumped between WWII & 1979. I almost abandoned it a couple/few times, but since I had nothing pressing (like a library book), I decided to stick it out.
In retrospect, it strikes me as more of a movie or television show with their jump cuts & flashbacks. Once I found the groove of reading it, I got more and more immersed until I could not really put it down, but it was a slog in the early going.
I am not going to go into the plot in any great detail, but it helps to think of it as a spider's web/web diagram with the rumor of an early meeting between Hitler & Churchill at its center & then numerous factions with variegated interests radiating out from said center. Have you seen Kubrick's "The Killing"? A like pattern.
Finally, as a retired teacher of English, imagery was never so strong as on p. 361: "General Shumuk's attempt to appear inconspicuous had resulted in a slightly absurd mixture of Western garments. A bright green shirt hung limply on his thin frame, and from its short sleeves his arms emerged like sticks. His trousers were of corduroy and his shoes had gilt buckles. The effect was of a man rescued from a disaster at sea and clothed by an overworked charity." Ha! I am a writer, but that was brilliant! Jelly.
March 25, 2017
A classic espionage novel by the original master of that genre. It deals with a flashback fictional clandestine meeting between Churchill and Hitler at the height of the Second World War, which is central to the plot. There is a parallel story regarding a hunt for stolen Nazi war loot, also a flashback. And then there are present day spy games between Moscow Centre, the Germans, the Brits and the Americans, each looking for their own piece of pie and each with conflicting motives - one faction wants to try and plug the terrible secret from coming out - the other wants to expose them and rewrite past history. And anybody found coming in between them, is to be treated ruthlessly, tagged as XPD - "expedient demise".
A thrilling, suspenseful read. The writing is subtle and there is a constant lurking suggestion of danger., as the body count starts increasing. The violence, instead of being gory, is understated and therefore more menacing. The plot is complex and there is more of the intellectual mind games and trickery, that one would associate with spycraft. Hence in a sense this is closer to a Le Carre than a Forsyth. Worth a read for all espionage buffs.
A thrilling, suspenseful read. The writing is subtle and there is a constant lurking suggestion of danger., as the body count starts increasing. The violence, instead of being gory, is understated and therefore more menacing. The plot is complex and there is more of the intellectual mind games and trickery, that one would associate with spycraft. Hence in a sense this is closer to a Le Carre than a Forsyth. Worth a read for all espionage buffs.
March 4, 2023
Spoiler alert. Hollywood is about to make a movie about Nazi stolen gold, art, and money that was grabbed by a US army unit at the end of ww2. It begins a race by the KGB and British Intelligence to locate some ultra sensitive documents. From the UK to the US to Switzerland the bodies pile up and the pace increases with more players getting involved. One of Deigthon's best.
Read
January 29, 2022An interesting combination of his earlier, famous, spy novels with his less-well-known film-world novel Close-Up. In XPD Deighton shows quite cleverly just how many things an agent or agency can truly mess up provided they're certain they're doing the right thing.
September 28, 2011
This was a suspense thriller that was almost completely lacking in action and suspense. The characters are a melange of good guys (British SIS (aka MI-6) and CIA) and bad guys (Nazis and Russians) but the plot is never really fleshed out. The book concerns some Nazi documents that are hidden at the end of the war (along with a cache of Nazi gold) that have damning evidence of how Churchill tried to sue for peace in the dark days of May 1940. And while this would be an embarrassing admission, it's never quite clear why it's so all-fired important that these documents not come out. After all, the war has been over 35 years (at the time of this writing).
Trapped in the middle are the remnants of 'Kelly's Heroes'. A platoon of American soldiers that discovered and secreted the documents - along with the gold - and now have both sides after them. The good guys - who want to suppress the release of the documents - and the bad guys - who want to use them to embarrass the good guys and undermine democracy in Europe, especially West Germany.
The characters aren't particularly unique or memorable. The writing is competent enough; it's the plot that isn't fully fleshed out. And the book is also lacking in the tradecraft and technical details that make for a compelling espionage thriller.
Trapped in the middle are the remnants of 'Kelly's Heroes'. A platoon of American soldiers that discovered and secreted the documents - along with the gold - and now have both sides after them. The good guys - who want to suppress the release of the documents - and the bad guys - who want to use them to embarrass the good guys and undermine democracy in Europe, especially West Germany.
The characters aren't particularly unique or memorable. The writing is competent enough; it's the plot that isn't fully fleshed out. And the book is also lacking in the tradecraft and technical details that make for a compelling espionage thriller.
November 6, 2010
I had read this book, who knows how long ago. It finally became very familiar about 75 pages or so in to the story.
One of those many WWII/Nazi/Occupied France spy thriller that so dominated the popular fiction market for years. A reasonably well done, though improbable, story line even in the face of various true tales that have emerged as time has passed. Another attempt to play on the real Rudolf Hess story in one way or another.
