Ashenden, Or: The British AgentAshenden: The British Agent is founded on Maugham's experiences in the English Intelligence Department during World War I, but rearranged for the purposes of fiction. This fascinating book contains the most expert stories of espionage ever written. For a period of time after it was first published the book became official required reading for persons entering the secret service. The plot follows the imaginary John Ashenden who during World War I is a spy for British Intelligence. He is sent first to Geneva and later to Russia. Instead of one story from start to finish, the chapters contain individual stories involving many different characters. All of the people whom Ashenden meets during his travels have their own reason for being involved in the spy game, and each are more complex than they first look. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 24
Page 40
... Ashen- den , can I not ? It is a very disagreeable thing to have anyone die in a hotel . The other guests do not like it and we must do all we can to prevent their knowing . I shall have the body removed the first possible mo- ment and ...
... Ashen- den , can I not ? It is a very disagreeable thing to have anyone die in a hotel . The other guests do not like it and we must do all we can to prevent their knowing . I shall have the body removed the first possible mo- ment and ...
Page 162
... Ashen- den realized that she had never opened a door for her- self . She did not know how to . In a minute the colonel with his old , old gait came to the door and opened it ; she passed out and he followed . The little incident offered ...
... Ashen- den realized that she had never opened a door for her- self . She did not know how to . In a minute the colonel with his old , old gait came to the door and opened it ; she passed out and he followed . The little incident offered ...
Page 264
... Ashen- den could eat . He did everything in the world for him but stop talking . It was only when he was dressing that Mr. Har- rington was silent , for then his maidenly mind was singly occupied with the problem of changing his clothes ...
... Ashen- den could eat . He did everything in the world for him but stop talking . It was only when he was dressing that Mr. Har- rington was silent , for then his maidenly mind was singly occupied with the problem of changing his clothes ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
agent Alix ambassador Anastasia Alexandrovna answer Ashen Ashenden felt Ashenden knew Ashenden looked Ashenden saw Ashenden thought asked Ashenden baroness bassador Bolsheviks Brindisi Byring Caypor chance Chandra Colonel course cried Delilah detective dine dinner door enden English everything eyes face Fafner feeling fellow fool France Fritzi gave Geneva German Giulia give glance Gustav Hairless Mexican hand Harrington head heart Herbert Witherspoon Holzminden hour humour lake laughed Lausanne Lazzari letter Lucerne married Mexican opened mind Miss King Monsieur morning neutral country never night notion O'Malley once opened Paris passport Petrograd play round Russian scrambled eggs seemed shoulders shrugged Sir Herbert sitting smile Somerville stood story Swiss Switzerland talk tell there's thing Thonon tion told took train turned Vladimir wait walked watched wife woman wondered word write