Ashenden is said to be the fictive version of Maugham's experience as a semi-professional intelligence agent in World War I. As a famous author, middleaged, and long-term expat, Maugham's presence in Switzerland, France and Italy was unquestioned. As he famously sociable and civilised, he could easily mix with people of all sorts. So, therefore, does Ashenden.
The fascinating thing for me was that some of the spies Ashenden tangles with in these stories are easily identified. Guilia Lazzari, for example, is surely Mata Hari. Others, I would love to be able to identify. Was Maugham really in Russia during the Kerensky government? If so, who was Mr Harrington and who was Alexandra Alexandrovna?
Published in 1928, Ashenden is Maugham at the height of his powers. The writing, characterisation and narrative structure are all superb. To anyone who hasn't tried Maugham before, could there be a better introduction? I think not.
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