Word Count and Reading Time
Compare total words and estimated reading minutes. For example, 'Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volume V' has 216,542 words (942 minutes), while 'A discourse on the theory of gunnery' has just 9,534 words (42 minutes).
Compare 2 or 3 books
Search this site's catalog and put books side by side. The tool compares measurable metadata and text statistics so you can see practical differences without turning them into a subjective quality ranking.
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What this comparison can tell you
The compare tool lets you examine multiple books from the IGOQO catalog side by side. You can compare objective attributes such as word count, reading time, number of text sections, and average sentence length.
This helps you see, for instance, how a short treatise on gunnery differs from a multi-volume history. Use these metrics to choose a book that matches your reading stamina and preferred complexity.
Text Sections and Complexity
Look at the number of text sections and average sentence length. A higher average sentence length (like 45.7 words in 'A British army') may indicate denser prose than a lower one (like 16.3 in 'The bombardier').
Subject Alignment
Check subject tags to see how closely books align with your interests. For example, several titles share the subject 'Great Britain. Army', but each treats it from a unique angle.
Side-by-Side: What the Numbers Tell You
When you have narrowed your choices to two or three books, Compare Books lets you put them next to each other. The tool shows word count, estimated reading time, text sections, sentence flow, chapter rhythm, subjects, and page information when available. These are descriptive metrics, not quality ratings; they help you understand the shape of a book before you commit.
The value of comparison becomes clear when you look at real examples. Take Historical Record of the Thirty-sixth, or the Herefordshire Regiment of Foot: containing an account of the formation of the regiment in 1701, and of its subsequent — Key Ideas to Explore and The history of the 1st Batt. Wilts Volunteers, from 1861 to 1885 — Edition Insights. Both are regimental histories, but they differ in ways that affect your reading experience.
Word Count and Reading Time
The Thirty-sixth Regiment book has about 49,972 words, which translates to roughly 218 minutes of reading time. The Wilts Volunteers history is slightly longer at 51,904 words, or about 226 minutes. The difference is small—only about 2,000 words, or eight minutes of reading. That is not a major factor in choosing between them.
But compare that to a much longer work like Life of Napoleon Bonaparte, Volume V., which has over 216,000 words and 942 minutes of reading time. The difference between 218 and 942 minutes is substantial. If you have a week to read, the regimental history is feasible; the Napoleon volume is not. The comparison tool makes this clear at a glance.
Reading time is estimated from word count and a standard reading speed, so it is approximate. Still, it gives you a sense of the commitment involved.
Text Sections and Sentence Flow
The number of text sections can affect how you pace your reading. The Thirty-sixth Regiment book has 24 sections, while the Wilts Volunteers history has only 5. That means the Thirty-sixth is broken into smaller chunks, which might be easier to pick up and put down. The Wilts Volunteers, by contrast, has longer sections, so you might need to set aside more time for each sitting.
Sentence flow also differs. The Thirty-sixth averages about 25.7 words per sentence, while the Wilts Volunteers averages 24.6. That is a minor difference, but it can influence readability. If you prefer shorter sentences, you might lean toward the Wilts Volunteers, though the difference is not dramatic.
The comparison tool lets you see these numbers side by side, so you can decide which trade-offs matter to you. It is not about which book is better, but about which fits your reading style.