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100 Novel Opening Lines

1. Call me Ishmael. —Herman Melville, Moby-Dick (1851)

2. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. —Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (1813)

3. A screaming comes across the sky. —Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow (1973)

4. Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice. —Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967; trans. Gregory Rabassa)

5. Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. —Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita (1955)

6. Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. —Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina (1877; trans. Constance Garnett)

7. riverrun, past Eve and Adam’s, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs. —James Joyce, Finnegans Wake (1939)

8. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. —George Orwell, 1984 (1949)

9. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. —Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

10. I am an invisible man. —Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man (1952)

11. The Miss Lonelyhearts of the New York Post-Dispatch (Are you in trouble?—Do-you-need-advice?—Write-to-Miss-Lonelyhearts-and-she-will-help-you) sat at his desk and stared at a piece of white cardboard. —Nathanael West, Miss Lonelyhearts (1933)

12. You don’t know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain’t no matter. —Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885)

13. Someone must have slandered Josef K., for one morning, without having done anything truly wrong, he was arrested. ��Franz Kafka, The Trial (1925; trans. Breon Mitchell)

14. You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino’s new novel, If on a winter’s night a traveler. —Italo Calvino, If on a winter’s night a traveler (1979; trans. William Weaver)

15. The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new. —Samuel Beckett, Murphy (1938)

16. If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. —J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye (1951)

17. Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo. —James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916)

18. This is the saddest story I have ever heard. —Ford Madox Ford, The Good Soldier (1915)

19. I wish either my father or my mother, or indeed both of them, as they were in duty both equally bound to it, had minded what they were about when they begot me; had they duly considered how much depended upon what they were then doing;—that not only the production of a rational Being was concerned in it, but that possibly the happy formation and temperature of his body, perhaps his genius and the very cast of his mind;—and, for aught they knew to the contrary, even the fortunes of his whole house might take their turn from the humours and dispositions which were then uppermost:—Had they duly weighed and considered all this, and proceeded accordingly,—I am verily persuaded I should have made a quite different figure in the world, from that, in which the reader is likely to see me. —Laurence Sterne, Tristram Shandy (1759–1767)

20. Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. —Charles Dickens, David Copperfield (1850)

21. Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed. —James Joyce, Ulysses (1922)

22. It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the house-tops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness. —Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, Paul Clifford (1830)

23. One summer afternoon Mrs. Oedipa Maas came home from a Tupperware party whose hostess had put perhaps too much kirsch in the fondue to find that she, Oedipa, had been named executor, or she supposed executrix, of the estate of one Pierce Inverarity, a California real estate mogul who had once lost two million dollars in his spare time but still had assets numerous and tangled enough to make the job of sorting it all out more than honorary. —Thomas Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49 (1966)

24. It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of night, and the voice on the other end asking for someone he was not. —Paul Auster, City of Glass (1985)

25. Through the fence, between the curling flower spaces, I could see them hitting. —William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury (1929)

26. 124 was spiteful. —Toni Morrison, Beloved (1987)

27. Somewhere in la Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember, a gentleman lived not long ago, one of those who has a lance and ancient shield on a shelf and keeps a skinny nag and a greyhound for racing. —Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote (1605; trans. Edith Grossman)

28. Mother died today. —Albert Camus, The Stranger (1942; trans. Stuart Gilbert)

29. Every summer Lin Kong returned to Goose Village to divorce his wife, Shuyu. —Ha Jin, Waiting (1999)

30. The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel. —William Gibson, Neuromancer (1984)

31. I am a sick man . . . I am a spiteful man. —Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground (1864; trans. Michael R. Katz)

32. Where now? Who now? When now? —Samuel Beckett, The Unnamable (1953; trans. Patrick Bowles)

33. Once an angry man dragged his father along the ground through his own orchard. “Stop!” cried the groaning old man at last, “Stop! I did not drag my father beyond this tree.” —Gertrude Stein, The Making of Americans (1925)

34. In a sense, I am Jacob Horner. —John Barth, The End of the Road (1958)

35. It was like so, but wasn’t. —Richard Powers, Galatea 2.2 (1995)

36. —Money . . . in a voice that rustled. —William Gaddis, J R (1975)

37. Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself. —Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway (1925)

38. All this happened, more or less. —Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five (1969)

39. They shoot the white girl first. —Toni Morrison, Paradise (1998)

40. For a long time, I went to bed early. —Marcel Proust, Swann’s Way (1913; trans. Lydia Davis)

41. The moment one learns English, complications set in. —Felipe Alfau, Chromos (1990)

42. Dr. Weiss, at forty, knew that her life had been ruined by literature. —Anita Brookner, The Debut (1981)

43. I was the shadow of the waxwing slain / By the false azure in the windowpane; —Vladimir Nabokov, Pale Fire (1962)

44. Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. —Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937)

45. I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story. —Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome (1911)

46. Ages ago, Alex, Allen and Alva arrived at Antibes, and Alva allowing all, allowing anyone, against Alex’s admonition, against Allen’s angry assertion: another African amusement . . . anyhow, as all argued, an awesome African army assembled and arduously advanced against an African anthill, assiduously annihilating ant after ant, and afterward, Alex astonishingly accuses Albert as also accepting Africa’s antipodal ant annexation. —Walter Abish, Alphabetical Africa (1974)

47. There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. —C. S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)

48. He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. —Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea (1952)

49. It was the day my grandmother exploded. —Iain M. Banks, The Crow Road (1992)

50. I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974. —Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex (2002)

51. Elmer Gantry was drunk. —Sinclair Lewis, Elmer Gantry (1927)

52. We started dying before the snow, and like the snow, we continued to fall. —Louise Erdrich, Tracks (1988)

53. It was a pleasure to burn. —Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1953)

54. A story has no beginning or end; arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead. —Graham Greene, The End of the Affair (1951)

55. Having placed in my mouth sufficient bread for three minutes’ chewing, I withdrew my powers of sensual perception and retired into the privacy of my mind, my eyes and face assuming a vacant and preoccupied expression. —Flann O’Brien, At Swim-Two-Birds (1939)

56. I was born in the Year 1632, in the City of York, of a good Family, tho’ not of that Country, my Father being a Foreigner of Bremen, who settled first at Hull; He got a good Estate by Merchandise, and leaving off his Trade, lived afterward at York, from whence he had married my Mother, whose Relations were named Robinson, a very good Family in that Country, and from whom I was called Robinson Kreutznaer; but by the usual Corruption of Words in England, we are now called, nay we call our selves, and write our Name Crusoe, and so my Companions always call’d me. —Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe (1719)

57. In the beginning, sometimes I left messages in the street. —David Markson, Wittgenstein’s Mistress (1988)

58. Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress. —George Eliot, Middlemarch (1872)

59. It was love at first sight. —Joseph Heller, Catch-22 (1961)

60. What if this young woman, who writes such bad poems, in competition with her husband, whose poems are equally bad, should stretch her remarkably long and well-made legs out before you, so that her skirt slips up to the tops of her stockings? —Gilbert Sorrentino, Imaginative Qualities of Actual Things (1971)

61. I have never begun a novel with more misgiving. —W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor’s Edge (1944)

62. Once upon a time, there was a woman who discovered she had turned into the wrong person. —Anne Tyler, Back When We Were Grownups (2001)

63. The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children’s games from the beginning, and will probably do it till the end, which is a nuisance for the few people who grow up. —G. K. Chesterton, The Napoleon of Notting Hill (1904)

64. In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. —F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)

65. You better not never tell nobody but God. —Alice Walker, The Color Purple (1982)

66. “To be born again,” sang Gibreel Farishta tumbling from the heavens, “first you have to die.” —Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses (1988)

67. It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York. —Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar (1963)

68. Most really pretty girls have pretty ugly feet, and so does Mindy Metalman, Lenore notices, all of a sudden. —David Foster Wallace, The Broom of the System (1987)

69. If I am out of my mind, it’s all right with me, thought Moses Herzog. —Saul Bellow, Herzog (1964)

70. Francis Marion Tarwater’s uncle had been dead for only half a day when the boy got too drunk to finish digging his grave and a Negro named Buford Munson, who had come to get a jug filled, had to finish it and drag the body from the breakfast table where it was still sitting and bury it in a decent and Christian way, with the sign of its Saviour at the head of the grave and enough dirt on top to keep the dogs from digging it up. —Flannery O’Connor, The Violent Bear it Away (1960)

71. Granted: I am an inmate of a mental hospital; my keeper is watching me, he never lets me out of his sight; there’s a peephole in the door, and my keeper’s eye is the shade of brown that can never see through a blue-eyed type like me. —Günter Grass, The Tin Drum (1959; trans. Ralph Manheim)

72. When Dick Gibson was a little boy he was not Dick Gibson. —Stanley Elkin, The Dick Gibson Show (1971)

73. Hiram Clegg, together with his wife Emma and four friends of the faith from Randolph Junction, were summoned by the Spirit and Mrs. Clara Collins, widow of the beloved Nazarene preacher Ely Collins, to West Condon on the weekend of the eighteenth and nineteenth of April, there to await the End of the World. —Robert Coover, The Origin of the Brunists (1966)

