Don't pity Henry Wilt. Sure, over the course of 2 novels he's been suspected of murdering his wife (Wilt) and been taken hostage by terrorists (The Wilt Alternative), but he's managed to extricate himself from these predicaments by, well, just being Wilt. Which makes one wonder how he's going to get himself out of the situation he finds himself in Tom Sharpe’s Wilt On High.tIn this entry in the Wilt canon, he's accused of being a drug dealer (By the police), a communist (By a visiting school official) and a soviet spy (By a US Air Force Base Major), and, Wilt being Wilt, things go down from there. Have no fear though. He’s not alone. Eva’s back to aid her aggravating husband any way she can, along with the devilish quads (Emmeline, Penelope, Samantha & Josephine), and Mavis Mottram & Inspector Flint even lend a hand.tWritten in 1984, you feel the undertones of the reactionary Reagan/Thatcher era steering the action: if Russia is the "Evil Empire" then anyone suspected of being a spy has to be hauled off without delay and anyone suspected of being a drug dealer must be put under surveillance—warrants be damned. Still George Orwell did warn everybody. And in the end, Henry Wilt recognizes that we must keep up the good fight in order to enjoy a peaceful beer in the pub of our choice. tStirring thoughts, especially after the passage of the Patriot Act, the recent revelations about the NSA and the disinformation our own governments have released to bring about war.
