Ashenden: or, The British Agent

By W. Somerset Maugham

Book Overview

The classic spy story collection that inspired John Le Carr , Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, Len Deighton and other 20th Century masters of the spy thriller, & caused a national security scandal in Churchill's Britain.
It did not take them long to settle things and when Ashenden rose to go he had already made careful note of his instructions. He was to start for Geneva next day. The last words that R. said to him, with a casualness that made them impressive, were: "There's just one thing I think you ought to know before you take on this job. And don't forget it. If you do well you'll get no thanks and if you get into trouble you'll get no help. Does that suit you?""Perfectly.""Then I'll wish you good afternoon."
These sixteen interconnected stories chronicle the adventures of Ashenden-upstanding citizen, writer, and spy-as he moves across WWI-riddled Europe on behalf of His Majesty's Secret Service, featuring murder, intrigue, deceptions, & the soul-crushing, often-anonymous reality of modern spycraft.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1609441583
• ISBN13: 9781609441586
• Release Date: April 2024
• Publisher: Vertvolta Press
• Length: 236 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 16 years and up

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