This is only a quick review from a genre that I spent many hours on planes and in airports in years past. Many of these entertaining books are worth a read for just the sake of exercising the brain when and not having to be concerned if they are ever truly 'finished'.
As a genre of popular literature, the espionage/thriller from the WWII era, has mostly faded. There are a few choice jewels from the period or a few writers whose body of work is worth looking at for the reader seeking to explore. Len Deighton probably falls in the latter category as he continued to write in this vein with success past the 'peak' of the post Cold War mania of this type of revelatory fiction. I found his book, The Ipcress File to be his best work of this type.
One of those many WWII/Nazi/Occupied France spy thriller that so dominated the popular fiction market for years. A reasonably well done, though improbable, story line even in the face of various true tales that have emerged as time has passed. Another attempt to play on the real Rudolf Hess story in one way or another.
This is only a quick review from a genre that I spent many hours on planes and in airports in years past. Many of these entertaining books are worth a read for just the sake of exercising the brain when and not having to be concerned if they are ever truly 'finished'.
As a genre of popular literature, the espionage/thriller from the WWII era, has mostly faded. There are a few choice jewels from the period or a few writers whose body of work is worth looking at for the reader seeking to explore. Len Deighton probably falls in the latter category as he continued to write in this vein with success past the 'peak' of the post Cold War mania of this type of revelatory fiction. I found his book, The Ipcress File to be his best work of this type.
July 31, 2015
A story where nothing major happens for most of the plot. This could have been better if given the plot, Deighton could have made it more intense.
Anyways, I read this quite a while ago and the only thing I remember about it is that I was bored most of the time while reading it. But as it was written by Len Deighton, I persisted. I wouldn't say I was happy with the book in the end, but it was not that bad either.
But read this only if you have more time on your hands.
Anyways, I read this quite a while ago and the only thing I remember about it is that I was bored most of the time while reading it. But as it was written by Len Deighton, I persisted. I wouldn't say I was happy with the book in the end, but it was not that bad either.
But read this only if you have more time on your hands.
July 16, 2020
This didn't grip me as much as Deighton usually does, perhaps because in the current climate a document that could discredit Winston Churchill didn't seem to carry much weight. Who cares? So what? And I found the killing - XPD, 'expedient demise' - of everyone involved a little hard to swallow. But Len has fun showing off his knowledge of both history and the film industry, and there are some great set pieces. I do wonder if he wrote off a white Jaguar as a little tribute to ITC.
December 18, 2022
In the words of Len Deighton himself: so well written you believe it's true.
January 11, 2024
"XPD" is a Cold War espionage thriller novel by Len Deighton, released in 1981. The title stands for "Expedient Demise," referring to the secretive and sudden way that spies might be dealt with if they become liabilities to their handlers or governments.
The story is set in June 1979 and revolves around a forgotten event of the Second World War that threatens to disrupt the diplomatic balance in the Cold War era. The focal point is a secret meeting that took place between Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler in 1940, documented in a set of potentially explosive papers.
When the existence of these documents is leaked, various intelligence agencies become determined to retrieve them. Boyd Stuart, a British secret service agent, is the protagonist who finds himself in a race against time to secure the papers.
- Boyd Stuart is the central character, an agent of the British SIS (Secret Intelligence Service). Stuart is resourceful and dedicated, and the story follows much of his perspective in the espionage activities.
- Professor Schumann, who is part of the historical scenario that connects back to World War II, is another key character. He knows the Churchill-Hitler documents which various intelligence agencies are after.
- Charlotte, the widow of a wealthy German, becomes involved in the plot due to her late husband's potential connections to the secret documents.
"XPD" delves into themes typical of Cold War spy fiction:
- The moral ambiguity of espionage, with characters frequently questioning what is right or wrong in the grand game of intelligence and counterintelligence.
- The impact of history on the present plays a crucial role, as events from World War II have lingering consequences decades later.
- The danger of secrets and the lengths individuals and governments will go to protect or expose them.
- Paranoia is another common theme, where no one knows who can be trusted and double-crossing is a regular part of the spy craft depicted in the novel.
The book starts with a momentum-building discovery that sets off the entire narrative—the hint of the existence of the wartime documents. Following this is a series of twists and turns common in spy thrillers, with Boyd Stuart untangling a web of deceit, confronting a multinational cast of spies and operatives from various agencies, each with their agendas. As Stuart navigates the treacherous waters of espionage, double agents, and hidden motives, the action sweeps across multiple continents.
The novel holds its pace and delivers a compelling blend of historical intrigue and suspenseful action that is emblematic of Deighton’s craft.
The story is set in June 1979 and revolves around a forgotten event of the Second World War that threatens to disrupt the diplomatic balance in the Cold War era. The focal point is a secret meeting that took place between Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler in 1940, documented in a set of potentially explosive papers.
