I do enjoy maugham s observational ability, his clear descriptive powers and his knack for telling a story. Joseph conrads the secret agent 1907 may hold that honor. Somerset maugham his reasons for coming to switzerland for a few days were asenden and there could apparently be no difficulty in his crossing the frontier on his return. Five short stories by somerset maugham, based upon his experiences in the secret service in ww1. Nov 08, 2008 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread. Like ian fleming, somerset maugham had himself been a secret agent. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highestpaid author during the 1930s. He was educated at kings school, canterbury, and at heidelberg university. 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. Somerset maugham william somerset maugham and other ebooks from all genres of literature, both fiction and nonfiction, historical documents and sheet music, all of which are available on a subscription basis. Thoughtful spy novels began with somerset maugham s ashenden, featuring a detached hero on a journey to disillusion, a process brought to its apotheosis by le carre via greene daily telegraph a collection of stories so accurate that churchill ordered the destruction of 14 of them, while russian intelligence immediately set up a special unit. Lady frederick, the explorer, a man of honor the trembling of a leaf on a chinese screen.
Ashenden, by somerset maugham the presidential panel on nsa has brought renewed attention to the practice of spying this week. He was among the most popular writers of his era, and reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s. Ashenden or the british agent by maugham, w somerset. He was raised by an uncle, who tried to persuade the youngster to become an accountant or parson. Somerset maugham collected short stories volume 3 contents miss king the hairless mexican giulia lazzari the traitor his excellency mr harringtons washing sanatorium miss king it was not till the beginning of september that ashenden, a writer by profession, who had been abroad at the outbreak of the war, managed to get back to england. This fascinating book contains the most expert stories of espionage ever written. The stories collected in ashenden are rooted in maugham s. The stuffy man who hardly knew ashenden invites him to a very private dinner, changes into a sentimental. Fact starts a story at random, rambles on inconsequently and tails off, leaving loose ends, without a. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. It was not a torrent, for there was nothing impetuous about it, it was like a stream of. Ashenden meets interesting characters, most of them plausible as well, which is not a surprise as somerset maugham is a gifted storyteller besides having inside knowledge in secret service affairs. Commercial success with high book sales, successful theatre productions and a string of film adaptations, backed by astute stock market investments, allowed maugham to live a very comfortable life. The theme of finding his true i was raised maugham in his works repeatedly.
In 1917, he took the first of many voyages to the paci. Arthur conan doyles story, his last bow, 1917 which has holmes doing secret agent work and outwitting a german secret agent, also precedes maughams work, though doyles work is a short story. At the age of 10 maugham was orphaned and sent to england to live with his uncle, the vicar of whitestable. Gerald haxton who became his companion and lover until haxtons death in 1944.
Somerset maughams real life experience working for the secret service in wwi, this is a collection of linked stories about his fictional alter ego ashenden. But, perhaps, it was in the novel the razors edge that maugham was the best able to reflect all the problems of spiritual growth of an. Citing the declaration by critic and thriller writer julian symons that the modern spy story began with somerset maugham s ashenden 1928, meyers notes the influence of that somberly. Ashenden vintage classics kindle edition by maugham, w. Publication date 20071210 topics bbc radio reading language english. Somerset maugham 1874 1965 william somerset maugham 25 january 1874 16 december 1965 was a british playwright, novelist and short story writer. In either setting and on either scale, the war could inflect the course of personal destiny, and such inflection points are the chief object of interest for maugham.
A set of short stories, connected in theme, featuring ashenden, a writer by. Somerset maugham 1874 1965 was a british playwright, novelist and short story writer. Jun 23, 2010 so, too, does ashenden operate in those two locales. Somerset maugham, 1966, avon books edition, in english. Ashenden, by somerset maugham, is a different matter, and one well worth exploring. Somerset maugham is not the first secret agent novel in english. An endwhich maugham approved, and which is the key to his style. For ingle barr, this is a novel, not an autobiography, though much in it is autobiographical, more is pure invention.
