num_pages: 304
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, or the British Agent
titlecomplete: Ashenden, or the British Agent (Works of W. Somerset Maugham Series)
characters: John Ashenden
genres: Classics, British Literature, Mystery, World War I, Short Stories, War, Thriller, Espionage, Literature, Fiction
ratings_count: 3327
publisher: Ayer Co Pub