When the existence of these documents is leaked, various intelligence agencies become determined to retrieve them. Boyd Stuart, a British secret service agent, is the protagonist who finds himself in a race against time to secure the papers.
- Boyd Stuart is the central character, an agent of the British SIS (Secret Intelligence Service). Stuart is resourceful and dedicated, and the story follows much of his perspective in the espionage activities.
- Professor Schumann, who is part of the historical scenario that connects back to World War II, is another key character. He knows the Churchill-Hitler documents which various intelligence agencies are after.
- Charlotte, the widow of a wealthy German, becomes involved in the plot due to her late husband's potential connections to the secret documents.
"XPD" delves into themes typical of Cold War spy fiction:
- The moral ambiguity of espionage, with characters frequently questioning what is right or wrong in the grand game of intelligence and counterintelligence.
- The impact of history on the present plays a crucial role, as events from World War II have lingering consequences decades later.
- The danger of secrets and the lengths individuals and governments will go to protect or expose them.
- Paranoia is another common theme, where no one knows who can be trusted and double-crossing is a regular part of the spy craft depicted in the novel.
The book starts with a momentum-building discovery that sets off the entire narrative—the hint of the existence of the wartime documents. Following this is a series of twists and turns common in spy thrillers, with Boyd Stuart untangling a web of deceit, confronting a multinational cast of spies and operatives from various agencies, each with their agendas. As Stuart navigates the treacherous waters of espionage, double agents, and hidden motives, the action sweeps across multiple continents.
The novel holds its pace and delivers a compelling blend of historical intrigue and suspenseful action that is emblematic of Deighton’s craft.
December 1, 2021
XPD refers to ‘expedient demise’ – the fate of anyone who knows too much and is a verifiable security risk.
Set in 1979, ostensibly it’s about a projected movie being made concerning the plunder of German gold in the final phases of the Second World War: that’s the McGuffin. However, it is not so much the gold as certain documents that were also sequestered at the time. It’s most odd that these potentially embarrassing items have not surfaced in the intervening thirty-nine years.
The Director General of MI6, Sir Sydney Ryden, is introduced on the first page. But virtually every occasion thereafter he is referred to as ‘the DG’.
Boyd Stuart, a field agent and son-in-law to the DG is tasked with recovering certain secret documents from the stolen items – items that were rumoured to be source material for the film. The documents concern the secret whereabouts of Winston Churchill on June 11, 1940; did he have a meeting with Hitler in an attempt at making peace? Unlikely though it seems.
Stein is an American, ex-Army, one of a group who purloined the gold and vital documents, and all lived well off the proceeds. Somebody, doubtless for political reasons, wants those documents released to create a wedge between the US and Great Britain. It has to be the Russians… There are now a string of deaths connected with the documents…
The best bits were the flashbacks to the war itself, with Stein. Deighton’s extensive knowledge of the German forces was evident also.
There is a twist at the end concerning ‘the DG’, which is sort of left hanging.
The storyline is unnecessarily complex, but can be followed, even with several protagonists involved. The chase amidst the Hollywood stage setting was probably overdone even in the 1980s and seems contrived here. Sadly, for me, it didn’t hang together, despite my enjoyment of Deighton’s style and amusing asides.
Set in 1979, ostensibly it’s about a projected movie being made concerning the plunder of German gold in the final phases of the Second World War: that’s the McGuffin. However, it is not so much the gold as certain documents that were also sequestered at the time. It’s most odd that these potentially embarrassing items have not surfaced in the intervening thirty-nine years.
The Director General of MI6, Sir Sydney Ryden, is introduced on the first page. But virtually every occasion thereafter he is referred to as ‘the DG’.
Boyd Stuart, a field agent and son-in-law to the DG is tasked with recovering certain secret documents from the stolen items – items that were rumoured to be source material for the film. The documents concern the secret whereabouts of Winston Churchill on June 11, 1940; did he have a meeting with Hitler in an attempt at making peace? Unlikely though it seems.
Stein is an American, ex-Army, one of a group who purloined the gold and vital documents, and all lived well off the proceeds. Somebody, doubtless for political reasons, wants those documents released to create a wedge between the US and Great Britain. It has to be the Russians… There are now a string of deaths connected with the documents…
The best bits were the flashbacks to the war itself, with Stein. Deighton’s extensive knowledge of the German forces was evident also.
There is a twist at the end concerning ‘the DG’, which is sort of left hanging.
The storyline is unnecessarily complex, but can be followed, even with several protagonists involved. The chase amidst the Hollywood stage setting was probably overdone even in the 1980s and seems contrived here. Sadly, for me, it didn’t hang together, despite my enjoyment of Deighton’s style and amusing asides.
