Tom Sharpe was an English satirical novelist, best known for his Wilt series, as well as Porterhouse Blue and Blott on the Landscape. He was born in 1928 and educated at Lancing College and Pembroke College, Cambridge and did his National Service in the Marines before going to South Africa in 1951, where he did social work before teaching in Natal. His childhood was influenced by Nazi ideology, as his father was a fascist and a strong admirer of Adolf Hitler. After viewing footage of death-camp liberations, however, Sharpe rejected Nazism. Vintage Stuff was written and originally published in 1982. It is set in Groxbourne, a parody of Bloxham School where Sharpe received his education. In his school nothing is right! The masters are a bunch of freaks, the headmaster is only bothered about money and the school’s reputation, there are compulsory games and lots of buggery among the boys. Not a good place for Peregrine Roderick Clyde-Brown, a bumbling British public schoolboy, who has a penchant for taking the most innocent commands literally. At Groxbourne Peregrine meets Gerald Glodstone, a teacher like others in the school, whose teaching methods involve using the cane, but who is also addicted to early- and pre-twentieth century adventure fiction. After Glodstone drags the loyal and obedient boy off to France on a seemingly romantic quest to rescue a French countess, Peregrine ends up storming a French castle where he commits havoc and even murder… Enjoy free online English audiobook “Vintage Stuff”, a novel by Tom Sharpe.
