- Hardcover: 396 pages
- Publisher: Random House UK; First Edition edition (Oct 31 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0091445701
- ISBN-13: 978-0091445706
- Product Dimensions: 22 x 14 x 3.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 621 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,027,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
'A stunning spy story! Deighton remains the incomparable entertainer' The Guardian 'Exciting and well made.' Daily Telegraph 'Deighton in top form! the best kind of action entertainment' Publishers Weekly 'Deliciously sharp and flawlessly accurate dialogue, breathtakingly clever plotting, confident character drawing! a splendidly strongly told story' The Times 'A master of fictional espionage.' Daily Mail 'The poet of the spy story.' Sunday Times 'For sheer readability he has no peer' The Standard
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
JUNE 11, 1940 - WHERE IS WINSTON CHURCHILL?
A private aircraft takes off from a small town in central France, while Adolf Hitler, the would-be conqueror of Europe, prepares for a clandestine meeting near the Belgian border.
For more than 40 years the events of this day have been Britain's most closely guarded secret. Anyone who learns of them must die -with their file stamped:
XPD - expedient demise --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Written by Fleming, would have made a great Bond title.,
By
This review is from: Xpd (Paperback)
Winston Churchill the trator?The events of the times that this story is created certainly leaves you wondering did he?... Only our childern will find out when they are in their 70s, as the documents that have been seized from the so called German mines and caves are finally opened. This story is based on the idea that American GIs accidently stumbled across the famous Hitler Minutes that reveiled the idea of an early peace offer that would have seen Germany become a superpower that would take on Russia with total confidence. MI6 is left with the job of making sure that secerts remain secrets. So when an unknown Hollywood movie producer announces that a movie based on those uncertain days is to be made, MI6 takes notice and takes notice even more when the true nature of the storyline shows a more sinister plot. To discredit Winston Churchill. Full of intrigue, murder and skulduggery, it is a popular read with a chilling ending. Len Deighton has used this interesting topic for a great, if sometimes distracting, story.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.8 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews) 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very nice read,
By Highlanderthal "LONE WOLF" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: XPD (Audio Cassette)
I am a big fan of deighton, and since the collaspe of the cold war this will now read as historical fiction, but still well worth the read.XPD: "EXPEDIENT DEMISE". A stunning and memorable "What if" story, based on many documented occurrences during the time of the Second World War. all deighton fans should pick up a copy.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A timeless classic,
By Stephen A. Haines - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Xpd (Paperback)
Deighton has surpassed even his normally high quality work with this post-World War II thriller. Weaving a compelling tale of finance, intrigue and history, he draws the reader into the story with subtle proficiency. This departure from his established run of 'spy' novels was an inspired decision. It's a shame this book isn't on the active inventory here.The story recalls the recovery of hidden Nazi gold, art and documents by American soldiers at the end of World War II in Europe. Some of the soldiers seize the opportunity to filch some of the treasure, setting up a Swiss bank. The real prize, however, resides in the documents - they possess a secret from the early days of the war. The pivotal point of the story, the secret is sought by many, each with their own focus. It's a compelling idea, given impetus by the 'discovery' of a set of 'Hitler's Journals' a few years ago. The bogus Journals don't detract from Deighton's quite credible suggestion hidden in the documents' pages. Without taking anything away from the plot, it is Deighton's characters that remain his strong point. In this book he conveys unalloyed identity to a diverse cast of participants from the US, Germany, the UK and Russia. None of them fails to convince the reader of their authenticity. You come to know them intimately, even the unpleasant ones. Strangely, the weakest character is the British Intelligence agent, Boyd Stuart. Remoulding Bernard Samson into Stuart would have been transparent, leaving Stuart slightly inconsistent. The real star of Deighton's cast in this book is Charlie Stein. Deighton displays his finest talent in painting this American war veteran in perfect colours. Tom Clancy couldn't have bettered Deighton's depiction of this sergeant running an Army Company with absolute confidence. Officers are merely decorative and built into the organization by default. The sergeants are the real managers, and Stein typically carries the ability through to today. Not having had a brain transplant from an American, Deighton's descriptive presentation of all of the Americans is more than just impressive. Deighton's prodigious research underlying this book is clearly brought into view through his adept writing skills. You will learn much from this book, while enjoying the story he weaves. Surprises abound, but nothing is out of place. A fine addition to any collection of Deighton, historical speculation, or just plain captivating reading. Why wasn't this story put on film? 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning! A Sleeper ..!,
By MICHAEL C FIELDS - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Xpd (Paperback)
I didn't know what I was getting into when I first picked up Len Deighton's "XPD" to read. But if you've ever entered the pages of a book for the first time and had certain words leap out at you as if printed with fire, you will understand what I mean when I say that "Kaiseroda", "Merkers", and "Thuringia" burned themselves into my mind and have never faded. Almost from the story's very beginning, the evil shadow of the Nazi Eagle looms over sunny California, involving the present generation with secrets so powerful as to be certain death to those who know too much. Whether they be aging self-made men such as Charles Stein, or his charming, all-American son -- or even certain German nationals now living in or operating out of the United States -- the fact is that there is no one who even possibly posseses certain deadly knowledge that is safe from the dread directive, XPD: "EXPEDIENT DEMISE". A stunning and memorable "What if" story, based on many documented occurrences during the time of the Second World War.
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