May 23, 2021
What if Hitler had met secretly with Churchill in France after Blitzkrieg with a plan to avoiding further fighting at huge cost to the British Empire? It is now 1979 and The secret minutes of the meeting may come to light so naturally, those in possession are keen to make a profit, but West German businessman, MI5, the CIA and the Russians are inspired to intervene and suppress the whole business and cause the expedient demise (XPD) of anyone privy to the details.
Tough, violent, uncompromising characters position themselves like chessmen waiting for an opportunity to act while their individual secrets and true motives are gradually uncovered.
One can only admire the grasp of detail and espionage procedure that Len Deighton brings to the story.
Tough, violent, uncompromising characters position themselves like chessmen waiting for an opportunity to act while their individual secrets and true motives are gradually uncovered.
One can only admire the grasp of detail and espionage procedure that Len Deighton brings to the story.
February 6, 2025
I rediscovered Len Deighton's work last year and ploughed through the 9 Bernard Samson books and his WWII novels (Winter, SS-GB, Goodbye Mickey Mouse, and the exceptional Bomber).
Therefore, I had no doubts when I picked XPD up. Alas, this novel was a letdown for me. Perhaps it's me, but I could not make head or tail of the story. The plot is extraordinarily convoluted and opaque. It is overpopulated with characters, making it exceedingly difficult to follow. I hung in until the end, expecting some sort of key to bring the plot together. It wasn't to be. The story comes to an abrupt ending that only added to my confusion.
It won't put me off reading what remains of his catalogue, and I'm happy to agree my dissatisfaction is entirely my own fault.
Therefore, I had no doubts when I picked XPD up. Alas, this novel was a letdown for me. Perhaps it's me, but I could not make head or tail of the story. The plot is extraordinarily convoluted and opaque. It is overpopulated with characters, making it exceedingly difficult to follow. I hung in until the end, expecting some sort of key to bring the plot together. It wasn't to be. The story comes to an abrupt ending that only added to my confusion.
It won't put me off reading what remains of his catalogue, and I'm happy to agree my dissatisfaction is entirely my own fault.
August 17, 2019
If you enjoyed the TV show "The Americans", then you will love this story about multinational espionage featuring USSR illegal resident agents. The ending was especially fun to read. Len Deighton always creates interesting stories revolving around post-WW II Germans and their relationship to Nazism. Usually they get what most of us would consider their due after an interesting story is spun out. You won't be disappointed by this old story. It will ring a lot of bells that echo some fascinating historic episodes. Enjoy!
December 30, 2022
A decent enough synopsis..the possibility of a clandestine meeting between Churchill and Hitler during the war to discuss peace..the minutes of which would rock the history books and credibility of Winston.
The said minutes are therefore of interest to the US UK and Soviets and a potential propaganda feature film could tell all.
Anyhow it's a decent story..over complicated at times I feel but ultimately I enjoyed enough of it to forgive this.
The said minutes are therefore of interest to the US UK and Soviets and a potential propaganda feature film could tell all.
Anyhow it's a decent story..over complicated at times I feel but ultimately I enjoyed enough of it to forgive this.
July 25, 2017
A good book, but certainly not Len Deighton's greatest, the text was easy to get lost (side-tracked) in. But if you are able to maintain focus then the penultimate and ultimate chapters would provide an adequate summary.
February 16, 2018
I like Len Deighton. Although I had to slog through parts of this book and some plot shifts seemed contrived, the way that he wraps up this novel is amazing. Also, there are some bad plot summaries floating around the internet.
August 8, 2018
This was the first book by Len Deighton that I have read. It is a good story with twists and turns with the final reveal in the last fire pages. There are some inconsistencies in the story and it makes some leaps, but all in all it was a satisfying read.
November 4, 2022
Another cracking read from this author. Plenty to keep the reader occupied and based on a plausible premise the story builds and unwinds well with sufficient momentum to prevent stalling or stretching credibility. A lighter touch than le carre!
August 13, 2017
Not Deighton's best. It doesn't seem to have the urgency of his Harry Palmer or Bernard Samson books.
November 28, 2017
Complex
December 5, 2017
Highly entertaining.
January 10, 2018
Not sure why but I struggled to get through this. I love the Bernie Sansom books but found this didn't flow as well as other books by Deighton. Ending was a little disappointing
January 20, 2018
I cannot emphasis how much I hated this book. It was such a chore to get through it. At best it was a lazy attempt to copy Frederick Forsyth. It is only fit to be burned.
April 22, 2018
Don’t recall having read it but must have
May 16, 2020
Quite a good thriller.
June 12, 2020
Look, it is very very silly, and very very dull by the end. I struggled to understand what on earth was going on in the final third, I was so detached from the narrative.
August 14, 2020
Read in 1982. Espionage novel.
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