Ashenden

Ashenden: Or the British Agent, published in 1928, is a collection of loosely connected stories based on Maugham’s real-life experiences as a British intelligence agent during World War I. Introducing the fictional writer-turned-spy Ashenden, the book offers a realistic, understated portrayal of espionage work, emphasizing its bureaucracy, moral ambiguities, and unexpected human cost. Maugham’s cool, ironic style influenced later spy fiction writers such as Graham Greene and John le Carré, making Ashenden a foundational work of modern spy literature.