Hank Goes Dancing

Book excerpt: Francis (Hank) L. Simpson, a child of World War II and his mother's darling, is convinced that charm and personality will carry him through life's problems. Hank's National Service in the RAF is a rude awakening, when the horrible necessity of sharing his private moments with other unfortunate conscripts, coupled with excessive drinking to stem the rising sap of manhood, makes Hank's time pass in a flurry of excesses. Hank's father, who survived Dunkirk, believes his son has serious problems with facing reality, but Hank's loving mother is always at hand, and Hank knows he can rely on her. Girls and brown ale are Hank's chief comforts, and these would suffice—until a 'madman' is loose in Ventnor, and heroic Hank is called upon to come to the town's rescue.