Ashenden Or the British Agent (Classics To Go). Ashenden or, The British agent. It is partly based on the author's experience as a member of British Intelligence in Europe during the First World War. Ashenden or The British Agent by William Somerset Maugham Paperback Book The. c. 1960. Ashenden, or the British Agent by W Somerset Maugham (1928) This collection of stories drew closely on Maugham’s own experiences as an intelligence officer in Europe during the First World War. by WilliamSomersetMaugham (Author) New Paperback 2000 $11.70. He spends much of the book in neutral Switzerland, where he writes a play while supported by his spy work. Ashenden; or, the British Agent, by W. Somerset Maugham is not the first secret agent novel in English. $19.99. It will cover some comments of contemporary reviews and the description of two editions. I read this book at a reading club consisted of three members,whose nationality are Saudi-Arabia and Japan. Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2020. Like Ian Fleming . All the stories have a gentle Edwardian charm and Maugham consistently focuses on the characters in each story. Ashenden is a novel about the activities of a British spy (Ashenden) operating in several locations in Europe during World War I. Ashenden or The British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham 1941 HC/DJ. Title: Ashenden: or, The British Agent Author: Maugham, W. Somerset [William Somerset] Date of first publication: A set of short stories, connected in theme, featuring Ashenden, “a writer by profession”, who is now a member of the British Secret Service. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Ashenden or : The British Agent by W Somerset Maugham (1941, Hardcover) at the best online prices at … Ashenden or the British Agent by MAUGHAM, W. SOMERSET Seller Peter L. Stern & Company, Inc. Published 1928 Condition First Edition. Thomas Hardy: The Complete Novels (The Greatest Writers of All Time Book 41), The Fredric Brown MEGAPACK ®: 33 Classic Science Fiction Stories, Joseph Conrad: The Complete Novels (The Greatest Writers of All Time Book 36), The Second Fredric Brown Megapack: 27 Classic Science Fiction Stories (The Fredric Brown Megapack Book 2). ASHENDEN. Used Paperback 1991 $8.63. the title character of Ashenden: Or the British Agent, a collection of stories by W. Somerset Maugham Ashenden (TV series) , a 1991 BBC British spy drama series based on Maugham's stories Disambiguation page providing links to topics that could be referred to by the same search term However, it is not a typical spy novel in that it is essentially a collection of short stories (each a particular experience of Ashenden) so there is no build up of suspense or plot that ties together the entire book. Free shipping . We all are not native speakers of English and the level of our English is,maybe, in the middle for a learner of English. ASHENDEN : OR THE BRITISH AGENT. item 5 Ashenden by W. Somerset Maugham (English) Paperback Book Free Shipping! For a period of time after it was first published the book became official required reading for persons entering the secret service. A humane and compassionate antidote to two-fisted, square-jawed heroes battling dastardly foreigners. The stories collected in Ashenden are 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. Ashenden: 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. Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2019. Low-key espionage tales with a droll protagonist, Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2019. Ashenden; or, the British Agent, by W. Somerset Maugham is not the first secret agent novel in English.Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Agent (1907) may hold that honor. These promotions will be applied to this item: Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. All a bit different to the world of James Bond ! Ashenden or The British Agent by William Somerset Maugham Paperback Book The. "But even if I had been awakened by noisy people I should not dream of complaining. Author: MAUGHAM, W. Somerset Title: Ashenden or: The British Agent Publication: London: William Heinemann, 1928 Description: Hardcover.First edition. Ashenden: Or the British Agent is a 1928 collection of loosely linked stories by W. Somerset Maugham. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Ashenden was one of the first ‘realistic’ spy novels, taking a cynical view of espionage and its human consequences. He spends eleven days on the train from Vladivostok to Petrograd sharing a cabin with Harrington, an American business man who is a constant conversationalist. Although categorized as a novel, it is really a group of mostly unrelated short stories featuring Ashenden, a writer recruited during World War I by a British Intelligence Officer known only as R. A reluctant agent, doing what he must but finding no joy in it, Ashenden meets with both success and failure, and sometimes with no clear result. It works up to an interesting situation, has no sense of climax and whittles away its dramatic effects in irrelevance. A minor classic and well worth reading. Published in the mid-1920s and probably the first of the modern type of espionage agent novels, Maugham's 'Ashenden' stories, based on his own experiences of acting as an agent during WW1 and the Russian Revolution, reject the then prevailing heroics of the Bulldog Drummond or John Buchan styles and, instead, anticipate the downbeat and detached minor key realism, pessimism and disillusionment of Ambler and Greene. Ashenden or The British Agent (London: Heinemann, 1928) This post will look at W. Somerset Maugham's collection of short stories Ashenden. by WilliamSomersetMaugham (Author) New Paperback 2000 $11.70 Used Paperback 1991 $8.63. Four-part drama about a writer recruited into espionage work by British intelligence during the First World War. Ashenden : W Somerset Maugham : 9780405078057 We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Price: $6,000.00 . He assumed a slightly imposing air and adopted a more serious tone. Ashenden; or, the British Agent, by W. Somerset Maugham is not the first secret agent novel in English. This fascinating book contains the most expert stories of espionage ever written. A few days after they arrive, the revolution breaks out in earnest. By Somerset Maugham. One cannot be a moral agent and a spy at the same time. Although categorized as a novel, it is really a group of mostly unrelated short stories featuring Ashenden, a writer recruited during World War I by a British Intelligence Officer known only as R. A reluctant agent, doing what he must but finding no joy in it, Ashenden meets with both success and failure, and sometimes with no clear result. $6.98. Astute and, at times, touching observations of human nature. Ashenden: Or the British Agent is a 1928 collection of loosely linked stories by W. Somerset Maugham. William Ashenden is an agent with the British Secret Intelligence Service. Edition Notes 72737 Genre Fiction. The Magician by W. Somerset Maugham, Horror, Classics, Literary (Paperback or So. Ashenden, or: the british agent by Maugham, W. Somerset (William Somerset), 1874-1965. Ashenden, or, The British Agent. AU $20.16 +AU $3.30 postage. We are doing the reading once a week using Skype. Ashenden, or the British agent by W. Somerset Maugham Missing dust jacket; Readable copy. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 23, 2019. Ashenden was written by Somerset Maugham and published in 1928. Some foxing; near fine in a dust jacket with shallow chipping at the top of the spine; foxing, and some minor we Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. The title you have selected (Ashenden: or, The British Agent) is a post-1923 publication by an author who died more than 50 years ago. Ashenden or: The British Agent. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Such titles are in the public domain in many countries, particularly those outside the US and Europe. Ashenden or The British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham Impress Best Mysteries . (Wikipedia), The Riddle of the Sands: A Record of Secret Service, The Complete Saki: 144 Collected Novels and Short Stories, Berlin Noir: The First Three Bernie Gunther Novels (A Bernie Gunther Novel), JOHN BUCHAN Ultimate Collection: Spy Classics, Thrillers, Adventure Novels & Short Stories, Including Historical Works and Essays (Illustrated): Scottish ... No Man's Land, Prester John and many more, The Great Novels and Short Stories of Somerset Maugham, Complete Somerset Maugham - Of Human Bondage Moon and Sixpence Trembling of a Leaf Magician Liza of Lambeth Circle Bishop's Apron Hero Explorer Mrs. Craddock ... Orientations Merry-go-round Making of a Sa, "The most persuasive espionage fiction" New York Times "The first spy story written by someone who had been there and done that. The character appears briefly in the book The Bloody Red Baron by Kim Newman. Ashenden or The British Agent by W. Somerset Maugham Impress Best Mysteries . Ashenden is a novel about the activities of a British spy (Ashenden) operating in several locations in Europe during World War I. During World War I, Maugham enlisted with an ambulance unit, but was soon shifted to the Intelligence Department. The stories collected in Ashenden are 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. These seemingly simple stories are actually a lot more complex, and the writing a good deal more 'modern', than they appear to be at first sight, they remind us of just how great a popular writer Maugham was in his prime. Ashenden or, The British agent. Ashenden is valued by his organization as a judge of character more than a man of action. The chapters are collected in later collections under different titles, as below. Please try again. Does this book contain inappropriate content? Maugham certainly had a distinctive style. Ashenden Or: The British Agent-W. Somerset Maugham 2009-10-01 Fact is a poor story-teller as Maugham reminds us. I don’t say “novel” since it is really a series of somewhat loosely related stories about a British agent in Switzerland during World War I. Maugham was himself a British agent and he uses his experiences to good effect here. It is partly based on the author's experience as a member of British Intelligence in Europe during the First World War. The protagonist breaks with the tradition of the gentleman crime sleuth in order to cope with modern crimes no less than ungentlemanly criminals. After a number of similar operations, Ashenden is sent to Imperial Russia during the 1917 revolution, as an "agent of influence", to do what he can to keep Russia in the war against Germany. Ashenden : the British agent by Maugham, W. Somerset (William Somerset), 1874-1965. In one, he accompanies a man called the Hairless Mexican to Italy, where they are to intercept important papers carried by an arriving Greek agent of the Germans. Free shipping . Ashenden: Or the British Agent is a 1928 collection of loosely linked stories by W. Somerset Maugham. With Alex Jennings, Joss Ackland, Ian Bannen, Jason Isaacs. Like Ian Fleming . They are seen as important in the development of the genre of espionage fiction, influencing writers such as Eric Ambler, John le Carre, and Len Deighton. Ashenden; or, the British Agent, by W. Somerset Maugham is not the first secret agent novel in English. Any violence or death (of which there is very little) in the stories is implicit and perfectly in context. $21.72 . To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Winston Churchill reportedly advised Maugham to burn 14 other stories. Ashenden: Or, The British agent by Maugham, W. Somerset and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. When she finds out of his death, the dancer goes to Ashenden and asks to get back the valuable watch she had given to the man whom she has just betrayed. shipping: + $3.95 shipping . Such titles are in the public domain in many countries, particularly those outside the US and Europe. Published in the mid-1920s and probably the first of the modern type of espionage agent novels, Maugham's 'Ashenden' stories, based on his own experiences of acting as an agent during WW1 and the Russian Revolution, reject the then prevailing heroics of the Bulldog Drummond or John Buchan styles and, instead, anticipate the downbeat and detached minor key realism, pessimism and disillusionment … Many have the sudden twist (or 'punch' to use his own words) that he was fond of using. Ashenden, or the British Agent, first published in 1928, is a series of linked stories relating the adventures of a writer of comic plays who is recruited into Britis While spy stories set during World War 2 and during the Cold War have their charms I find the earlier tales set during the First Word War or in the years leading up to that war much more appealing. The protagonist, intelligence agent Ashenden, is cast against type as a placid, nonviolent, but very astute and prudent fellow. All show Maugham's gifts for characterisation and perceptive observation. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less The protagonist Ashenden is somewhat modeled on the author, so he is a literary man recruited into the British intelligence service.