74. She waited, Kate Croy, for her father to come in, but he kept her unconscionably, and there were moments at which she showed herself, in the glass over the mantel, a face positively pale with the irritation that had brought her to the point of going away without sight of him. —Henry James, The Wings of the Dove (1902)

75. In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains. —Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms (1929)

76. “Take my camel, dear,” said my Aunt Dot, as she climbed down from this animal on her return from High Mass. —Rose Macaulay, The Towers of Trebizond (1956)

77. He was an inch, perhaps two, under six feet, powerfully built, and he advanced straight at you with a slight stoop of the shoulders, head forward, and a fixed from-under stare which made you think of a charging bull. —Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim (1900)

78. The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there. —L. P. Hartley, The Go-Between (1953)

79. On my naming day when I come 12 I gone front spear and kilt a wyld boar he parbly ben the las wyld pig on the Bundel Downs any how there hadnt ben none for a long time befor him nor I aint looking to see none agen. —Russell Hoban, Riddley Walker (1980)

80. Justice?—You get justice in the next world, in this world you have the law. —William Gaddis, A Frolic of His Own (1994)

81. Vaughan died yesterday in his last car-crash. —J. G. Ballard, Crash (1973)

82. I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. —Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle (1948)

83. “When your mama was the geek, my dreamlets,” Papa would say, “she made the nipping off of noggins such a crystal mystery that the hens themselves yearned toward her, waltzing around her, hypnotized with longing.” —Katherine Dunn, Geek Love (1983)

84. In the last years of the Seventeenth Century there was to be found among the fops and fools of the London coffee-houses one rangy, gangling flitch called Ebenezer Cooke, more ambitious than talented, and yet more talented than prudent, who, like his friends-in-folly, all of whom were supposed to be educating at Oxford or Cambridge, had found the sound of Mother English more fun to game with than her sense to labor over, and so rather than applying himself to the pains of scholarship, had learned the knack of versifying, and ground out quires of couplets after the fashion of the day, afroth with Joves and Jupiters, aclang with jarring rhymes, and string-taut with similes stretched to the snapping-point. —John Barth, The Sot-Weed Factor (1960)

85. When I finally caught up with Abraham Trahearne, he was drinking beer with an alcoholic bulldog named Fireball Roberts in a ramshackle joint just outside of Sonoma, California, drinking the heart right out of a fine spring afternoon. —James Crumley, The Last Good Kiss (1978)

86. It was just noon that Sunday morning when the sheriff reached the jail with Lucas Beauchamp though the whole town (the whole county too for that matter) had known since the night before that Lucas had killed a white man. —William Faulkner, Intruder in the Dust (1948)

87. I, Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus This-that-and-the-other (for I shall not trouble you yet with all my titles) who was once, and not so long ago either, known to my friends and relatives and associates as “Claudius the Idiot,” or “That Claudius,” or “Claudius the Stammerer,” or “Clau-Clau-Claudius” or at best as “Poor Uncle Claudius,” am now about to write this strange history of my life; starting from my earliest childhood and continuing year by year until I reach the fateful point of change where, some eight years ago, at the age of fifty-one, I suddenly found myself caught in what I may call the “golden predicament” from which I have never since become disentangled. —Robert Graves, I, Claudius (1934)

88. Of all the things that drive men to sea, the most common disaster, I’ve come to learn, is women. —Charles Johnson, Middle Passage (1990)

89. I am an American, Chicago born—Chicago, that somber city—and go at things as I have taught myself, free-style, and will make the record in my own way: first to knock, first admitted; sometimes an innocent knock, sometimes a not so innocent. —Saul Bellow, The Adventures of Augie March (1953)

90. The towers of Zenith aspired above the morning mist; austere towers of steel and cement and limestone, sturdy as cliffs and delicate as silver rods. —Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt (1922)

91. I will tell you in a few words who I am: lover of the hummingbird that darts to the flower beyond the rotted sill where my feet are propped; lover of bright needlepoint and the bright stitching fingers of humorless old ladies bent to their sweet and infamous designs; lover of parasols made from the same puffy stuff as a young girl’s underdrawers; still lover of that small naval boat which somehow survived the distressing years of my life between her decks or in her pilothouse; and also lover of poor dear black Sonny, my mess boy, fellow victim and confidant, and of my wife and child. But most of all, lover of my harmless and sanguine self. —John Hawkes, Second Skin (1964)

92. He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad. —Raphael Sabatini, Scaramouche (1921)

93. Psychics can see the color of time it’s blue. —Ronald Sukenick, Blown Away (1986)

94. In the town, there were two mutes and they were always together. —Carson McCullers, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (1940)

95. Once upon a time two or three weeks ago, a rather stubborn and determined middle-aged man decided to record for posterity, exactly as it happened, word by word and step by step, the story of another man for indeed what is great in man is that he is a bridge and not a goal, a somewhat paranoiac fellow unmarried, unattached, and quite irresponsible, who had decided to lock himself in a room a furnished room with a private bath, cooking facilities, a bed, a table, and at least one chair, in New York City, for a year 365 days to be precise, to write the story of another person—a shy young man about of 19 years old—who, after the war the Second World War, had come to America the land of opportunities from France under the sponsorship of his uncle—a journalist, fluent in five languages—who himself had come to America from Europe Poland it seems, though this was not clearly established sometime during the war after a series of rather gruesome adventures, and who, at the end of the war, wrote to the father his cousin by marriage of the young man whom he considered as a nephew, curious to know if he the father and his family had survived the German occupation, and indeed was deeply saddened to learn, in a letter from the young man—a long and touching letter written in English, not by the young man, however, who did not know a damn word of English, but by a good friend of his who had studied English in school—that his parents both his father and mother and his two sisters one older and the other younger than he had been deported they were Jewish to a German concentration camp Auschwitz probably and never returned, no doubt having been exterminated deliberately X * X * X * X, and that, therefore, the young man who was now an orphan, a displaced person, who, during the war, had managed to escape deportation by working very hard on a farm in Southern France, would be happy and grateful to be given the opportunity to come to America that great country he had heard so much about and yet knew so little about to start a new life, possibly go to school, learn a trade, and become a good, loyal citizen. —Raymond Federman, Double or Nothing (1971)

96. Time is not a line but a dimension, like the dimensions of space. —Margaret Atwood, Cat’s Eye (1988)

97. He—for there could be no doubt of his sex, though the fashion of the time did something to disguise it—was in the act of slicing at the head of a Moor which swung from the rafters. —Virginia Woolf, Orlando (1928)

98. High, high above the North Pole, on the first day of 1969, two professors of English Literature approached each other at a combined velocity of 1200 miles per hour. —David Lodge, Changing Places (1975)

99. They say when trouble comes close ranks, and so the white people did. —Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea (1966)

100. The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting. —Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage (1895)

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gokite · 2 months

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The best nine places to travel in New Zealand

New Zealand is a land of breathtaking beauty and diverse landscapes, offering travelers an array of incredible destinations to explore. From stunning fjords to pristine beaches, lush forests to snow-capped mountains, New Zealand is a paradise for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike. One of the most iconic destinations in New Zealand is Fiordland National Park, home to the majestic Milford Sound and some of the most stunning fjords in the world. Queenstown, nestled on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, is renowned for its adventure activities and picturesque alpine scenery. Tongariro National Park, with its dramatic volcanic landscapes and world-famous hiking trails, offers visitors the chance to explore some of New Zealand's most iconic natural landmarks. Abel Tasman National Park, with its golden sandy beaches and turquoise waters, is a coastal paradise perfect for kayaking, hiking, and wildlife watching. Rotorua, known for its geothermal wonders and rich Maori culture, offers a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural experiences. Franz Josef Glacier on the West Coast of the South Island is a stunning glacier that descends into a temperate rainforest, offering visitors the chance to experience the beauty of ice caves and towering ice formations. These are just a few of the best places to travel in New Zealand, each offering its own unique charm and beauty waiting to be discovered.

Here are some places to travel in New Zealand.

1. The National Park of Fiordland: In the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand sits the breathtaking natural marvel known as Fiordland National Park. It is renowned for its untainted lakes, rough mountains, and gorgeous fjords. The park's most well-known feature is Milford Sound, a magnificent fjord encircled by towering cliffs and tumbling waterfalls. Through hiking routes, boat excursions, and scenic flights, visitors may experience the park's breathtaking vistas and get up close and personal with its rich species and breathtaking scenery.

2. The Queenstown region: Located on New Zealand's South Island, Queenstown is a charming resort town that is tucked away on the banks of Lake Wakatipu. It is well known for its breathtaking alpine landscape, exciting adventures, and lively atmosphere. Activities available to visitors visiting Queenstown include skydiving, jet boating, bungee jumping, and skiing at the neighbouring Remarkable and Coronet Peak ski resorts. The town is a well-liked location for tourists looking for adventure and leisure because it also has great dining, shopping, and nightlife opportunities.

3. National Park Tongariro: Situated in the middle of the of the North Island, Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The striking peaks of Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe (sometimes referred to as Mount Doom in the "Lord of the Rings" movie), and Mount Ruapehu are just a few of the region's striking volcanic landscapes. Hiking pathways, including the well-known Tongariro Alpine Crossing, provide visitors with an opportunity to see the park's many ecosystems. The trek offers breathtaking vistas of alpine meadows, emerald lakes, and volcanic craters.

