The Spymasters vs XPD: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Secret service, War stories, World War II, World War, Spy Fiction, Fiction
The Spymasters
More
Summer 1943. Two of the Allies' most important plans for winning World War II are at grave risk - Operation Overlord's invasion of France, and the Manhattan Project's race to build the atomic bomb. A furious FDR turns…
XPD
More
“A stunning spy story… incomparable.” – The GuardianIt’s 1979, and a group of former SS officers are devising a plan to seize power in West Germany. XPD is a brilliant novel constructed around a supposition that…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Spymasters highest: The Spymasters 4.1 · XPD 3.8.
- XPD has the widest readership — 2304 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| The Spymasters | XPD | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (1931) | 3.8 (2304) |
| Hardcover | — | 3.3 (6) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (334) | — |
Reception
| The Spymasters | XPD | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1931 | 2304 |
| Editions | 7 | 31 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | 741 | 797 |
| Reading it now | 272 | 79 |
| Written reviews | 72 | 75 |
| Wikipedia attention | 149 | 272 |
| Pages | 424 | 450 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Spymasters or XPD?
The Spymasters has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Spymasters 4.1/5, XPD 3.8/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Spymasters or XPD?
The Spymasters is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Spymasters (424 pages, ≈ 7 h 51 m); XPD (450 pages, ≈ 8 h 20 m).
Which is harder to read: The Spymasters or XPD?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Spymasters: Moderate; XPD: Demanding.