3. William Somerset Maugham (1874�1965) was born at
the height of British imperial power. When he died, the
British Empire was all but a memory. In Maugham's
lifetime, as his civilization slowly disappeared, people
from all walks of life, the proud, the urbane, the crude,
and the desperate, passed beneath the lens of his
dispassionate scrutiny. Transformed into some of the
most unforgettable literary works of the 20th century,
his experiences re-emerged in his plays, fiction, and
essays.