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. |
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Page 51
... Hairless Mexican . " " Why ? " " Because he's hairless and because he's a Mexican . " " The explanation seems perfectly satisfactory , " said Ashenden . " He'll tell you all about himself . He talks nineteen to the dozen . He was on his ...
... Hairless Mexican . " " Why ? " " Because he's hairless and because he's a Mexican . " " The explanation seems perfectly satisfactory , " said Ashenden . " He'll tell you all about himself . He talks nineteen to the dozen . He was on his ...
Page 55
... such force that he winced . " Your hands are like iron , General , " he murmured . The Mexican gave them a glance . " I had them manicured this morning . I do not think they were very well done . I like my nails 55 THE HAIRLESS MEXICAN.
... such force that he winced . " Your hands are like iron , General , " he murmured . The Mexican gave them a glance . " I had them manicured this morning . I do not think they were very well done . I like my nails 55 THE HAIRLESS MEXICAN.
Page 61
... Hairless Mexican poured himself out three parts of a tumbler of neat brandy and swallowed it in two noisy gulps . He rose to his feet and put on his coat with the ... Hairless Mexican , and with a flourish left 61 THE HAIRLESS MEXICAN.
... Hairless Mexican poured himself out three parts of a tumbler of neat brandy and swallowed it in two noisy gulps . He rose to his feet and put on his coat with the ... Hairless Mexican , and with a flourish left 61 THE HAIRLESS MEXICAN.
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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