Ashenden or The British Agent

By W. Somerset Maugham

Book Overview

The incidents described in the stories are modeled on Maugham's experiences as a secret agent, and "the central character, Ashenden, is very much an autobiographical character." He is supposed to have modeled Chandra Lal after Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, an Indian nationalist in Germany during the war. Maugham, who was in the British Secret Service in Europe during the war, based many of his stories on his own experiences. Among other enterprises, Britain's European intelligence network attempted to eliminate several Indian nationalists in Europe, notably members of the Berlin Committee. Donald Gullick, a British agent, was dispatched to assassinate Chattopadhyaya. At the same time, the latter was on his way to Geneva to meet another Indian nationalist, Mahendra Pratap, and forward the Kaiser's invitation to Berlin. The short story of Giulia Lazzari is a blend of Gullick's attempts to assassinate Chattopadhyaya and Mata Hari's story. Winston Churchill reportedly advised Maugham to burn 14 other stories.

The 1936 Alfred Hitchcock-directed film Secret Agent is a loose adaptation of "The Traitor" and "The Hairless Mexican," with John Gielgud as Ashenden (whose "real" name is Edgar Brodie) and Peter Lorre as The General.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1957990791
• ISBN13: 9781957990798
• Release Date: January 2024
• Publisher: Classic Wisdom Reprint
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Book Overview is Incorrect

The book overview for this book is a misplaced description of another book. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ashenden: Or the British Agent is a 1927 collection of loosely linked stories by W. Somerset Maugham. It is partly based on the author's experience as a member of British Intelligence in Europe during the First World War.

A literary James Bond.

An amazing fictional account of Maugham's real life adventures as a spy for Great Britain during WW I. Written in Maughm's usual concise and elogant prose, these stories make the reader root for Ashenden who is nothing short of a literary James Bond. This account, written as a collection of short independent stories, shows that, when in the hands of an author with a command of the English language, suspense and intrigue can be create in a book in other ways besides stringing together one action scene after another. Simply Maugham at his best