4. The National Park Abel Tasman: The summit of New Zealand's South Island is home to the lovely coastline area known as Abel Tasman National Park. It is renowned for its verdant native woods, blue lakes, and golden-sand beaches. Activities available to visitors to Abel Tasman National Park include sailing, hiking, kayaking, and animal viewing. One of New Zealand's Great Walks, the Abel Tasman Coast Track, passes through breathtaking coastal scenery and quiet bays while passing through the park.

5. The New Zealand: Situated on the North Island of New Zealand lies a geothermal paradise called Rotorua. It is well-known for its natural hot springs, boiling geysers, and bubbling mud pools. Through guided tours of Maori communities, traditional food, and cultural events, visitors to Rotorua may immerse themselves in the distinctive Maori culture. In addition, the city provides a variety of outdoor activities, including zip-lining, mountain biking, and hiking in the neighbouring Redwood Forest.

6. Glacier Franz Josef: The South Island of New Zealand has a magnificent glacier called Franz Josef Glacier that is situated on its west coast. Being one of the few glaciers in the world to drop into a temperate rainforest, it is an exceptional and breathtaking natural feature. To get a close-up look at the towering ice structures and blue ice caverns of Franz Josef Glacier, visitors may enjoy scenic flights, helicopter excursions, and guided glacier treks.

7. Islands Bay: Situated in New Zealand's Northland area on the North Island, the Bay of Islands is a breathtaking marine playground. It is renowned for its picturesque islands, sandy beaches, and crystal-clear seas. Activities available to visitors to the Bay of Islands include big-game fishing, sailing, snorkeling, and dolphin viewing. With noteworthy locations like the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where New Zealand's founding document was signed in 1840, the area is also rich in history.

8. Christchurch: The biggest city in New Zealand's South Island, Christchurch, is dubbed the "Garden City" because of its exquisite parks and gardens. Notwithstanding the destruction wrought by earthquakes in recent times, Christchurch has turned into a dynamic and hardy city with a flourishing arts and cultural landscape. Discover Christchurch's creative ventures like the Cardboard Cathedral and the Restart mall, which is constructed out of shipping containers, as well as its quaint botanic gardens and old buildings.

9. Taupo Lake: Situated in the northern North Island of New Zealand, Lake Taupo is the biggest lake in the country. It is well known for its breathtakingly beautiful surroundings, glistening lakes, and myriad leisure options. Activities available to visitors to Lake Taupo include jet boating, kayaking, boating, and fishing. The lake is a well-liked location for outdoor enthusiasts and environment lovers since it is bordered by beautiful walking and cycling paths, hot springs, and geothermal parks.

Conclusion New Zealand offers some of the most stunning and diverse destinations for travelers to explore. From the majestic fjords of Fiordland National Park to the adrenaline-pumping activities in Queenstown, there's something for everyone in this beautiful country. For travelers from India dreaming of visiting these incredible destinations, obtaining a New Zealand visa from India is a straightforward process. With the necessary documentation and a smooth application process, obtaining a New Zealand tourist visa from India allows travelers to embark on their New Zealand adventure with ease. Whether you're hiking through the volcanic landscapes of Tongariro National Park, kayaking along the pristine beaches of Abel Tasman National Park, or experiencing the geothermal wonders of Rotorua, New Zealand promises unforgettable experiences that will leave a lasting impression. From the stunning glaciers of Franz Josef to the cultural richness of Maori villages, each destination offers its own unique charm and beauty waiting to be discovered. Prepare for an amazing tour across this stunning nation by packing your luggage, applying for a New Zealand visa from India, and setting off on your adventure. New Zealand invites visitors from all over the world to discover its numerous treasures because of its stunning scenery, vibrant culture, and kind people.

Also Read: Australia Visa from India

#travel #tourist #adventure #tour #tourism #new zealand visa

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tourist-destinations · 8 months

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Best Airports in the World

Travelling by air is no longer a luxury but an essential service, and when so many factors drive your business, it is crucial to list out the best airports in the world for everyone’s understanding. Airports have induced better service and other factors, making our travel effortless and seamless. Let us deep dive, find the best from the lot, and make sure to capture all of them for your social media handles.

Changi Airport, Singapore

Changi Airport Singapore has been awarded the best airport in the world several times. The number of airlines operating out of this airport stands at around 100. It has also accolades of being the cleanest and stands among the highly rated transit airports internationally. The destinations are Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and North America. It is used for civil and military purposes and is the best airport in Asia. The airport's location is just 24 km from Singapore's downtown. It has the base operations of various airlines like Singapore Airlines, Jetstar Asia Airways and BOC Aviation. Three runways serve it, each four kms long. In 2019, a mixed-use complex to cater to tourists was opened with various retail and entertainment options. Though it is one of the busiest, it is not the world's biggest airport.

Incheon International Airport, South Korea

Incheon International Airport, also termed Seoul-Incheon International Airport, is the largest in the South Korean region. In 2021, it was awarded the fourth-best airport in the world. It also has been awarded the top certificate for security purposes. It has set great examples during the Covid-19 pandemic. The airport comprises a spa, a dedicated golf course, a casino, various indoor games, an ice skating rink, and the Museum of Korean Culture. The airport's departure and arrival average times are a delight for every traveler, as it has the fastest customer processing time across the world. The airport is located 48 km from Seoul. This airport has won various prestigious awards over the years, making it a delight to travel.

Hamad International Airport, Qatar

Though there were some delays in opening this airport, they can handle nearly 50 million passengers per year which speaks about the prowess and efficiency. This lovely airport has an oasis theme and water motif built in and is a delight to pass the time between your flights. They use recycled water to grow the lovely indoor plants, which are a sight to withhold. It has lovely artistry, like the lamp bear designed by Swiss creator Urs Fischer. It played a vital role in handling the usher of guests during the FIFA World Cup. The airport consists of two parallel runways, one considered the longest runway in the world. It also acts as a major cargo destination from across the world.

Tokyo Haneda Airport, Japan

The official Tokyo International Airport serves the region along with Narita International Airport. The airport is 15 km south of Tokyo in Ota, Tokyo and covers a 1522-hectare area for its operations. By traveler’s throughput, it is one of the busiest airports in the world. The 2020 Summer Olympics saw the government increase accessibility and made new railway lines, which enabled travel time of less than 20 minutes to Tokyo station. It has three terminals equipped with numerous stores for travelers to enjoy their time here.

Munich Airport, Germany

Munich Airport, also known as Munich Franz Josef Strauss Airport, is the second busiest airport in Germany. Lufthansa calls it their den along with Condor and TUI fly Deutschland. The location is 29 km from Munich and is near to the town of Freising. It boasts of two runways and has dedicated parking lots for visitors. The Munich airport center comprises various business and local leisure centres for travelers. This airport also has a helipad, and the two runways are of 4000metres long. It has a lovely visitor viewing area from which great views of Terminal 1 can be obtained.

Hong Kong International Airport, China

Located in Chek lap Kok in Hong Kong's western region, this airport was started in 1998. This airport has the credentials to hold the world's busiest cargo gateway and the largest terminals for passenger movement. It employs almost 70000 people, making it a big employment zone for the country. It covers an area of 3101 acres and has 90 boarding gates. It has two terminals and huge concourses for swift movement of air traffic. It has various engagement avenues for the public to keep engaged during a long flight haul.

Dubai International Airport, UAE

With a whopping 88 million passengers in 2017, Dubai International Airport was the fifth busiest in the world. It operates out of two runways, which are more than 4500 meters long. Dubai, being a major flower imports center has a dedicated arm for the smooth functioning of the same. The airport speaks of the luxury of Dubai and caters to travelers with the multitude of duty-free shops, premium lounges, and world-class amenities. It acts as a s primary fulcrum in global aviation between the west and the east.

Zurich Airport, Switzerland

This airport, which started in 1948, serves Zurich, Switzerland and is located 13 km from it. It has three operational runways, each beyond the 2500 m length, serving around 29 million passengers yearly. According to officials, this number is forecasted to reach 50 million by 2030. The terminals are well maintained and equipped with essential and luxury brand outlets for everyone's delight. This airport deals with the tourists coming in from the world over to witness the beauty of Switzerland.

Vancouver International Airport, Canada

The airport in Vancouver serves the Lower Mainland region and has a dedicated float plane terminal, making it unique. It is a star-studded affair as it has won 12 nonstop awards for Best North American Airport till 2022 by Skytrax. The airport also holds worthy mention of having a maximum number of direct flights to China than any other across this region. It has three runways, out of which two are more than 3000 meters long while the third is 2225 meters. It navigates the traffic through two terminals—the Main terminal deals with the domestic and international concourses. Every region inside is covered with dedicated internet, while the south terminal is for the float planes.

Summary:

These airports’ ultimate goal is to provide seamless and hassle-free travel to their patrons. They make the design and feel in sync with the latest trends to appeal to the public. With the need for flights growing daily, these airports must keep up with legal issues and other regulatory norms for smooth operations.

