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 64
... minutes more , then two minutes , then one ; at that late hour there were few persons about and all who were travelling had taken their seats . Then he saw the Hairless Mexican , followed by two porters with his luggage and accompanied ...
... minutes more , then two minutes , then one ; at that late hour there were few persons about and all who were travelling had taken their seats . Then he saw the Hairless Mexican , followed by two porters with his luggage and accompanied ...
Page 136
... minutes to change your mind . " Ashenden took out his watch and looked at it . He sat down on the edge of the unmade bed . " Oh , it has got on my nerves , this hotel . Why did you not put me in the prison ? Why , why ? Every- where I ...
... minutes to change your mind . " Ashenden took out his watch and looked at it . He sat down on the edge of the unmade bed . " Oh , it has got on my nerves , this hotel . Why did you not put me in the prison ? Why , why ? Every- where I ...
Page 300
... minute to another , who mean what they say an hour after they've said it , whose word you can rely on ; I'm sick of ... minutes ' walk from here and if you'll come now I'll go with you , " she said . " I'm ready . " " You'd better look ...
... minute to another , who mean what they say an hour after they've said it , whose word you can rely on ; I'm sick of ... minutes ' walk from here and if you'll come now I'll go with you , " she said . " I'm ready . " " You'd better look ...
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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