Ashenden, Or: The British AgentThis fascinating book contains probably 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 British Secret Service. During World War I, Maugham enlisted with an ambulance unit, but was soon shifted to the Intelligence Department. Although these stories were based on the author's own experiences as a British agent during the war, he emphasized that they were written purely as entertainment, at which, indeed, Ashenden succeeds. Maugham's clarity of style, the perfection of his form, the subtlety of his thought, veiled thinly behind a worldly cynicism, has made him an international figure. |
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Fritzi, he is called. Herr Caypor says he has a longer pedigree than the King of
England.” Fritzi rubbed himself against Ashenden's leg and with his nose sought
the palm of his hand. Ashenden went upstairs to fetch his hat, and when he came
...
She's the typical German hausfrau who cares for nothing but her house and her
husband and our only child Fritzi.” Caypor fondled his dog and gave a little laugh.
“Yes, Fritzi, you are our child, aren't you? Naturally it made my position very ...
“We're washing our Fritzi.” The bull-terrier was constantly getting himself very
dirty, and it was Caypor's pride to see him clean and white. Ashenden went in.
Mrs. Caypor with her sleeves turned up and a large white apron was standing at
one ...
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - lamour - LibraryThingThis is volume three of Maugham's collected short stories. In this volume he has put his stories that have the same protagonist, Ashendan who is recruited to move to Switzerland where he will be a ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - jimgysin - LibraryThingIt's easy to see why this one is considered an archetype of espionage fiction. The fact that the book was first published back in the late 1920s means that some of the dialogue and narrative will ... Read full review
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Bibliographic information
| Title | Ashenden, Or: The British Agent Volume 5 of Collected edition of the works of W. Somerset Maugham Short story index reprint series |
| Author | William Somerset Maugham |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Doubleday, Doran, 1941 |
| Original from | the University of California |
| Digitized | 23 May 2009 |
| ISBN | 0836940520, 9780836940527 |
| Length | 304 pages |
| Subjects | › Fiction / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |