ASHENDEN OR:THE BRITISH AGENT,W.SOMERSET MAUGHAM,1927

ASHENDEN

OR: THE BRITISH AGENT

BY

W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM

DOUBLEDAY & COMPANY

NEW YORK

1941

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"THOUGH TWENTY YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THESE STORIES WERE WRITTEN, I CANNOT THINK THEY ARE ENTIRELY OUT OF DATE, SINCE TILL QUIRE RECENTLY, I AM TOLD,, THEY HAVE BEEN REQUIRED READING FOR PERSONS ENTERING THE INTELLIGENCE DEPARTMENT.......BUT IT IS NOT FOR ANY TOPICAL INTEREST THEY MAY HAVE NOR BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN USED AS A SORT OF TEXTBOOK, THAT I NOW OFFER TO THE PUBLIC A NEW EDITION OF THESE STORIES.  THEY PURPOSE ONLY TO OFFER ENTERTAINMENT, WHICH I STILL THINK, IMPENITENTLY, IS THE MAIN OBJECT OF A WORK OF FICTION."

"THUS COMMENDED MR.MAUGHAM TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO, ON THE OCCASION OF ASHENDEN'S FIRST RE-ISSUE AT THE START OF WORLD WAR II.  CONTAINING PROBABLY THE MOST EXPERT STORIES OF ESPIONAGE EVER WRITTEN, THIS WORK WAS FOR YEARS A VIRTUAL HANDBOOK OF THE BRITISH SECRET SERVICE; DR. GOEBBELS EVEN PUBLICLY ACCEPTED IT AS A LITERAL STATEMENT OF FACT.  BASED ON MR. MAUGHAM'S OWN EXPERIENCES AS A BRITISH AGENT DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR, ASHENDEN'S ADVENTURES LEAD HIM ON A TRAIL OF TURMOIL AND SUSPENSE FROM LONDON TO VLADIVOSTOK, FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO YOKOHAMA."

"WHILE THE TECHNIQUES HAVE CHANGED, THE UNPARALLELED DANGERS OF ESPIONAGE REMAIN--AS DOES THE FASCINATION OF THOUSANDS OF READERS FOR ASHENDEN.  ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 1928, THE NOVEL HAS PROVED TO BE A PERENNIAL FAVORITE.  THIS, THE NEW EDITION, REAFFIRMS ITS STANDING AS A MASTERPIECE, SURE TO THRILL NEW READERS FOR MANY YEARS TO COME."

THIS BOOK IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION.  THE DUSTJACKET IS COMPLETE, WITH LIGHT SOILING, EDGE SCRAPES AND SMALL RIPS.  THE COVER CLEAN, EDGES AND CORNERS GENTLY BUMPED AND SCRAPED.  THE BINDING IS TIGHT ALL PAGES CLEAN AND INTACT.  A NICE COPY WITH 304 PAGES.