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
Results 1-3 of 54
Page 28
... course of a different class from the baroness and hunted much easier game . But Ashenden was surprised to catch sight of Count von Holzminden and wondered what on earth he was doing there . This was the German agent in Vevey and he came ...
... course of a different class from the baroness and hunted much easier game . But Ashenden was surprised to catch sight of Count von Holzminden and wondered what on earth he was doing there . This was the German agent in Vevey and he came ...
Page 120
... course they're very keen on their work . You're different , aren't you ? You look at it like a game of chess and you don't seem to have any feeling one way or the other . I can't quite make it out . Of course for some sort of jobs it's ...
... course they're very keen on their work . You're different , aren't you ? You look at it like a game of chess and you don't seem to have any feeling one way or the other . I can't quite make it out . Of course for some sort of jobs it's ...
Page 174
... course it would be too wonderful if you would give me lessons . I should look upon it as a real priv- ilege . Naturally I wouldn't want to interfere with your work , I am just here to get well , with nothing in the world to do , and I ...
... course it would be too wonderful if you would give me lessons . I should look upon it as a real priv- ilege . Naturally I wouldn't want to interfere with your work , I am just here to get well , with nothing in the world to do , and I ...
Other editions - View all
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