The Ipcress File

Rating:
Summary: The worst book ever written by a human being!
Review: The whole book is just like a sinking boat leaks everywhere! So many ridiculous and make-believe plots and scenarios. I strongly suggest the author to restudy the Logic lessons thoroughly! I could only believe the reason why this author became famous by this debute book was only by pure luck! A guy knows nothing about espinage or any military process and no talent at all, just a british who knows how to write English. And I could not believe he could have survived so long and become so famous! There is no God

Rating:
Summary: An excelent spy & social commentary novel
Review: This book Is very cloudy in parts. Top british scientists are vanishing, the hero (unnamed) is supposed to stop this. fighting danger and expenses along the way this is how he acomplishes it.

Rating:
Summary: Still one of the best
Review: This was at the beginning of cold war spy stories with double-crosses and double double crosses and moles, and was one of the first to inject humor. We had already had some of Le Carre, and James Bond and Our Man in Havana. I just re-read it after forty years and it still seems fresh and original. My copy has the price tag of 60 cents.
The plot is so ingenious that it's difficult to follow, and there's a long explanation at the end which still leaves a few loose ends if you want to pick nits. It goes fom London to the Lebanon, to a Pacific island and to Hungary (maybe) but the fact that it's first person narrative helps to keep the flow smooth. Later on I think Deighton grew repetitious, and even repeated some of his jokes.
Does anyone know Palmer's military rank? He gets addressed as Colonel at one point.