Xpd

by Len Deighton

Book Overview

It is 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 Expedient Demise, or . . . XPD.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394512588
• ISBN13: 9780394512587
• Release Date: March 1981
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Length: 339 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Very nice read

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.

A timeless classic

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?

Stunning! A Sleeper ..!

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.

Farfetched plot, but entertaining

OK, for the sake of this story, let's say Churchill had his back against the wall early in world war II and considered surrender. So what? History shows that he never surrendered! Despite this silliness, is still it's a pretty competant spy story and keeps the reader's attention. A gallant try!