Ashenden or The British Agent Author:W. Somerset Maugham One of the most successful and versitile writers of the twentieth century, W. Somerset Maugham wrote dozens of novels, plays, and short stories throughout his illustrous career. During the 1930's he was reportedly the highest paid author in the world. Remarkably, he wrote only one espionage thriller, Ashenden or: The British Agent, yet it was ... more »this book that became an icon for other top crime novelists.« less