#airports in the world #Vancouver International Airport #Zurich Airport #Dubai International Airport #Hong Kong International Airport #Munich Airport #Tokyo Haneda Airport #Hamad International Airport #Incheon International Airport #Changi Airport

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greenbagjosh · 1 year

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13 + 14 June 1998 - HRH the Queen’s 72nd Birthday and the cringeworthy Donald Duck joke

Originally written in June 2018

Hi everyone,

Hope you are having a nice evening.Twenty years ago today and tomorrow, I went on the cheapest path from Munich to Prague. And came back the next day almost 11 PM. Saturday the 13th June 1998, it was a few days before the start of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Widgetmeister International had two paid days off officially, namely Fronleichnam for Thursday the 11th, and Friday the 12th. Neither day counted against my vacation balance. On Thursday I did a bit of exploring on the S-8 line from Englschalking up to the Franz Josef Strauss airport, known also by its airport code "MUC". The Schönes Wochenende ticket would not be valid as it was a Thursday so I bought a ticket for the outer zones of the MVV-München transit area that were otherwise not covered by my month pass. It was raining so there was not much to see. At the time, there was also an expansion project for the S-1 train, instead of all trains going to Neufahrn and Freising, some S-1 trains would also go to the airport. This was called the "Neufahrner Spange".

Friday the 12 June was a shopping day. I bought myself a Czech language guide. Czech is not exactly romanized Russian. For that reason, it is a good idea to have a Czech language book.Saturday the 13 June arrived. I had to be at München Hbf by 7:10 AM to catch the train to Plattling, and it left from the "short-haul" track 25. On the German rail side, this was the only known electrified section. On Saturday *and* Sunday, the Schönes Wochenende Ticket was valid, and for only 35 Mark. The train stopped at Freising, Landshut and Landau on the Isar before arriving at Plattling about 9 AM. About 9:05 AM, a diesel unit went on to the border at Bayerisch Eisenstein. This train really went through the backwoods, made about nine stops about ten minutes from each other. The train did not arrive in Bayerisch Eisenstein until 10:13 AM. So what was at Bayerisch Eisenstein? It was a border town on the German side, and right at the same station was the Czech border, known as Železná Ruda-Alžbětín. You had to have your passport ready for stamping back then as the Czech Republic was neither in the European Union nor a Schengen member. Also, then as now, they did not use the Euro. So changing money was necessary. I think the exchange rate then was 21 Koruna to 1 DM. The smallest coin was the 10 Heller, then the 20 and 50 Heller, then 1 Koruna, 2 Koruna, 5, 10 and so on. Bills were 20, 50, 100, 200, 500. Please refer to XE.com in case I cannot otherwise provide an equivalent in Dollars, Mark or Euro. Back then the Czech Republic was inexpensive compared to Germany. Even the train fare. But somehow you get what you pay for, likely in speed and comfort.I bought a single fare ticket to Prague at the Zelezna Ruda station on the Czech side, paying in Koruna. I think it was 75 Koruna then, as today it costs 110 Koruna.

The train left about 11:08 AM, and arrived in Plzen about 1:10 PM. For a distance of 60 miles, it must have gone an average of 30 mph, unelectrified, windy and slow up to Klatovy, and then fairly straight, medium-fast and electrified the rest of the way. Plzen Hlavní Nádrazí (central station) has an interesting dome. At Plzen, I made a quick shopping journey to a grocery store along Americká called the Maxi Hit. I bought some beer and Slivovitz - the real good plum brandy.

When I arrived back at the Plzen station, I found that the regular train to Prague was delayed. I had my radio with me, and there was a BBC English broadcast on. Apparently it was Queen Elizabeth's birthday and they did a short tribute. Later in the broadcast, one joke that they told was "Why did Donald Duck? Because someone was shooting at him"

I think the train to Prague arrived around 3 PM. It went as far as Prague Smichov. The conductor on the train gestured at me, to take the subway to the town center. I bought a 24 hour subway/bus ticket, I think for 70 Koruna, and stamped it at Smíchovské nádrazí, and went to my hostel at Karlovo námestí and on the street Na Zborencí. Back then it was owned by the Czech chapter of Hostelling International. Google maps still shows the big "Na Zborenci" sign in the alleyway where it remains. The room was cheap but there was no breakfast served on Sundays. And, I would find out later, that the room I was in, was co-ed, something I was not used to in a dorm room in a hostel.

I dropped off my luggage at my bedside in the hostel, then took the subway at Karlovo Namesti to Staromestska, the old part of Prague, changing at Mustek. At Staromestska is the clock tower, the Chram Matky, and next door is the Josefov, the Jewish Quarter. The museums were closed that day so I could only walk around. I returned in 2006 to visit one of the synagogues and I still have the kippa. I took the Metro across the Vlatva river, and took a tram to Malostranské náměstí, the west side of Charles Bridge. It is a strictly pedestrian bridge, apparently a popular tourist attraction in itself. I have a selfie of being on that bridge in a red and white sweater, as Prague was a bit chilly, around the low 60s for temperatures. When I arrived on the east side, I found a store that sold hats, and that is where I bought that red-white-and-green striped hat. I think it is about a foot high, and yes, it is probably the silliest hat I ever owned. On 24th July 1998 I took a selfie of myself, yes, with that hat! I did not know blacklight theater back in 1998, though my next visit February 2006 I went to a show - albeit medicated - at the Image Black Light Theater, was very interesting and in the back rows it was optically amazing.

I was hungry and then looked for a place to have supper. Closer to the clock tower, the offers were a bit out of my price range. So I went to Staromestska. There was an interesting restaurant called the "Studentska Satlava" or "Student Jail". Apparently it was in the same building as where the writer Franz Kafka was born. They had excellent deals for supper, including dark locally produced beer. I had the sausage, chop and dumpling plate. Gosh that was good. Once that was done, I took the metro back to Karlovo Namesti, and went to bed. In the morning I had to check out, take my luggage to Karlovo Namesti and further on to Hlavni Nadrazi. I had a quick breakfast at what is now the CrossCafe. There were lockers in Hlavni Nadrazi to place luggage. Lockers were interesting as you could choose the combination with four dials. You would retrieve your luggage by picking the same dial positions.

I had not been to Vysehrad. There is a canyon between Vysehrad and I P Pavlova and the metro travels along the auto bridge. At Vysehrad there is a good view of Prague, also the Police Museum. I went shopping at the Budejovicka shopping center. It was open on Sunday, bought peanut flips, beer and slivovitz at the store because it was so cheap. I took the metro to I P Pavlova and a tram back to Staromestska, bearing in mind that I had to return to Hlavni Nadrazi by 12:30 to catch the train to Munich through Plzen, Zelezna Ruda, Bayerisch Eisenstein, and Plattling. I bought a ticket to Zelezna Ruda.

At 1 PM, the train left Praha Hlavni Nadrazi. I was in a second class compartment, where there were eight seats to a compartment, four on each side. In Germany, normally the same size would be for just six people in total. The compartment was not air conditioned, and it was okay as the temperatures were not expected to exceed the mid 70s that day. The train ride went without any extraordinary event up to Plzen. I had to find a post office to send a postcard, and I almost missed the connection from Plzen to Klatovy and Zelezna Ruda. At Klatovy I had to change to a very old diesel carriage, class 131, and to open the windows, you had to crank them up or down.

By the time the train reached Zelezna Ruda, about 6:50 PM, the lady at the sales hut was about to close. I made a few last minute purchases before crossing into Germany. The snack bar was crummy on the German side at Bayerisch Eisenstein so I thought I would wait until I arrived at Plattling for some food. Did not work out too well. The German customs stamped my passport and did not look at my bag of slivovitz and beer. The diesel train from Bayerisch Eisenstein arrived at Plattling about 8:45 PM, and there was not much time to get anything of value at the snack bar there.

The train to Munich arrived around 9:30 so I had to take my snack to go. The sun was about to set, and it was raining in the distance. In the sky was an interesting effect. I arrived home in Munich around 11 PM, I entered very quietly. I was not told about any alarm clock issues (see w/e 31 July - 2 August 1998), and the next morning I went to work on time, and at lunch I had some interesting stories to tell my work colleagues and I mentioned the striped hat.

Next adventure, Salzburg and the Berchtesgaden Salzbergwerk, weekend of 20th and 21st June 1998. Servus und Gute Nacht!

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tonberry-yoda · 1 year

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You won't believe this but my parents are musical fans too!

What's your favourite musical?

My mom's favourite is a Hungarian one titled Elisabeth, it's about Franz Josef's wife falling in love with death. When she was a dancer in theater she always wanted to be in this musical as a "death-dancer" (dancers who always danced when Death appeared)

My dad's favourite is Elisabeth too, Les Miserable and Jesus Christ Superstar. He loves to sing the songs from these randomly.

OMFG IVE NEVER HEARD OF THOSE MUSICALS THAT YOUR MOM LIKES BUT OMFG SHE HAS GOOD TASTE THOSE SOUND SO GOOD!!! And your dad has some great taste as well lolol

But seriously, your parents sound awesome fr

The musical I was most recently in was Legally Blonde and that was so much fun!!!

My favorite musical tho has to be Little Shop of Horrors. I grew up listening to it and watching the movie and I wanna play Audrey so bad or one of the doowop girls T^T

I also just recently got into a musical called Ride the Cyclone and OMFG ITS SO GOOD! Literally becoming my fav fr

But yeah, I love musicals sm

#tonberry answers #asks #<3

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sartorialadventure · 3 years

Photo

A ferronnière [fɛʁ.ɔn.jɛʁ] is a style of headband that encircles the wearer's forehead, usually with a small jewel suspended in the centre. The original form of the headband was worn in late fifteenth-century Italy, and was rechristened a ferronnière at the time of its revival in the second quarter of the nineteenth century for both day and (more frequently) formal and evening wear.

The original ornament that later became called a ferronnière was popular in 15th-century Italy, where it could be made from metal or jewels.

The nineteenth-century ferronnière was worn from the late 1820s to the early 1840s, when it was considered to enhance a high forehead, and by the 1850s, it had fallen out of fashion. One contemporary source from 1831 describes the ferronnière as "a small plait of hair, adorned in the centre of the forehead by a large brilliant, from which depends another brilliant of the pear shape." It has been described as one of the most widely worn examples of historicism in early Victorian fashion, worn as a tribute to the Renaissance alongside beaded belts called cordelières inspired by medieval clothing and hairstyles named after historic women such as Agnès Sorel and Blanche of Castile. The ferronnière could be worn for either day or evening. Alternative terms for similar ornaments were the bandelette and the tour de tête.

The term “ferronnière“ originates in 1831, and is believed to come from a 1490s portrait attributed to the school of Leonardo da Vinci, erroniously called the La belle ferronnière since the 18th century. “Ferronnière” is the feminine form of the word for “ironmonger” (in this case, referring to the wife of an ironmonger.

1. Portrait of Natalia Pushkina by Alexander Brullov, 1831-2 2. La belle ferronnière, school of Leonardo da Vinci, 1490-96 3. Portrait of the Marquise Chasseloup-Laubat, Joseph-Désiré Court, 1831 4. Lilian Russell 5. Théodolinde de Beauharnais, Princess of Leuchtenberg, 1840 6. Mary of Bavaria, Queen of Saxony 7. Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, Portrait of Charlotte de Rothschild, 1836 8. Francois Joseph Kinsoen (Kinson), Portrait of a Lady, 1810-15 9. Portrait of Archduchess Sophie of Austria, neé Princess of Bavaria, mother of Kaiser Franz Josef. 1820′s

#fashion #jewelry #hair ornaments #ferroniere #renaissance #renaissance fashion #19th century #19th century fashion #1830s #1830s fashion #1830s hair #thanks to a commenter for reminding me of the name for this!

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deriensgermanlitblog · 3 years

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10 Interesting German Novels

1. Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum) by Gunter Grass

Born in 1924, Matzerath decided at the age of three to stop growing, retaining the stature of a child whilst having an adult’s capacity for thought. Nobel Prize-winning author Günter Grass’ most famous novel is not the easiest of reads, but it is definitely worth the effort. The book “most completely defines the [20th century] in all its glories and catastrophes – the moods, atmospheres, manias, streams, currents, histories and under-histories.” (Britannic.com)

2. Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann

Buddenbrooks is a 1901 novel by Thomas Mann, chronicling the decline of a wealthy north German merchant family over the course of four generations, incidentally portraying the manner of life and mores of the Hanseatic bourgeoisie in the years from 1835 to 1877. (Wikipedia.com)

3. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

The book centers on a boy, Bastian Balthazar Bux, an overweight and strange child who is neglected by his father after the death of Bastian's mother. While escaping from some bullies, Bastian bursts into the antiquarian book store of Carl Conrad Coreander, where he finds his interest held by a book called The Neverending Story. Unable to resist, he steals the book and hides in his school's attic, where he begins to read. (Wikipedia.com)

4. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental stress during the war, and the detachment from civilian life felt by many of these soldiers upon returning home from the front. (Wikipedia.com)

5. Perfume: The Story of a murderer by Patrick Suskind

In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift—an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille’s genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with other smells like the scent of a beautiful young virgin. (Amazon.com)

6. The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johan Wolfgang van Goethe

Written in diary form, it tells the tale of an unhappy, passionate young man hopelessly in love with Charlotte, the wife of a friend - a man who he alternately admires and detests. (Goodreads.com)

7. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

It is the story of the quest of Siddhartha, a wealthy Indian Brahmin who casts off a life of privilege and comfort to seek spiritual fulfillment and wisdom. On his journey, Siddhartha encounters wandering ascetics, Buddhist monks, and successful merchants, as well as a courtesan named Kamala and a simple ferryman who has attained enlightenment. Traveling among these people and experiencing life’s vital passages–love, work, friendship, and fatherhood–Siddhartha discovers that true knowledge is guided from within. (Amazon.com)

8. Demian by Hermann Hesse

Demian presents the reflections of an older man on his childhood. In this book, Emil Sinclair recounts the various episodes of his childhood that led to a profound change in his Weltanschauung or worldview. Interspersed in and among these tales are Sinclair's recollections of what he was thinking at the time in question and some analysis of why he acted as he did in any given situation. (Sparknotes.com)

9. The Royal Game by Stefan Zweig

The narrator opens the story on a passenger liner traveling from New York to Buenos Aires. Driven to mental anguish as the result of total isolation by the Nazis, Dr. B, a securities expert hiding valuable assets of the nobility from the new regime, maintains his sanity only through the theft of a book of past masters' chess games which he plays endlessly, voraciously learning each one until they overwhelm his imagination to such an extent that he becomes consumed by chess. (Wikipedia.com)

10. The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil

Set in Vienna on the eve of World War I, this great novel of ideas tells the story of Ulrich, ex-soldier and scientist, seducer and skeptic, who finds himself drafted into the grandiose plans for the 70th jubilee of the Emperor Franz Josef. (Goodreads.com)

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archduchessofnowhere · 2 years

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hello! speaking of eugène, do you know if sisi ever kept in touch with or referenced her beauharnais cousins, like the bernadottes or leuchtenbergs? do we know what she thought of them (if she did at all)?

Hello! This is something that I've also been wondering for a while. They did met sometimes with the Bernadottes, but I don't know if they treated each other as cousins. In Valerie's diary I found two mentions of them, first in 1885 in a letter of Franz Josef to Valerie about a visit of King Oscar II of Sweden (Josephine of Leuchtenberg's son and therefore Elisabeth and FJ's first cousin once removed). However I have no idea what the letter said because Richard Sexau, the guy that transcribed the diary in which the published edition is based off, decided to not transcribe it. The second mention is from 1886, when Valerie and Elisabeth were in Baden and met the Crown Prince Gustaf of Sweden (future Gustaf V, and grandson of Josephine of Leuchteberg) and his wife Crown Princess Victoria. The Crown Prince and Princess hanged out with them, Duchess Mathilde (Sisi's sister), and her daughter Maria Theresa "Mädi", whom apparently was close friends with Victoria (Valerie calls her "Mädi's beloved Viki" and also notes that she's very likeable). This is all I could find, but there probably is more.

I don't know about Elisabeth, but Archduke Max did kept contact with Empress Amelie of Brazil (Auguste and Eugène's daughter) even after Princess Maria Amelia (his fianceé) died. He visited her often, and I'm pretty sure they mentioned in each other's wills. Also I read in a biography of him that when he was Viceroy of Lombardy-Venice he tried to imitate Eugène, but I'm not sure how accurate this is.

About the rest of the Leuchtenbergs: Auguste, 2nd Duke of Leuchtenberg married Maria II of Portugal in 1834 but died shortly after without issue. His brother Maximilian, 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg married Emperor Nicholas I's daughter Grand Duchess Maria Nikolayevna and moved to Russia, and for what I gathered eventually this branch loss all its connections to Bavaria. Eugénie (who was present at Sisi's birth and was one of her namesakes) married a prince of Hohenzollern; they visited Munich many times so maybe she met Sisi when she was more grown up, but she died in 1847 and had no children. And lastly Theodolinde, the youngest surviving daughter, married the future Wilhelm, 1st Duke of Urach, had four daughters and died in 1857. I know nothing more about this branch, but fun fact: Duke Wilhelm remarried and had a son, who later married Duchess Amelie in Bavaria, a niece of Empress Elisabeth.

#i would guess that the habsburgs did not treat the bernadottes as cousins because they were *gasps* protestants #but who knows maybe they did. no matter how intermarried your catholic dynasty is you WILL have a protestant cousin eventually #empress elisabeth of austria #archduchess marie valerie of austria #franz josef i of austria #empress amelie of brazil #maximilian i of mexico #oscar ii of sweden #gustaf v of sweden #queen victoria of sweden #house of bernadotte #house of beauharnais #asks

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xhxhxhx · 3 years

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Charles de Gaulle saved the world from a nuclear-armed Germany.

