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. |
From inside the book
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The night-porter woke me and said Monsieur Bridet wanted me to get up at once.
” Monsieur Bridet was the assistant-manager. “What is the time?” asked
Ashenden. “It must be three o'clock.” They arrived at Miss King's 37 MISS KING.
It was opened by Monsieur Bridet. He had evidently been roused from his sleep;
he wore slippers on his bare feet, grey trousers and a frock-coat over his pyjamas
. He looked absurd. His hair as a rule plastered neatly on his head stood on end
...
“Well, if there is nothing I can do, I may just as well go back to bed,” said
Monsieur Bridet then. “Allez, mon ami,” said the doctor. “You can do nothing.”
Monsieur Bridet turned to Ashenden. “May I have a word with you?” he asked. “
Certainly.
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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 |