No Refuge Could Save
Encyclopedia
No Refuge Could Save is a short story
by Isaac Asimov
. It is the first of the Union Club Mysteries; overall these mysteries are not rated highly, but this is considered to be one of the best in the series.
he was involved in US intelligence. He was questioning a suspected German spy, and he performed a word association test on him. When he said "terror of flight", the suspect replied "gloom of the grave". This proved that he was a spy who had been trained up in Americanisms, since this was an allusion to a line in the third verse of "The Star-Spangled Banner
"; no native-born American could possibly be familiar with the third verse of the national anthem, "except for me, and I know everything" adds Griswold. (Most Americans only know the first verse, as it is the only one of the anthem's four verses that is normally sung.)
This is basically tongue in cheek, but Griswold does mention the serious point that the third verse of the US national anthem is particularly war-mongering, and so was especially forgotten in the "great peace-loving years of 1941 to 1945". In truth, the third verse was often omitted during those times by the few who knew it because of the alliance with Great Britian, who was the enemy in the War of 1812
and thus the object of scorn in the third verse.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
. It is the first of the Union Club Mysteries; overall these mysteries are not rated highly, but this is considered to be one of the best in the series.
Plot
The central character, Griswold, explains that during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was involved in US intelligence. He was questioning a suspected German spy, and he performed a word association test on him. When he said "terror of flight", the suspect replied "gloom of the grave". This proved that he was a spy who had been trained up in Americanisms, since this was an allusion to a line in the third verse of "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
"; no native-born American could possibly be familiar with the third verse of the national anthem, "except for me, and I know everything" adds Griswold. (Most Americans only know the first verse, as it is the only one of the anthem's four verses that is normally sung.)
This is basically tongue in cheek, but Griswold does mention the serious point that the third verse of the US national anthem is particularly war-mongering, and so was especially forgotten in the "great peace-loving years of 1941 to 1945". In truth, the third verse was often omitted during those times by the few who knew it because of the alliance with Great Britian, who was the enemy in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and thus the object of scorn in the third verse.