That is the draw of the genre and Maugham delivers. During World War I, Maugham enlisted with an ambulance unit, but was soon shifted to the Intelligence Department. However, there were none. 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. 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 W. Somerset Maugham Impress Best Mysteries . By Somerset Maugham. (Wikipedia) Ashenden was written by Somerset Maugham and published in 1928. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. If you’re a fan of spy novels you will want to read this entertaining book. 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. Donald Gullick, a British agent, was dispatched to assassinate Chattopadhaya while the latter was on his way to Geneva to meet another Indian nationalist, Mahendra Pratap and forward the Kaiser's invitation to Berlin. 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 … Free shipping . $18.10. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2020. 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. The moral dilemma of the spy universe is exhaustively explored. ©1955 W. Somerset Maugham (P)2012 Audible, Ltd. I enjoyed the stories in this book. Author: MAUGHAM, W. Somerset Title: Ashenden or: The British Agent Publication: London: William Heinemann, 1928 Description: Hardcover.First edition. However, this title most likely by WilliamSomersetMaugham (Author) New Paperback 2000 $11.70 Used Paperback 1991 $8.63. 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. [3][4][page needed], There have been many full cast adaptations of the stories for BBC Radio.[5]. This fascinating book contains the most expert stories of espionage ever written. Ashenden: Or the British Agent is a 1928 collection of loosely linked stories by W. Somerset Maugham. Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2015. This paper aims at comparing two British spy novels, Graham Greene's The Quiet American (1955) and a proportion of Somerset Maugham's Ashenden: or The British Agent (1928). Hardcover. By trade he is an author, a man who has written a novel or two, if inferences can be believed, but who is better known for the plays that he has devised. 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). These promotions will be applied to this item: Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. item 3 Ashenden, or, The British Agent by William Somerset Maugham 0099289709 The Cheap 3 - Ashenden, or, The British Agent by William Somerset Maugham 0099289709 The Cheap. Used Paperback 1991 $8.63. Unless the reader insists on Bond-style fantasies and derring-do, this small series of not-quite-adventures will be an enjoyable diversion. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. By trade he is an author, a man who has written a novel or two, if inferences can be believed, … Free postage. Maugham certainly had a distinctive style. The character appears briefly in the book The Bloody Red Baron by Kim Newman. Ashenden or The British Agent by William Somerset Maugham Paperback Book The. Free shipping . Ashenden is a novel about the activities of a British spy (Ashenden) operating in several locations in Europe during World War I. The spy walks the razor's edge of furthering the cause of Good without falling into Evil incarnate. This fascinating book contains the most expert stories of espionage ever written. ASHENDEN OR THE BRITISH AGENT (DJ protected by clear, acid-free mylar cover) by Maugham, W. Somerset Seller Sage Rare & Collectible Books Published c. 1960 Condition Very Good in Very Good+ dust jacket Item Price $ 84.00. Ashenden: Or the British Agent is a 1928 collection of loosely linked stories by W. Somerset Maugham. ASIN: B07PDNB45C Average rating: 4.18 (152 ratings) more details. All a bit different to the world of James Bond ! Publication date 1951 Topics World War, 1914-1918 Publisher Garden City, N.Y., Doubleday, Doran Collection inlibrary; printdisabled; internetarchivebooks; china Digitizing sponsor Internet Archive Contributor Internet Archive Language English. Edit. Free shipping . Within Maugham's large output, the stories published in Ashenden: The British Agent - are of particular interest. 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. Britain's insistence that they stamp out any effort for the Indian nationalists to attempt to get the Brits out of India was thwarted for another 25 years of thriving here and other stolen colonies. 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 Based on the writings of Somerset Maugham by WilliamSomersetMaugham (Author) New Paperback 2000 $11.70. Published 1928 Condition First Edition. The Magician by W. Somerset Maugham, Horror, Classics, Literary (Paperback or So. The incidents described in the stories are modelled on Maugham's experiences as a secret agent, and "the central character, Ashenden, is very much an autobiographical character. The protagonist Ashenden is somewhat modeled on the author, so he is a literary man recruited into the British intelligence service. $16.39. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less Free shipping . First edition, first impression of Maugham's collection of interrelated stories about a writer employed as a spy in World War I, drawing from the author's personal experience in the British Secret Intelligence Service. The Physical Object Pagination xiii, 304 p. Number of pages 304 ID Numbers Open Library OL23266245M Internet Archive ashendenorbritis00maug . It works up to an interesting situation, has no sense of climax and whittles away its dramatic effects in irrelevance. Description: Doubleday. Ashenden or the British Agent (Avon T-119) by W. Somerset Maugham. OR THE BRITISH AGENT. A humane and compassionate antidote to two-fisted, square-jawed heroes battling dastardly foreigners. (Wikipedia) Read this with an eye on the game-changing impact of WWI and appreciate how a man of the world adjusted to the unraveling of everything he took for granted, and how he adapted through the written word. Ashenden is a BBC1's four part TV series based on the 1927 spy novel, Ashenden: Or the British Agent, by W. Somerset Maugham, that aired from 17 November to 8 December 1991, directed by Christopher Morahan, with Alex Jennings in the title role, Joss Ackland as Cumming, Ian Bannen as 'R' and Jason Isaacs as Andrew Lehman. $8.09. Arthur Conan Doyle’s story, “His Last Bow,” (1917) which has Holmes doing secret agent work and outwitting a German secret agent, also precedes Maugham’s work, though Doyle’s work is a short story. Does this book contain quality or formatting issues? One cannot be a moral agent and a spy at the same time. If you enjoy the manners and etiquette of a bygone age then you might well enjoy this book. Unable to add item to List. When war broke out in 1914, Somerset Maugham was dispatched by the British Secret Service to Switzerland under the guise of completing a play. It is unknown whether they were rewritten slightly from original publication. 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