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 61
... station and read . " " You'd both of you better have a whisky and soda before you go , hadn't you ? What about it , Man- uel ? " " It is very kind of you , but I never drink anything but champagne and brandy . " " Mixed ? " asked R ...
... station and read . " " You'd both of you better have a whisky and soda before you go , hadn't you ? What about it , Man- uel ? " " It is very kind of you , but I never drink anything but champagne and brandy . " " Mixed ? " asked R ...
Page 252
... station a couple of hours before the train starts . There's al- ways an awful scrimmage and if you're not there in good time someone will pinch your seat . " The train started at midnight and Ashenden dined with Benedict at the station ...
... station a couple of hours before the train starts . There's al- ways an awful scrimmage and if you're not there in good time someone will pinch your seat . " The train started at midnight and Ashenden dined with Benedict at the station ...
Page 254
... station - master , who of course had no notion what he was talking about , but with much em- phasis and a good deal of gesticulation made him in reply a passionate speech . This roused Mr. Harrington to the utmost pitch of indignation ...
... station - master , who of course had no notion what he was talking about , but with much em- phasis and a good deal of gesticulation made him in reply a passionate speech . This roused Mr. Harrington to the utmost pitch of indignation ...
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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