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. |
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Page 93
... side . At last they came to a tavern in a blind alley , noisome and evil , and this the Mexican en- tered . " It's not the Ritz , " he said , " but at this hour of the night it's only in a place like this that we stand a chance of ...
... side . At last they came to a tavern in a blind alley , noisome and evil , and this the Mexican en- tered . " It's not the Ritz , " he said , " but at this hour of the night it's only in a place like this that we stand a chance of ...
Page 209
... side- board on which were massive pieces of gold plate , and above it , facing Ashenden , was a fine picture by Can- aletto . Over the chimney - piece was a three - quarter length portrait of Queen Victoria as a girl with a little gold ...
... side- board on which were massive pieces of gold plate , and above it , facing Ashenden , was a fine picture by Can- aletto . Over the chimney - piece was a three - quarter length portrait of Queen Victoria as a girl with a little gold ...
Page 255
... side by side . Ash- enden made acquaintance with some of his fellow- travellers and sometimes they came into the compart- ment to have a chat , but if they only spoke French or German Mr. Harrington would watch them with acidu- lous ...
... side by side . Ash- enden made acquaintance with some of his fellow- travellers and sometimes they came into the compart- ment to have a chat , but if they only spoke French or German Mr. Harrington would watch them with acidu- lous ...
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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