Ashenden or the British Agent Author:W. Somerset Maugham ASHENDEN, published in 1928, is widely regarded as the most expert collection of espionage stories ever written. Based on Maugham's experience as a British secret agent in World War I, these spellbinding interwoven tales are so gripping and realistic that they became required reading for recruits entering British intelligence. In addition, dozen... more »s of spy writers, both past and present, have cited ASHENDEN as a major influence on their own writing, plots, and characters. For instance, Ian Fleming credits the character of Ashenden as being his inspiration for James Bond. While Maugham was one of the most decorated and famous literary writers of his day -- he wrote plays, novels, short stories, and essays -- ASHENDEN was his only work of crime fiction.« less