One of the twentieth centurys most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright, critic, and shortstory writer, he also served as a secret agent for the british during world war i. This fascinating book contains the most expert stories of espionage ever written. Somerset maugham 18741965 wrote over 100 short stories in a long, multifaceted, successful and controversial career. Somerset maugham 18741965 rain 1921 it was nearly bedtime and when they awoke next morning land would be in sight. It is generally agreed to be his masterpiece and to be strongly autobiographical in nature, although maugham stated, this is a novel, not an autobiography, though much in it is autobiographical, more is pure invention. He was one of the most popular authors of his era, and reputedly the highest paid of his profession during the 1930s. Five short stories by somerset maugham, based upon his experiences in the secret service in ww1. While some novelists believe this is a proper model for fiction, maugham believes that fiction should not seek. 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 william somerset, 18741965 online books about this author are available, as is a wikipedia article maugham, w. Ellery queen included this book in an updated version of the readers list of detective story cornerstones, a muchcited roster of genredefining works originally compiled by howard haycraft and first published in 1941. 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. Yet the seven loosely joined tales that maugham crafted about ashenden, a writer recruited into undercover service during the first world war.
Theater by william somerset maugham download epub, mobi, pdf. W somerset maugham begins his preface by stating that the book is founded on his time in intelligence during the war. 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. After two years at the front and a wound that had taken longer to heal than it should, he was glad. Within maughams large output, the stories published in ashenden. Fact starts a story at random, rambles on inconsequently and tails off, leaving loose ends, without a conclusion. William somerset maugham, ch january 25, 1874 december 16, 1965 was an english playwright, novelist, and short story writer. Inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, for harold kamp from w.
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. Or the british agent 1927 is the first spy novel written by someone who actually worked for an intelligence agency. William somerset maugham 18741965 was born in paris, the son of a british embassy official, and grew up in england. 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. The secret lives of somerset maugham ebook by selina hastings. Dec 20, 20 maugham collects his series of stories about ashenden, the lessthanglamorous secret agent. Somerset maugham 1874 1965 was a british playwright, novelist and short story writer. Founded on maugham s own experiences in the british secret service during world war i, ashenden is a. Or the british agent is a 1927 collection of loosely linked stories by w.
William somerset maugham 25 january 1874 16 december 1965, better known as w. Thoughtful spy novels began with somerset maughams 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. 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. The secret lives of somerset maugham portrays in full for the first time maughams disastrous marriage to syrie wellcome, a manipulative society woman of dubious morality who trapped maugham with a pregnancy and an attempted suicide.
He studied medicine and officially qualified as a doctor before turning to writing. Introduction by an excerpt from wikipedia first page. Project gutenberg offers 62033 free ebooks for kindle, ipad, nook, android, and iphone. Somerset maugham is not the first secret agent novel in english. This collection of short stories is sure to please fans of the eminently talented british author w. 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. Somerset maugham ebooks epub and pdf downloads ebookmall. His work has remained widely anthologied, and is, by any measure of commerce or canon, successful. 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. William somerset maugham was an english playwright, novelist and short story writer. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading ashenden vintage classics. Always more interested in people than places, he noted down acute and finely crafted sketches of those he met on countless scraps of paper. And theater is the most stupid of maughams most famous works.
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. Ashenden, by somerset maugham the presidential panel on nsa has brought renewed attention to the practice of spying. Apr 25, 2015 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Born in the british embassy in paris, where his father worked, maugham was an orphan by the age of ten. This was also the case in the novel the burden of the passions of man, and in the novel the moon and the pitt. An excellent copy in the dust jacket with faded spine panel, and a couple of shallow chips and nicks. The theme of finding his true i was raised maugham in his works repeatedly. It is told in episodic form by a firstperson narrator, in a series of glimpses into the mind and soul of the central character charles strickland, a middleaged english stoc. He was among the most popular writers of his era, and reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s. It works up to an interesting situation, has no sense of climax and whittles away its dramatic effects in irrelevance. Fortunately, the author never once in my memory took on the burden write on behalf of the woman. With details drawn from maugham s first extended period of living abroad, the stories offer. Somerset maugham volume 3 miss king the hairless mexican.
Ashenden, by somerset maugham the presidential panel on nsa has brought renewed attention to the practice of spying this week. 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. Topics thriller, british, maugham collection opensource language english. 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. These are beautifully constructed stories, though perhaps maughamsashendens in the main rather chilly, mildly amused urbanity does tend to hold the reader also away from emotional engagement. 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. The secret lives of somerset maugham ebook by selina. The great novels and short stories of somerset maugham epub ebook. Like ian fleming, somerset maugham had himself been a secret agent.
Macphail lit his pipe and, leaning over the rail, searched the heavens for the southern cross. During wwi, a writer named ashenden, introduced only by his. Founded on maughams own experiences in the british secret service during world war. Born in the british embassy in paris, where his father worked, maugham was an. Joseph conrads the secret agent 1907 may hold that honor. The moon and sixpence is a 1919 short novel by william somerset maugham based on the life of the painter paul gauguin. Hastings also explores maughams many affairs with men, including his great love, gerald haxton, an. He was educated at kings school, canterbury, and at heidelberg university. Theater is the only one of the most famous works of maugham, where the main character is a woman wrote and remembered pattern cover. Discover book depositorys huge selection of w somerset maugham books online.
Maugham collects his series of stories about ashenden, the lessthanglamorous secret agent. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Somerset maugham, was a british playwright, novelist and short story writer. Somerset maugham the moon and sixpence is a novel by w. Within maugham s large output, the stories published in ashenden. The stories collected in ashenden are rooted in maughams own experiences as an agent, reflecting the ruthlessness and brutality of espionage, its intrigue and treachery, as well as its absurdity. Ashenden vintage classics kindle edition by maugham, w. Somerset maugham was one of the twentieth centurys most popular novelists as well as a celebrated playwright, critic, and short story writer. Somerset maugham download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. A set of short stories, connected in theme, featuring ashenden, a writer by. 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. Somerset and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Somerset maugham audiobooks download instantly today. Publication date 20071210 topics bbc radio reading language english.
An uncompromising and selfdestructive deserts his wife, family, business, and civilization for his art. It is partly based on the authors experience as a member of british intelligence in europe during the first world war. Somerset maugham 18471965 rain charts the moral disintegration of a missionary attempting to convert a pacific island prostitute named sadie thompson. 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. He was raised by an uncle, who tried to persuade the youngster to become an accountant or parson. The story is told in episodic form by the firstperson narrator as a series of glimpses into the mind and soul of the central character, charles strickland, a middle aged english stock broker who abandons his wife and children abruptly to pursue his desire to become an artist. Somerset maugham novel, originally published in 1908. All are beautifully written of course, though the final story. Many believe the novel to be one of the worlds literary masterpieces. Orphaned at 9, phillip spends his early years raised by his childless aunt and uncle. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Maugham spent the winter months of 1919 travelling fifteen hundred miles up the yangtze river. Somerset maugham, 1966, avon books edition, in english.
William somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. Maugham was a great shortstory writer, but by now his stories have been collected and reassembled in so many different volumes that its very difficult to suggest a particular title. Theater by william somerset maugham download epub, mobi. The razors edge by william somerset maugham download eub. Mr ashenden is a british secret agent dispatched on a variety of missions during the first world war, moving from the peace of neutral switzerland to the chaos of russia under kerenskys provisional government. The story follows phillip carey from early childhood through his 30s. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highestpaid author d. Oct 06, 2000 william somerset maugham was born in 1874 and lived in paris until he was ten. 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.
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