From Beatrice Heuser’s NATO, Britain, France and the FRG: Nuclear Strategies and Forces for Europe, 1949–2000 (Macmillan, 1997), 149–51:

The idea of a European nuclear force could therefore be revived in 1956-8 with the Franco-German and later Franco-Italo-German talks on military co-operation. As early as in August 1956 a defence spokesman in Bonn told journalists that his government was interested in more co-operation with some non-nuclear powers of Europe, and that the FRG fully recognized the leading role of France in this context. Towards the end of the year, the French Minister of Defence, Maurice Bourges-Maunoury, invited Strauss to visit French military installations in the south of France and in Algeria where first agreements were concluded between France and the FRG on military technical co-operation on 17 January 1957. Apparently, nuclear co-operation was discussed on this occasion. Probably in connection with this agreement, the West German government seems to have considered approaching its WEU allies with the formal request for permission to change the 1954 engagements of the FRG, which also barred it from developing missiles, but this approach was abandoned.

Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer seems to have discussed nuclear options in his meeting with Minister President Guy Mollet in February 1957, as he alluded to 'a possibility of organising a Franco-German coproduction of atomic weapons on French territory' at a press conference on 22 March 1957. On a subsequent meeting in 1957, Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Bourges-Maunoury's successor, told Strauss, first, that France was now developing nuclear weapons, second, that Mollet wanted to 'Europeanize' them, and third, that his Government proposed German and Italian participation in this project, both financially and technologically, 'as a partner with equal rights’. In November 1957, Mollet's successor FeIix Gaillard, Chaban-Delmas, Christian Pineau (the Foreign Minister), and Maurice Faure (junior minister for Foreign Affairs) agreed to approach the West German Chancellor officially about nuclear weapons co-operation. On 16 November 1957, Faure and Maurice Couve de Murville (the French Ambassador to Bonn) called on Adenauer to discuss this matter. As a result of Adenauer's encouragement and of similar bilateral negotiations between France and Italy, secret Franco-Italo-German agreements touching on this issue were signed on 20 and 25 November 1957.

The secrecy surrounding this agreement was requested by Franz Josef Strauss not because he felt it immoral or illegal for the FRG to be involved in such an agreement which might have led to German coownership of nuclear weapons. Instead, he was worried about the effects it would have on Soviet propaganda and on the German peace movement and domestic German opposition to nuclear weapons. None of the three partners to this agreement seemed to want to keep it secret from the USA, or, indeed, from Britain.

Strauss tried to bring the British into this project, which would have made it even more credible as the base for a future European nuclear force. In late March 1958, at Strauss's invitation, Duncan Sandys, the British Defence Minister, came to Bonn for two days of talks on 'joint nuclear weapons productions', as one German newspaper reported. But Sandys was not interested in joining the three continental powers at this stage. Strauss persisted, using some 'nuclear teasing’, to create interest in Britain. Strauss told Labour MP Richard Crossman that after about five years' time, once France was producing her own nuclear weapons, 'Germany may well be sucked in too’.

A few days later, on 7 April 1958, Chaban-Delmas, the Italian Minister of Defence Paolo Emilio Taviani, and Strauss met in Rome where they signed a further treaty, the basis for the future joint development of nuclear weapons (warheads and probably also missiles). The warheads produced were to be shared in a ratio of 45%: 45%: 10% for France, West Germany, and Italy. According to Strauss, Adenauer gave him permission to do so, but was himself keen to leave Strauss with the responsibility for the entire affair. The agreement was by no means kept secret.

Do the press echoes indicate that the three partners in the agreement wanted to use them as leverage to gain US technological aid of the sort Britain was receiving? The Eisenhower administration had verbally committed itself ever since late 1954 to making (tactical) nuclear weapons available to its allies. But it was not until the NAC meeting in December 1957 that moves were made towards an implementation of this pledge. The European allies had an interest in applying a little pressure, hinting that if the US should go back on its promise, the Europeans might be helping themselves in a way that was beyond US control. For Bonn, however, this was not the only motivation for the pursuit of this policy.

But de Gaulle upon his return to power in 1958 put an end to the idea of joint nuclear weapons productions, his 'first diplomatic act', as he proudly noted. The Germans sought in vain to implement the Rome agreement. In March 1960, Strauss travelled to Paris for talks with the French Minister for the Armed Forces, Pierre Messmer. He tried to revive the earlier co-operation, by asking him about prospects of joint 'research, development and production'; of what was not specified. Messmer cold-shouldered him.

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unsettlingshortstories · 3 years

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Genesis and Catastrophe

Roald Dahl (1960)

"Everything is normal," the doctor was saying. "Just lie back and relax." His voice was miles away in the distance and he seemed to be shouting at her. "You have a son."

"What?"

"You have a fine son. You understand that, don't you? A fine son. Did you hear him crying?"

"Is he all right, Doctor?"

"Of course he is all right."

"Please let me see him."

"You'll see him in a moment."

"You are certain he is all right?"

"I am quite certain."

"Is he still crying?"

"Try to rest. There is nothing to worry about."

"Why has he stopped crying, Doctor? What happened?"

"Don't excite yourself, please. Everything is normal."

"I want to see him. Please let me see him."

"Dear lady," the doctor said, patting her hand. "You have a fine strong healthy child. Don't you believe me when I tell you that?"

"What is the woman over there doing to him?"

"Your baby is being made to look pretty for you," the doctor said. "We are giving him a little wash, that is all. You must spare us a moment or two for that."

"You swear he is all right?"

"I swear it. Now lie back and relax. Close your eyes. Go on, close your eyes. That's right. That's better. Good girl..."

"I have prayed and prayed that he will live, Doctor."

"Of course he will live. What are you talking about?"

"The others didn't."

"What?"

"None of my other ones lived, Doctor."

The doctor stood beside the bed looking down at the pale exhausted face of the young woman. He had never seen her before today. She and her husband were new people in the town. The innkeeper's wife, who had come up to assist in the delivery, had told him that the husband worked at the local customshouse on the border and that the two of them had arrived quite suddenly at the inn with one trunk and one suitcase about three months ago. The husband was a drunkard, the innkeeper's wife had said, an arrogant, overbearing, bullying little drunkard, but the young woman was gentle and religious. And she was very sad. She never smiled. In the few weeks that she had been here, the innkeeper's wife had never once seen her smile. Also there was a rumour that this was the husband's third marriage, that one wife had died and that the other had divorced him for unsavoury reasons. But that was only a rumour. The doctor bent down and pulled the sheet up a little higher over the patient's chest. "You have nothing to worry about," he said gently. "This is a perfectly normal baby."

"That's exactly what they told me about the others. But I lost them all, Doctor. In the last eighteen months I have lost all three of my children, so you mustn't blame me for being anxious."

"Three?"

"This is my fourth . . . in four years."

The doctor shifted his feet uneasily on the bare floor.

"I don't think you know what it means, Doctor, to lose them all, all three of them, slowly, separately, one by one. I keep seeing them. I can see Gustav's face now as clearly as if he were lying here beside me in the bed. Gustav was a lovely boy, Doctor. But he was always ill. It is terrible when they are always ill and there is nothing you can do to help them."

"I know."

The woman opened her eyes, stared up at the doctor for a few seconds, then closed them again.

"My little girl was called Ida. She died a few days before Christmas. That is only four months ago. I just wish you could have seen Ida, Doctor."

"You have a new one now."

"But Ida was so beautiful."

"Yes," the doctor said. "I know."

"How can you know?" she cried.

"I am sure that she was a lovely child. But this new one is also like that." The doctor turned away from the bed and walked over to the window and stood there looking out. It was a wet, grey April afternoon, and across the street he could see the red roofs of the houses and the huge raindrops splashing on the tiles.

"Ida was two years old, Doctor ... and she was so beautiful I was never able to take my eyes off her from the time I dressed her in the morning until she was safe in bed again at night. I used to live in holy terror of something happening to that child. Gustav had gone and my little Otto had also gone and she was all I had left. Sometimes I used to get up in the night and creep over to the cradle and put my ear close to her mouth just to make sure that she was breathing.”

"Try to rest," the doctor said, going back to the bed.

"Please try to rest." The woman's face was white and bloodless, and there was a slight bluish-grey tinge around the nostrils and the mouth. A few strands of damp hair hung down over her forehead, sticking to the skin.

"When she died ... I was already pregnant again when that happened, Doctor. This new one was a good four months on its way when Ida died. 'I don't want it!' I shouted after the funeral. 'I won't have it! I have buried enough children!' And my husband ... he was strolling among the guests with a big glass of beer in his hand . . .he turned around quickly and said, 'I have news for you, Klara, I have good news.' Can you imagine that, Doctor? We have just buried our third child and he stands there with a glass of beer in his hand and tells me that he has good news, 'Today I have been posted to Braunau,' he says, 'so you can start packing at once. This will be a new start for you, Klara,' he says. 'It will be a new place and you can have a new doctor....'"

"Please don't talk any more."

"You are the new doctor, aren't you, Doctor?"

"That's right."

"And here we are in Braunau.”

“Yes.”

“I am frightened, Doctor."

"Try not to be frightened."

"What chance can the fourth one have now?"

"You must stop thinking like that.”

"I can't help it. I am certain there is something inherited that causes my children to die in this way. There must be."

"That is nonsense."

"Do you know what my husband said to me when Otto was born, Doctor? He came into the room and he looked into the cradle where Otto was lying and he said, 'Why do all my children have to be so small and weak?'"

"I am sure he didn't say that."