Somerset maugham ebooks epub and pdf downloads ebookmall. Here at fadedpage and our companion site distributed proofreaders canada. Features willie ashenden, who resurfaces in maughams ashenden. Somerset maugham 25 january 1874 16 december 1965 william somerset maugham was born at the british embassy in paris, france, where his father was an english lawyer handling the legal affairs of the british embassy. This was also the case in the novel the burden of the passions of man, and in the novel the moon and the pitt. Somerset maugham led many lives, including that of a doctor in londons slums, a successful playwright and novelist, an agent for british intelligence during world war i, and a world traveler. Its based on somerset maughams activities for mi6 during world war one, although dramatised. Rosie is a barmaid with a heart of gold and a skeleton in her closet. Born in the british embassy in paris, where his father worked, maugham was an orphan by the age of ten. William somerset maugham 25 january 1874 16 december 1965, better known as w. Somerset maughams ashenden harkens back to a classical era when espionage writing was literature, not a first treatment of a movie screenplay. It is partly based on the authors experience as a member of british intelligence in europe during the first world war.
Somerset william somerset sorted by popularity sort alphabetically. William somerset maugham was an english playwright, novelist and short story writer. Maughams portrait of her makes his novel fairly glow with witty observations of the contemporary literary scene. Somerset maugham was one of the twentieth centurys most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright, critic, and short story writer. The one big flaw is in the story the british ambassador tells him about his affair with alix. During wwi, a writer named ashenden, introduced only by his. Caesars wife east of suez the explorer the hero the land of promise the land of the blessed virgin liza of lambeth the magician the making of a saint moon and sixpence of human bondage orientations plays. Hos adlibris hittar du miljontals bocker och produkter inom somerset maugham vi har ett brett sortiment av bocker, garn, leksaker, pyssel, sallskapsspel, dekoration och mycket mer for en inspirerande vardag. Thomas hospital with the idea of practising medicine, but the success of his first novel, liza of lambeth, published in 1897, won him over to literature.
All are beautifully written of course, though the final story. Project gutenberg offers 629 free ebooks for kindle, ipad, nook, android, and iphone. Or the british agent is a 1927 collection of loosely linked stories by w. Somerset maugham s real life experience working for the secret service in wwi, this is a collection of linked stories about his fictional alter ego ashenden. Somerset maugham s classic stories about ashenden, another gentleman spy, are well deserved. Both maughams parents died before he was 10, and the orphaned boy was raised by a paternal uncle who was emotionally cold. Each ashenden tale is a slice of life as its lived on the edgethe edge of death, the edge of insight. Somerset maugham ebooks in pdf format from ebookslibrary. When war broke out in 1914, somerset maugham was dispatched by the british secret service to switzerland under the guise of completing a play. Somerset maugham 18471965 rain charts the moral disintegration of a missionary attempting to convert a pacific island prostitute named sadie thompson. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s.
Multilingual, knowledgeable about many european countries and a celebrated writer, maugham had the perfect cover, and the assignment appealed to his love of romance, and of the ridiculous. Ashenden or the british agent classics to go somerset maugham. Publication date 20071210 topics bbc radio reading. Or the british agent 1927 is the first spy novel written by someone who actually worked for an intelligence agency. All are beautifully written of course, though the final story, mr harringtons washing is particularly poignant.
Adam woog, the seattle times downing reaffirms his place as one of the finest espionage writers with this engaging historical thriller. Somerset maugham was born in paris as the sixth and youngest son of the solicitor to the british embassy. In addition, he published ten important books of travel, autobiography, criticism, and miscellaneous essays. Download pdf books and you esmx070 download epub books and you. William somerset maugham was born at the british embassy in paris, france, where his father. Oct 06, 2000 william somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highestpaid author d. Introduction by an excerpt from wikipedia first page. 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. The razors edge by william somerset maugham download eub. So authors like john le carre, graham greene and len deighton follow in the pattern suggested by somerset maugham.
It is also the work of a writer who had the knack for creating a vivid character in few words, and then allowing that character to reveal his storyand usually more of himself than he would wishto the attentive reader. Haunting, erotic, deeply effecting, christmas holiday explores two souls capsized by compassionand the confusion that engulfed a generation in the days between the great wars. This story is all about the companion fate throws him in with on the train journey, an insufferable american named harrington. Of all somerset maughams novels this is the most entertaining and arguably his best ever. Somerset maugham was a celebrated writer of novels and short stories. Project gutenberg offers 61,992 free ebooks for kindle, ipad, nook, android, and iphone. Somerset maugham volume 3 miss king the hairless mexican. Somerset maugham, was a british playwright, novelist and short story writer. Sep 26, 2000 william somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. Project gutenberg offers 62144 free ebooks for kindle, ipad, nook, android, and iphone. Collected stories everymans library contemporary classics series w.