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 72
... matter whether what he said was true or not , for those sonorous phrases of his were fruity with the rich - distilled perfumes of ro mance . He described a spacious life that seemed to be- long to another age and his eloquent gestures ...
... matter whether what he said was true or not , for those sonorous phrases of his were fruity with the rich - distilled perfumes of ro mance . He described a spacious life that seemed to be- long to another age and his eloquent gestures ...
Page 254
... matter up with the Administration in Washington . " Mr. Harrington's manner was so truculent and his gestures so menacing that the station - master , throwing up the sponge , turned on his heel without another word and walked moodily ...
... matter up with the Administration in Washington . " Mr. Harrington's manner was so truculent and his gestures so menacing that the station - master , throwing up the sponge , turned on his heel without another word and walked moodily ...
Page 296
... matter ? " he said . Anastasia laughed till the tears ran from her eyes and then began to sob in earnest . Ashenden explained . " The Bolsheviks have overthrown the Government . Kerensky's ministers are in prison . The Bolsheviks are ...
... matter ? " he said . Anastasia laughed till the tears ran from her eyes and then began to sob in earnest . Ashenden explained . " The Bolsheviks have overthrown the Government . Kerensky's ministers are in prison . The Bolsheviks are ...
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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