Ashenden - The British Agent (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Spy Stories from the World War IBy W. Somerset Maugham
Length10h 47m
About this audiobook
Ashenden: The British Agent is a sequence of linked espionage tales that follows the urbane writer-agent Ashenden through neutral Switzerland, Russia, and wartime Europe during the First World War. Rather than offering melodramatic adventure, Maugham presents spying as a morally ambiguous craft of waiting, persuasion, compromise, and bureaucratic necessity. His prose is lucid, controlled, and ironic, placing the book at a crucial point in the evolution of spy fiction: after imperial romance, but before the bleak modern realism of Graham Greene and John le Carré. W. Somerset Maugham was unusually qualified to write such a work. Already known as a dramatist, novelist, and acute observer of social performance, he served in British intelligence during the war, undertaking missions that directly informed these stories. His cosmopolitan life, medical training, and fascination with human weakness gave him a cool diagnostic eye, enabling him to depict espionage not as glamour but as a theater of character under pressure. This book is highly recommended for readers interested in literary spy fiction, modernist restraint, and the ethical underside of statecraft. It rewards attention not through sensational plotting, but through its elegance, psychological precision, and quietly devastating understanding of power.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
Audiobook details
GenreMystery and Thriller, General Fiction
Length10 hrs 47 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateApr 19, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1ALEXANDRE DUMAS Premium Collection - 27 Novels in One Volume
14VIII. Giulia Lazzari
2Introduction
15IX. Gustav
3Author Biography
16X. The Traitor
4Historical Context
17XI. Behind the Scenes
5Synopsis (Selection)
18XII. His Excellency
Show all chaptersShow less
6Preface
19XIII. The Flip of a Coin
7I. R.
20XIV. A Chance Acquaintance
8II. A Domiciliary Visit
21XV. Love and Russian Literature
9III. Miss King
22XVI. Mr. Harrington's Washing
10IV. The Hairless Mexican
23Analysis
11V. The Dark Woman
24Reflection
12VI. The Greek
25Memorable Quotes
13VII. A Trip To Paris
The Painted VeilW. Somerset Maugham7h 39m$1 · $0.00
Up at the VillaW. Somerset Maugham4h 33m$1 · $0.00
Liza of LambethW. Somerset Maugham4h 35m$2 · $0.00
The Summing UpW. Somerset Maugham9h 43m$1 · $0.00
CosmopolitansW. Somerset Maugham6h 35m$2 · $0.00
Cæsar's WifeW. Somerset Maugham3h 56m$2 · $0.00
The HeroW. Somerset Maugham7h 32m$2 · $0.00
The Hour Before the DawnW. Somerset Maugham8h 7m$2 · $0.00
The ExplorerW. Somerset Maugham7h 52m$2 · $0.00
Jack Straw: A Farce in Three ActsW. Somerset Maugham3h 42m$1 · $0.00
The Merry-go-roundW. Somerset Maugham2h 34m$2 · $0.00
The Razor's EdgeW. Somerset Maugham14h 30m$2 · $0.00
Ashenden: or, The British AgentW. Somerset Maugham10h 32m$1 · $0.00
Of Human BondageW. Somerset Maugham26h 58m$1 · $0.00
The Hour Before the DawnW. Somerset Maugham9h 28m$1 · $0.00
The MagicianW. Somerset Maugham9h 30m$1 · $0.00
Liza of LambethW. Somerset Maugham2h 23m$1 · $0.00
The Land of The Blessed Virgin; Sketches and Impressions in AndalusiaW. Somerset Maugham6h 34m$2 · $0.00
