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 130
... letter he saw that even through her rouge she was very pale . It was the letter of a person not much used to express- ing herself by means of pen and ink , but it was well enough , and when towards the end , starting to say how much she ...
... letter he saw that even through her rouge she was very pale . It was the letter of a person not much used to express- ing herself by means of pen and ink , but it was well enough , and when towards the end , starting to say how much she ...
Page 143
... letter and tell him to return to the person who gave it to him . He is to say that he took it to the lady and she sent it back . If the person asks him to take another letter he is to say that it is not much good as she is packing her ...
... letter and tell him to return to the person who gave it to him . He is to say that he took it to the lady and she sent it back . If the person asks him to take another letter he is to say that it is not much good as she is packing her ...
Page 144
... letter . " Quick , quick , " he cried . " He's there . " Ashenden's heart gave a great thud against his chest . " At last . " He began to run too and as they ran the man , pant- ing , told him how he had taken back the unopened letter ...
... letter . " Quick , quick , " he cried . " He's there . " Ashenden's heart gave a great thud against his chest . " At last . " He began to run too and as they ran the man , pant- ing , told him how he had taken back the unopened letter ...
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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