"He put his head right into Otto's cradle as though he were examining a tiny insect and he said, 'All I am saying is why can't they be better specimens? That's all I am saying.' And three days after that, Otto was dead. We baptized him quickly on the third day and he died the same evening. And then Gustav died. And then Ida died. All of them died, Doctor... and suddenly the whole house was empty.”

"Don't think about it now."

"Is this one so very small?"

"He is a normal child."

"But small?"

"He is a little small, perhaps. But the small ones are often a lot tougher than the big ones. Just imagine, Frau Hitler, this time next year he will be almost learning how to walk. Isn't that a lovely thought?"

She didn't answer this.

"And two years from now he will probably be talking his head off and driving you crazy with his chatter. Have you settled on a name for him yet?"

"A name?"

"Yes."

"I don't know. I’m not sure. I think my husband said that if it was a boy we were going to call him Adolfus.”

"That means he would be called Adolf."

"Yes. My husband likes Adolf because it has a certain similarity to Alois. My husband is called Alois."

"Excellent."

"Oh no!" she cried, starting up suddenly from the pillow. "That's the same question they asked me when Otto was born! It means he is going to die! You are going to baptize him at once!"

"Now, now," the doctor said, taking her gently by the shoulders. "You are quite wrong. I promise you, you are wrong. I was simply being an inquisitive old man, that is all. I love talking about names. I think Adolfus is a particularly fine name. It is one of my favourites. And look-here he comes now."

The innkeeper's wife, carrying the baby high up on her enormous bosom, came sailing across the room towards the bed, "Here is the little beauty!" she cried, beaming. "Would you like to hold him, my dear? Shall I put him beside you?"

"Is he well wrapped?" the doctor asked. "It is extremely cold in here."

"Certainly he is well wrapped."

The baby was tightly swaddled in a white woollen shawl, and only the tiny pink head protruded. The innkeeper's wife placed him gently on the bed beside the mother. "There you are," she said. "Now you can lie there and look at him to your heart's content."

"I think you will like him," the doctor said, smiling, "He is a fine little baby."

"He has the most lovely hands!" the innkeeper's wife exclaimed. "Such long delicate fingers!"

The mother didn't move. She didn't even turn her head to look.

"Go on!" cried the innkeeper's wife. "He won't bite you!"

"I am frightened to look. I don't dare to believe that I have another baby and that he is all right."

"Don't be so stupid."

Slowly, the mother turned her head and looked at the small, incredibly serene face that lay on the pillow beside her.

"Is this my baby?"

"Of course."

"Oh … oh ... but he is beautiful."

The doctor turned away and went over to the table and began putting his things into his bag. The mother lay on the bed gazing at the child and smiling and touching him and making little noises of pleasure.

"Hello, Adolfus," she whispered. "Hello, my little Adolf."

"Ssshh!" said the innkeeper's wife. "Listen! I think your husband is coming."

The doctor walked over to the door and opened it and looked out into the corridor. "Herr Hitler?"

"Yes."

"Come in, please."

A small man in a dark-green uniform stepped softly into the room and looked around him. "Congratulations," the doctor said. "You have a son."

The man had a pair of enormous whiskers meticulously groomed after the manner of the Emperor Franz Josef, and he smelled strongly of beer.

"A son?"

"Yes."

"How is he?"

"He is fine. So is your wife."

"Good," The father turned and walked with a curious little prancing stride over to the bed where his wife was lying. "Well, Klara," he said, smiling through his whiskers. "How did it go?" He bent down to take a look at the baby. Then he bent lower. In a series of quick jerky movements, he bent lower and lower until his face was only about twelve inches from the baby's head. The wife lay sideways on the pillow, staring up at him with a kind of supplicating look.

"He has the most marvellous pair of lungs," the innkeeper's wife announced. "You should have heard him screaming just after he came into this world."

"But my God, Klara..."

"What is it, dear?"

"This one is even smaller than Otto was!"

The doctor took a couple of quick paces forward.

"There is nothing wrong with that child," he said.

Slowly, the husband straightened up and turned away from the bed and looked at the doctor. He seemed bewildered and stricken. "It's no good lying, Doctor," he said. "I know what it means. It's going to be the same all over again."

"Now you listen to me," the doctor said.

"But do you know what happened to the others, Doctor?"

"You must forget about the others, Herr Hitler. Give this one a chance."

"But so small and weak!"

"My dear sir, he has only just been born."

"Even so..."

"What are you trying to do?" cried the innkeeper's wife. "Talk him into his grave?"

"That's enough!" the doctor said sharply.

The mother was weeping now. Great sobs were shaking her body.

The doctor walked over to the husband and put a hand on his shoulder. "Be good to her," he whispered. "Please. It is very important." Then he squeezed the husband's shoulder hard and began pushing him forward surreptitiously to the edge of the bed. The husband hesitated. The doctor squeezed harder, signaling to him urgently through fingers and thumb. At last, reluctantly, the husband bent down and kissed his wife lightly on the cheek.

"All right, Klara," he said. "Now stop crying."

"I have prayed so hard that he will live, Alois."

"Yes."

"Every day for months I have gone to the church and begged on my knees that this one will be allowed to live."

"Yes, Klara, I know."

"Three dead children is all that I can stand, don't you realize that?"

"Of course."

"He must live, Alois. He must, he must ... Oh God, be merciful unto him now..."

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igcse-history-revision · 3 years

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causes for the start to ww1

5 main causes

imperial rivalry

anglo-german naval race

the moroccan crises

balkans crisis

assassination of franz ferdinand

imperial rivalry

european countries had built up empires

germany wanted to be a part of it

having a lot of territory made you rivals with other countries

raised tension and hostility

anglo-german naval race

kaiser wilhelm announced germany’s aim for a powerful navy in 1890’s

they had the most powerful navy at the time

britain didn’t like the idea of being challenged by germany

race to build a bigger navy than the other ensued

raised tension & hostility

both countries’ confidence soared

the moroccan crises

at the turn of the century, morocco was its own country, but neighbouring Algeria was under french control and was a big influence on them

the first moroccan crisis involved germany attempting to prevent the french gaining more control of morocco

germany backed down before war broke out

2nd moroccan crisis was when france sent troops to help the sultan prevent a rebellion

germany sent a gunboat to the port of agadir to stop them

the balkans crisis

the balkans are in south-east europe

complex area (many different ppl, languages, & ideas)

austria-hungary annexed bosnia in 1908

serbia - a neighbouring country - was angry

they wanted to annex bosnia

austria-hungary’s interference in the balkans made russia angry

built up tension & hostility like the others

opened the door for possible radical activities like… (speak abt assassination)

Opinion about the empire building and germanys wanting of a “place in the sun”

Theres a moment in one of my favourite shows that illustrates the tensions in morocco pretty well. It's a show called blackadder, and despite being a comedy, they teach some very interesting fthings about the great war. Heres a quote about the germanys territory building in morocco:

Lieutenant George : The war started because of the vile Hun and his villainous empire- building.

Captain Blackadder : George, the British Empire at present covers a quarter of the globe, while the German Empire consists of a small sausage factory in Tanganiki. I hardly think that we can be entirely absolved of blame on the imperialistic front.

This, although being a show in the in the 1980s, shows how some brits were conscious of the hypocrisy of britain restraining and prohibiting germany from creating an empire.

Well we’ve gotten this far explaining the causes of maybe how tensions arose, leading to the snapping point of the war starting but how did the war start then?

Well, blackadder has an interesting quote on this too.

Private Baldrick : I heard that it started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich 'cause he was hungry.

Captain Blackadder : I think you mean it started when the Archduke of Austro-Hungary got shot.

Private Baldrick : Nah, there was definitely an ostrich involved, sir.

Captain Blackadder : Well, possibly. But the real reason for the whole thing was that it was too much effort not to have a war.

Yada yada, this and that, then the captain says

Captain Blackadder : You see, Baldrick, in order to prevent war in Europe, two superblocs developed: us brits, the French and the Russians on one side, and the Germans and Austro-Hungary on the other. The idea was to have two vast opposing armies, each acting as the other's deterrent. That way there could never be a war

Private Baldrick : But, this is a sort of a war, isn't it, sir?

Captain Blackadder : Yes, that's right. You see, there was a tiny flaw in the plan.

Private Baldrick : What was that, sir?

Captain Blackadder : It was bollocks.

This, although it was purely written for comedy, illustrates what happened pretty well. But no, how did the war start?

Well, the immediate cause for World War 1 was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his pregnant wife Sophie in Sarajevo on 28th June 1914. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was the nephew of Emperor Franz Josef, and heir to the throne of Austria and Hungary. The assassination was planned by a Serbian terrorist group called The Black Hand and the man who shot Franz Ferdinand and his wife was a Bosnian revolutionary named Gavrilo Princip.

Because of this, Austria-Hungary threatened war on Serbia. Germany sided by Austria-Hungary, while Russia sided with the Serbians.

One month after the Archduke’s assassination- on July 28 1914- Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia with the backing of Germany. Germany then declared war on Russia on August 1, and on France on August 3.

On the 4th of August, 1914, the German troops marched on France and the route they took went through Belgium. Since Britain was allied with Belgium, they saw this as an act of aggression, and immediately declared war on Germany.

