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 13
... appeared to have a singular effect on their manners , for both now took off their hats . " You must have had a very disagreeable walk in this bad weather , " said Fafner , as he bit half an inch off the end of his cigar and spat it in ...
... appeared to have a singular effect on their manners , for both now took off their hats . " You must have had a very disagreeable walk in this bad weather , " said Fafner , as he bit half an inch off the end of his cigar and spat it in ...
Page 84
... appearance . Oh , he's cunning . I admire the Germans , they leave nothing to chance , he's got his whole story pat , but I'll tell you that in a minute . " " By the way , you've changed your appearance too . " " Ah yes , this is a wig ...
... appearance . Oh , he's cunning . I admire the Germans , they leave nothing to chance , he's got his whole story pat , but I'll tell you that in a minute . " " By the way , you've changed your appearance too . " " Ah yes , this is a wig ...
Page 109
... appeared that Chandra Lal was a dangerous agitator . He was a lawyer by profes- sion , but had taken up politics and was bitterly hostile to the British rule in India . He was a partisan of armed force and had been on more than one ...
... appeared that Chandra Lal was a dangerous agitator . He was a lawyer by profes- sion , but had taken up politics and was bitterly hostile to the British rule in India . He was a partisan of armed force and had been on more than one ...
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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