Up at the VillaW. Somerset Maugham4h 38m$2 · $0.00
Unfinished BusinessBlair Howard7h 17m$23
EmberJeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews13h 58m$23
The New Human Revolution, vol. 1Daisaku Ikeda7h 46m$12 · $0.00
Meddlesome MoneyMildred Abbott8h 21m$20
Midnight ShadowsS.E. Smith5h 40m$17
CollateralBrian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson13h 8m$23
The Complete Sherlock Holmes Novels & Stories (4 Novels + 56 Short Stories) (Annotated)Arthur Conan Doyle73h 13m$2 · $0.00
The ReunionJana Deleon6h 31m$26 · $0.00
Animal 3K’wan6h 33m$20
To Hold and ProtectSandra Owens7h 59m$8 · $0.00
Extinction WarNicholas Sansbury Smith12h 1m$23
Savy WisdomPeggy McColl2h 53m$15
3 a.m. Premium: Books 1–5Nick Pirog15h 27m$25
Farewell My Lovely (Annotated)Raymond Chandler10h 37m$2 · $0.00
The Labyrinth of the SpiritsCarlos Ruiz Zafon27h 55m$53 · $0.00
Tracing Killer EvidenceJodie Bailey5h 46m$12 · $0.00
AGATHA CHRISTIE Premium CollectionAgatha Christie37h 15m$2 · $0.00
Sign of the MakerBrian Shea7h 13m$17
No Sin UnpunishedLynDee Walker7h 43m$17
Sherlock HolmesMade for Success14h 22m$25
Under His ProtectionB. Love5h 7m$15
Heart of IronC. M. Alongi15h 24m$30
Ethic IIAshley Antoinette9h 1m$20
RiversnowTess Thompson8h 11m$20
Supreme ClienteleAshley & JaQuavis8h 58m$20
Body Refinement in a Beast Tamer’s World, Book 1Seth Ring14h 7m$27
EmberJeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews13h 58m$23
The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Unabridged)Jane Austen88h 8m5.0 (1)$1 · $0.00
Desperate MeasuresBrenda Jackson8h 59m5.0 (1)$28 · $0.00
Searching For ThanksgivingS.E. Smith4h 24m$20
Naughty 4Brenda Hampton7h 30m$17
The Dance with Me TrilogyShelley Shepard Gray21h 44m$35
Anne Shirley (Complete 14 Book Collection)Lucy Maud Montgomery125h 28m$2 · $0.00
The DopemanJaQuavis Coleman5h 25m$20
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate CollectionArthur Conan Doyle59h 49m$5 · $0.00
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.3 (18)$29 · $0.00
Grand Opening 2Carl Weber9h 16m$20
Sons of Valor II: Violence of ActionBrian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson12h 34m$23
Malevolent MagicMildred Abbott7h 13m$17
Bikes, Toys, and Hot BoyzGenesis Woods, Shantaé13h 9m$23
You may also like
Ashenden: or, The British AgentW. Somerset Maugham10h 32m$1 · $0.00
The Radio OperatorUlla Lenze8h 53m$29 · $0.00
The DefectorRichard Kerbaj9h 50m$29 · $0.00
War-time SilhouettesStephen Hudson2h 46m$2 · $0.00
The Fifth ManCyril Henry Coles, Adelaide Frances Oke Manning10h 26m$2 · $0.00
Our Man Down in HavanaChristopher Hull11h 42m$23 · $0.00
The Prague CemeteryUmberto Eco16h 3m$33 · $0.00
Operation ShylockPhilip Roth16h 4m$30
A World to WinUpton Sinclair25h 49m$40
Really the BluesJoseph Koenig8h 48m$20 · $0.00
The Imposter's WarMark Arsenault11h 9m$20
MaritaMarita Lorenz7h 43m$20
The Great ImpersonationE. Phillips Oppenheim8h 4m$15 · $0.00
An Unlikely SpyRebecca Starford10h 25m$29 · $0.00
SpytimeWilliam F. Buckley Jr.7h 39m$17
The Invisible SpyThomas Maier12h 50m$5 · $0.00
Wide Is the GateUpton Sinclair28h 17m$30
Up in Honey's RoomElmore Leonard7h 28m$24 · $0.00
Inside the LinesRobert Welles Ritchie, Earl Derr Biggers6h 9m$2 · $0.00
Jack of SpiesDavid Downing12h 29m$23