#ww1 #gcse #igcse #history revision #history #legsp0

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multiverseforger · 3 years

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Born in Milbury House in Victorian London, Nathaniel Essex was the son of Admiral Erasmus Essex and his wife Mary Essex. Earning a full scholarship to the University of Oxford, Essex becomes a biologist in 1859 and married his wife Rebecca. A contemporary of Charles Darwin, Essex becomes highly interested in theories and research regarding evolution and "survival of the fittest." He concludes that humanity is undergoing increasing mutation, due to what he calls "Essex Factors" in the human genome. After the loss of his four-year-old son Adam due to birth defects, Essex becomes more obsessed with his work. While he dreams of evolving the human race to a greater state of being, he is also frustrated that his peers do not agree with his methods due to moral constraints, arguing that science is beyond morality. His research methods and ideas lead to mockery and finally ousting from the Royal Society and the scientific community. Angry and bitter, Essex decides he will accept becoming a "monster" in the eyes of others if that is what is necessary to achieve success in his work.[2]

Essex later hires the criminal Cootie Tremble and his gang, the Marauders. The Marauders kidnap homeless and neglected people off the streets of London as test subjects for Essex's experiments, including a man named Daniel Summers (an ancestor of the X-Man Scott Summers AKA Cyclops). Two years after Adam's death, the Marauders awaken the immortal Egyptian called En Sabah Nur ("The First One," known in later years as Apocalypse), whom Essex believes is the first of a new race of mutant humans. Holding similar beliefs regarding "survival of the fittest", the mutant villain Nur offers an alliance in order to aid Essex's research.[2]

Cyclops and Phoenix, heroes from the future, arrive via time travel to stop Nur from conquering 19th century England, though they also hope to find a way to prevent Dr. Essex's future transformation into Mr. Sinister. Nur defeats Cyclops and Phoenix, leaving them for Essex to experiment on. Phoenix explains to Essex that continuing his work with Nur will lead to worldwide destruction. Sensing truth in her words, Essex decides to leave behind his research and dedicate his life to family instead, as his wife Rebecca is pregnant once again. Unknown to him, Rebecca Essex investigates his lab and is shocked to discover imprisoned human test subjects and the remains of their son being experimented on. Freeing the prisoners and reburying her son, the strain and stress evidently cause Rebecca to go into premature labor. When Nathaniel arrives to explain he is leaving behind his unorthodox research, he finds that the unborn child has died in stillbirth and Rebecca is now dying as well. Nathaniel asks for forgiveness, but Rebecca refuses, saying with her dying breath, "To me, you are... utterly… and contemptibly… sinister!" Following Rebecca's death, Essex allies with En Sabah Nur, becoming the villain's first "prelate." Using alien technology at his disposal, Apocalypse subjects Essex to a painful genetic transformation, turning him into an ageless being with chalk-white skin and gifting him with a form of telekinesis. When En Sabah Nur tells the transformed scientist to shed his past identity and choose another, Essex decides he will now be "Sinister."[2] While claiming his humanity has now been carved out of him, Essex continues to carry Rebecca's photo until 1882.[2]

Another encounter with Cyclops convinces Sinister that the hero knows him from the future. Cyclops and Jean Grey then leave before Sinister can get further answers. When Apocalypse demands Sinister create a deadly plague that they can unleash on Earth, the scientist refuses, arguing that cruelty without purpose is ignorance, thus the enemy of science. Appreciating that Sinister has shown strength through defiance, Apocalypse returns to his hibernation state but promises that when he returns Essex will be his servant and they will reshape the world.[2] Following the death of Charles Darwin, Sinister travels to America and assumes the identity of obstetrician "Nathan Milbury" (taking the name of his ancestral home), head of the Essex Clinic in New York in the 1890s. There he continues secret experiments on people in order to learn more about genetic manipulation and improve his own biology. He comes to understand more and more that certain people are born with an "X-factor gene" or "X-gene", making them mutants whose powers and abilities often manifest during puberty or trauma. One early test subject is a mutant with a long lifespan named Amanda Mueller. To see how her children will be affected by her genes, Sinister has Amanda marry his former test subject Daniel Summers (who recently became the first of his family to immigrate to America). With each birth, Amanda feigns a miscarriage and secretly brings the baby to Sinister, who compensates her. Seeing great potential in the Summers family line, Sinister monitors the family for over a century to come.

Around this same time, Sinister encounters Courier and Gambit, two mutants from the future. Sinister takes a cell sample from the shape-shifting Courier and is able to implant its genetic traits into his own body, gaining complete control of his form's appearance and allowing himself to regenerate from damage. Before Courier and Gambit leave, Sinister sees evidence that he has (or will) perform surgery on Gambit at some point in the future.[10]

In 1899, Apocalypse emerges from hibernation again and is pleased with Sinister's work, including the development of a deadly techno-organic virus. Sinister then injects the virus into Apocalypse, but it only weakens the villain. As Apocalypse returns to hibernation to heal, he promises to kill Sinister when next they meet. Sinister decides his genetic research must now include the possible creation of a mutant who can kill Apocalypse.[11]

20th CenturyEdit

In 1907, Sinister works at the Ravencroft Institute and employs the mutant killer Sabretooth as an agent. Sabretooth brings him the mutant called Logan. Sinister experiments on Logan but the man is then freed by coworker Dr. Claudia Russell (ancestor of the werewolf Jack Russell). Sinister then leaves Ravencroft and Logan's powerful mutant recovery abilities eventually heal the damage he suffered.[12] In 1912, Sinister encounters Grigory Rasputin and encourages him to father many children, promising they will have superhuman potential. These descendants later include the mutant warrior siblings Colossus, Magik, and Mikhail Rasputin.[13] A few years later, Sinister grants shape-shifting abilities to Jacob Shaw (father of the X-Men villain Sebastian Shaw).[14] It has been implied that during the 1920s, Sinister gave Dr. Herbert Edgar Wyndham information regarding how to map and break a human genetic code, thus leading to his career as the master geneticist called the High Evolutionary.[15]

During the 1920s, Sinister lives in Los Angeles as "Nathan Essex" and befriends radio comedian Faye Livingstone. Realizing Faye's genetic potential to have mutant children, he keeps her prisoner and experiments on her for some time, then one day releases her. Faye never has children and develops cancer. When both her mind and body break down, she become a patient at a hospital in San Diego for the rest of her life, her treatment apparently provided for by Sinister himself, who visits her once a year in his human guise of Essex.[16]

During World War II, Sinister works with the Nazi Dr. Josef Mengele. Others who see Sinister nickname him "Nosferatu." A young Max Eisenhardt (who will grow to be Magneto) encounters him at this time and realizes that Sinister is experimenting on children, then killing those he deems failures or no longer needed. During this time, Sinister sometimes plays a favorite piece by Franz Shubert, and decades later Magneto still associates him with the music.[17] During his work with the Nazis, Sinister creates a clone of the Atlantean warrior Namor, the Sub-Mariner. The clone, N2, is defeated by Captain America and Sinister soon concludes that it's time for him to leave the Nazis behind, as they will soon lose the war. Sinister's research during World War II is later recovered and used by the scientists behind the Weapon X project.[18]

Following World War II, Sinister adopts the name "Dr. Nathan Milbury" again and works on Project: Black Womb with Dr. Kurt Marko (the father of Juggernaut) and Dr. Alexander Ryking (who, like Marko, is a friend and colleague of Brian Xavier, father of Charles Xavier), as well as the precognitive mutant Irene Adler. They conduct research on many mutant children and take note of several families that may produce mutant children later, allowing Sinister to monitor them for decades.[19] In 1968, during the Vietnam War, Scalphunter brings soldiers and civilians to Sinister's new lab in Saigon for experimentation. Sabretooh, working as a mercenary, is hired to find the truth about the "White Devil" and his connection to reports of missing people, as well as the rumors of "monster men" appearing. Scalphunter tells Sabretooth to leave him and Sinister alone, offering money and teasing that he will let the authorities know the mercenary has been killing prostitutes during his investigation. Sabretooth agrees to leave with the money and Scalphunt indicates that he and Sinister will recruit him in the future.[20] Some years later, Sinister returns to England as Dr. Milbury, becoming a professor at the University of Oxford. His students include Moira MacTaggert and the mutant telepath Charles Xavier, who realizes he cannot sense Dr. Milbury's mind or read his thoughts.[21]

Years after Sinister's time back at Oxford, and during the time that Charles Xavier is first befriending Magneto while both are living in Isreal, a version of the heroic mutant Hank McCoy from an alternate timeline (known as the "Age of Apocalypse") enters the mainstream Marvel reality. Known as the Dark Beast, this version of McCoy is an amoral geneticist who worked for years under the mentorship of his reality's version of Sinister. Dark Beast eventually makes his way to New York City and experiments on many mutants, using techniques Sinister taught him. Several of his surviving test subjects become deformed or disabled by their own abilities as a result, choosing to hide underground and join a sewer-dwelling mutant community known as the "Morlocks" (taking the name from the subterranean race of the novel The Time Machine). Years later, Dark Beast's experiments indirectly lead to Sinister ordering the "Mutant Massacre."

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