num_pages: 326
description: A celebrated writer by the time the war broke out in 1914, Maugham had the perfect cover for living in Switzerland. Multilingual and knowledgeable about many European countries, he was dispatched by the Secret Service to Lucerne - under the guise of completing a play. An assignment whose danger and drama appealed both to his sense of romance and of the ridiculous. A collection of stories rooted in Maugham's own experiences as an agent, reflecting the ruthlessness and brutality of espionage, its intrigue and treachery, as well as its absurdity.
language: English
title: Ashenden
titlecomplete: Ashenden
characters: John Ashenden
genres: Fiction, War, World War I, Short Stories, Mystery, British Literature, Thriller, Literature, Classics, Espionage
ratings_count: 3327
publisher: Vintage UK