ASHENDEN

William Ashenden is an agent with the British Secret Intelligence Service.

By trade he is an author, a man who has written a novel or two, if inferences can be believed, but who is better known for the plays that he has devised. Most often these plays are of a humorous nature for in the years leading up to the Great War and into it things which can take a person's mind from the seriousness of the world's situation are much to be desired. More importantly, since his plays do not deal with world events or politics or anything so somber and controversial, their nature do not bring him particularly to the attention of the nations in which he might travel.

This is by no means an accident. Ashenden had been a writer living abroad for several years, being likely in his late 30s at the time of the first recorded adventure. As nation after nation fell into one of two major camps and the bombs started flying, he eventually made his way back to his native England where his intention had been to reside until the bloodshed ceased. A chance meeting with a high ranking member of the SIS would change that.

The man, known officially as "R", presented to Ashenden the idea of moving to neutral Switzerland and working as a covert operative for Britain. He would be given a few different identities to use to travel to neighboring countries and would issue regular reports on things he learned, both militarily and politically. Being a very patriotic man and not a little interested in the exciting task, Ashenden agreed almost instantly.

It would not be correct to think of Ashenden as a man of action in the stories related about him but not because he could or would not be but because the situations he was in were usually of the type where subtlety is called for far more than action but when the need arises, he is a fast mover and quite decisive. The most important thing that Ashenden is, obviously one which makes him a good writer, is his ability to observe and record. He has a great skill in just watching and listening. The latter causes people he meets to feel the urge to talk and in the many ramblings, he gleans the information that he came for.

I had at one time a hard-set rule about only dealing with spies from the post-WWII era. I broke it with Ashenden for two reasons. The first is that several people asked why I did not mention him at all considering that, second, he was the first real spy series written. There had been spy stories before, such as James Fenimore Cooper's The Spy from 1821, but for a repeat protagonist, I had never discovered an earlier one.

But I had demurred because it was written in the 1920's and dealt with the 1910's and that was outside my "area". And there was but one book actually about the character, albeit a collection of short stories (ignoring the novel he narrates).

Obviously I changed my mind and I am glad I did. I started to read the first story when I first got into spy adventures and was far too quick to judge it poorly. The writing was good, I was wise enough to realize, but there was so little action. I put the book down to be picked up later, which never happened.

This time I am much older and, hopefully, wiser. I started from the beginning and have found that the writing is more than good, it is superb. No wonder this man is considered a genius and was the most successful writer of his generation. The prose is some of the best I have every read and each passage has a place and a purpose.

There is still not a lot of action but the sense of foreboding and fearful anticipation that comes across Ashenden's mind is palpable. He is not a coward by any means but standing in the shadows or sitting alone in a room waiting and waiting, all sorts of imaginings are impossible to prevent.

Do not attempt these stories if you are expecting car chases, gun battles, fantastic derring-do, or such because they are not in these pages. If you enjoy a well-produced short story with incredible word play and atmospherics, they are well worth the time to savor them.

It is not uncommon in the real world of today as well as the fictional world of espionage for people in authority to be distrustful of writers and reporters, believing them to really be spies undercover. Considering the nature of stories such as those of Ashenden, especially knowing they were loosely based on real life, that suspicion is obviously sometimes justified.