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 42
... perhaps she wished to see you because you were a compatriot . " " Perhaps , " said Ashenden drily . “ Well , I shall try to get a little sleep . I shall give the night - porter orders to wake me when everything is over . Fortunately the ...
... perhaps she wished to see you because you were a compatriot . " " Perhaps , " said Ashenden drily . “ Well , I shall try to get a little sleep . I shall give the night - porter orders to wake me when everything is over . Fortunately the ...
Page 45
... Perhaps she had asked him only be- cause , feeling death near , she had had a sudden yearn- ing , she the exile of so many years , to die with someone of her own people , so long forgotten , by her side . That was what the doctor ...
... Perhaps she had asked him only be- cause , feeling death near , she had had a sudden yearn- ing , she the exile of so many years , to die with someone of her own people , so long forgotten , by her side . That was what the doctor ...
Page 46
... Perhaps it was only some trivial thing that was important only in her addled old brain . Ashenden was sick of the people who saw spies in every inoffensive passer - by and plots in the most innocent combination of circum- stances . It ...
... Perhaps it was only some trivial thing that was important only in her addled old brain . Ashenden was sick of the people who saw spies in every inoffensive passer - by and plots in the most innocent combination of circum- stances . It ...
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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