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
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Page 107
... Ashenden who knew more about him than R. suspected that bowl of roses told a story . Ashenden knew that R. had not sent for him to talk about the weather and the crops , and wondered when he was coming to the point . He did not wonder ...
... Ashenden who knew more about him than R. suspected that bowl of roses told a story . Ashenden knew that R. had not sent for him to talk about the weather and the crops , and wondered when he was coming to the point . He did not wonder ...
Page 152
... Ashenden and it was pos- sible that they held a trace of nervousness . " You ... Ashenden amiably . " And was it on that account that you took the precaution of ... knew too well how important in his particular job was the exactness of a ...
... Ashenden and it was pos- sible that they held a trace of nervousness . " You ... Ashenden amiably . " And was it on that account that you took the precaution of ... knew too well how important in his particular job was the exactness of a ...
Page 191
William Somerset Maugham. He wished he knew what they had said . Did she urge him to go or did she try to dissuade him ? Ashenden ... Ashenden went out he saw Cay- por sitting in the hall by himself . " Hulloa , " he cried jovially , but ...
William Somerset Maugham. He wished he knew what they had said . Did she urge him to go or did she try to dissuade him ? Ashenden ... Ashenden went out he saw Cay- por sitting in the hall by himself . " Hulloa , " he cried jovially , but ...
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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