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 14
... detective to proceed . He was not quite sure , but it seemed to him that he hesi- tated . " It appears that there have been a good many complaints lately of the noise that people make when they come out of the Casino late at night . We ...
... detective to proceed . He was not quite sure , but it seemed to him that he hesi- tated . " It appears that there have been a good many complaints lately of the noise that people make when they come out of the Casino late at night . We ...
Page 79
... Detective stories ? " " No. " " Why not ? They are the only ones I read . If I were a writer I should write detective stories . " " They are very difficult . You need an incredible amount of invention . I devised a murder story once ...
... Detective stories ? " " No. " " Why not ? They are the only ones I read . If I were a writer I should write detective stories . " " They are very difficult . You need an incredible amount of invention . I devised a murder story once ...
Page 121
... detective . " One could hardly expect it , " replied Ashenden . He walked on to get his ticket for the second serv- ice and then returned to his own carriage . Giulia Laz- zari was just finishing her meal when he went back to her . From ...
... detective . " One could hardly expect it , " replied Ashenden . He walked on to get his ticket for the second serv- ice and then returned to his own carriage . Giulia Laz- zari was just finishing her meal when he went back to her . From ...
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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