

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 forty 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 Review: A non-stop read - It was a great read: a labyrinthine plot, as expected, and an excellent twist at the end that could have been anticipated (but wasn't!). Review: Look after your archives ..or else.!! - Many fascinating historical details and very cleverly assembled . I did think at times as though some chapters seemed to leap about and not flow as well as they might. Maybe not a good idea to have Stuart as the surname of the main agent ..particularly when when being addressed by his boss ! For this reader ,I felt that although the ending could have been expanded a little, overall maybe it was 50 pages too long . Most effective were the East Anglian farm parts; short but vivid writing here. A good read for readers with some interest in WW2 events .
| Best Sellers Rank | 1,441,404 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 1,704 in Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue 2,771 in Historical Thrillers (Books) 13,947 in War Story Fiction |
| Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 420 Reviews |
K**R
A non-stop read
It was a great read: a labyrinthine plot, as expected, and an excellent twist at the end that could have been anticipated (but wasn't!).
M**Y
Look after your archives ..or else.!!
Many fascinating historical details and very cleverly assembled . I did think at times as though some chapters seemed to leap about and not flow as well as they might. Maybe not a good idea to have Stuart as the surname of the main agent ..particularly when when being addressed by his boss ! For this reader ,I felt that although the ending could have been expanded a little, overall maybe it was 50 pages too long . Most effective were the East Anglian farm parts; short but vivid writing here. A good read for readers with some interest in WW2 events .
A**R
Another good read
Another good read with an intriguing story line. A new twist to a well documented history. I can recommend it completely.
J**S
its just ok
decent thriller
J**S
Back in the saddle.
For those who have read my comments on Billion Dollar Brian this is really engrossing. After such a long time away fro Deighton I feel I am back to a really good read. This book as most of his of the period is history as well as espionage in a difficult period in post WWII Europe.
R**7
Five Stars
Great story. Best espionage novel I have read for a long time.
T**S
Complex plot with a lot of characters, but very ...
Complex plot with a lot of characters, but very interesting plot. Takes a few chapters to get going but then it's classic Deighton writing!
M**Y
Great book
Love these books byblen deighton
S**W
Deighton Rules!
OMG He is the best fiction writer of the WW2/Cold War era. Engrossing. Historically accurate with first person sources. THANK YOU Mr Deighton!
C**N
Protesta collaterale
Non ho Kindle. Ma mi sono trovato a ordinare un prodotto che non volevo assolutamente. E naturalmente non riesco a tornare indietro... Ed è impossibile trovare un pertugio per rinunciare... Anche questa è una recensione!!!
B**E
A treat for spy fiction readers
What a delightful writer. The subject and detail may seem a little dated now but this is still a thoroughly good read.
S**L
Five Stars
GOOD BOOK
J**N
Hardly a page-turner.
I was never quite sure who I was supposed to be rooting for in this not quite dull book that was overpopulated with two dimensional characters. I am a Deighton fan, but I would not call this one of his best…certainly not on the same level as the 'Harry Palmer' stories or 'Winter' or the Bernard Sampson books. Any of which would be a far better first time choice for someone who has never read this author.
Trustpilot
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