Third Sentence Thursday - The Mad Goblin

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1) Take the book you are currently reading and open it to a random page. Share the third full sentence on that page. (If there isn’t a third one – like at the end of a chapter or a blank page – you can share the third sentence of the book or just choose another random page.) Feel free to share more than one sentence, if you feel the need to do so.
2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)
3) Post a link to your sentence at Words I Write Crazy
4) Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentences!

"It was a lizardlike reptile with a long slim snakelike body about five and a half feet long." from The Mad Goblin by Philip José Farmer

So far this has been a great adventure story. One of the sequels to A Feast Unknown.

Top 10 books I just had to buy but still haven't read

I've decided to give this meme a try. It might motivate me to actually read one of these books.

Meme form brokeandbookish.blogspot.com

To be fair a number of these are Kindle versions but they were all impulse buys nonetheless:
1. Radicals for Capitalism by Brian Doherty - I want to read this... it's just a very long book and I let too many things distract me.
2. The Restoration Game by Ken MacLeod - a nominee for the Prometheus Award. I was trying to read all of the nominees that year... didn't make it.
3. Dreadnought by Robert K. Massie - another big book on World War I. While I've read dozens of books on the war I've always favored reading about aircraft or the more obscure fronts of the war. I've been ignoring the Dreadnoughts for too long.
4. The Political Philosophy of Bakunin edited by G.P. Maximoff - It can be interesting to read about early anarchists and revolutionaries and comparing them to the ones we have today. Bakunin was going to be a project for me a few years ago.... a project that still needs to be finished.
5. The Seychelles Affair by Mike Hoare - Hoare's memoirs of the botched invasion of the Seychelles.
6. Tolkien and the Great War by John Garth - The Great War and J.R.R. Tolkien; how have I ignored this on for so long?
7. The Entrepreneur's Guide to Second Life by Daniel Terdiman - Years ago I considered trying out Second Life. It even has its own currency that can be exchanged with US Dollars. Never followed through, and even today doesn't seem like a good use of my time.
8. A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome by Alberto Angela - Bought this one for a role-playing game campaign I was running set in ancient Rome. Game lasted two sessions book remained unread.
9. Scapegoats of the Empire by George Witton - the memoirs of an Australian officer run through a British military kangaroo court during the Boer War. Basis for the movie Breaker Morant. Love the movie, not sure if I need to read the book.
10. Tales of the Far West by various authors - An anthology of short stories for the Far West role-playing game setting. Looks like an awesome setting, just have to find time to read this someday.

I have to take some of the one on this list that are physical books and either trade them on Paperback Swap (where I'll just get credits for other books I won't read) or I'll have to donate them to one of the local libraries. Might end up being the library since I now take better advantage of the books they store on their shelves so I don't have to. Got through a few books recently (one I have to return by the end of this week) and it didn't cost me a dime. Before going into a bookstore be sure to intentionally look at your library card or keep it on top of your credit card - it can save you a lot of money in the long run!

I've got a new blog up and running. It involves alternate history. New worlds I've invented, reviews of alternate history books, revies of role-playing games involving alternate history. It's just starting out but I have my first post up involving a change in events during the First World War that leads to a victory of the Central Powers. Much more is to follow in the coming months and years.

It can be found at Other Times.

Please check it out, follow, and leave comments.

Thanks.

Book Review: My Ideal Bookshelf

At the end of last year I won a copy of My Ideal Bookshelf from a giveaway on Goodreads. I've finished reading it and here is my review:

My Ideal Bookshelf was edited by Thessaly La Force and was filled with art by Jane Mount. Over a hundred people wrote about their ideal book shelves, filling a page with their thoughts. Across from each essay is one of Jane's paintings of that particular person's 'ideal bookshelf.' I have to admit that most of the people who participated were unknown to me, but I did know of a few of them beforehand.

One page to describe about ten books and why they were chosen to be on that person's ideal bookshelf is not much space. Many didn't cover all of the books illustrated for their shelves. At first I didn't like that - I thought that they should at least explain why each of books were chosen to be on their top list. However, as I made my way through the book I realized that the essays were fine the way they were. They had to be kept to one page, more than that would have spoiled the nice layout of the book. In some cases the best essays were the ones that didn't even describe any of the books on that particular shelf but instead described the general thoughts the person had on books in general.

If I reviewed this book after only reading the first fifty pages I might of only given it two out of five stars, but as I reached the end I 'got it' and began to really like the book. It was also nice on those occasions when I spotted a book that was on one of my shelves. My final review of this book is 4 out of 5 stars.

MY IDEAL BOOKSHELF

Here is my sketch of the ten books that I would put in my 'Ideal Bookshelf' as of January 2013. Included on that shelf are the following:

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook: by Gary Gygax. Dungeons & Dragons had a big influence on my early life. This well-worn tome had to make the list.
Myths of the Modern Age: by Win Scott Eckert. A series of articles and essays about the Wold Newton concept. One of my favorite recent things.
Guns, Germs, and Steel: by Jared Diamond. A great reference that aided me in developing various alternate timelines for some role-playing games.
For Want of a Nail: by Robert Sobel. An awesome alternate history that was written as if it were an actual history book form that alternate world.
Recarving Rushmore: by Ivan Eland. A very good analysis of the Presidents of the United States from a completely different set of parameters than most other rankings.
The Martian Tales Trilogy: by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Classic sword & planet.
How to Start Your Own Country: by Erwin S. Strauss. Great reference book for micronations
The Pity of War: by Niall Ferguson. One of the better books on the First World War in recent years.
The Crying of Lot 49: by Thomas Pynchon. Just the right amount of strangeness for my tastes.
The Guns of the South: by Harry Turtledove. A great story about time travel and the American Civil War.

Paragon City

City of Heroes has only been dead for over a month now and I still miss it. I've been giving the Star Wars The Old Republic MMO a try and it has been very entertaining so far. I'll have to see how group play goes with some of my friends.

In any case, last weekend I was working on all sorts of maps and compiling data for numerous table-top games I'm involved in and I got distracted by a question: Where the heck in Rhode Island is City of Heroes Paragon City? No scale on the map that came with the game, and the zones don't always measure up in game to match the map as well as I'd like. Finally, using Independence Port as a basis I determined the size of Paragon City. Next was finding a place in Rhode Island that would fit its unique geographic features.

Finally I took a thumbnail of the Paragon City Map, made a few minor adjustments to it and then merged it to a random map of Rhode Island I found on the web - the first one I found that had a scale. I got the city scale to match the state map scale and combined the two. Here is the result:

I did have to make some minor alterations to the coastline to get Paragon City to fit. The biggest change was to connect Conanicut Island to the mainland. Worked out pretty good.

Did you ever play City of Heroes? What game do you replace it with these days?

Kingmaker

Tonight my Kingmaker campaign enters its nation building phase. After spending months clearing out the local wilderness the party is finally ready to establish a new city and barony in the Stolen Lands.

Hopefully the rules for developing this nation will keep all the players entertained. I'm a little worried that the system doesn't give characters in different positions more to due to chart the destiny of their land.

I will most likely be adding a Kobold kingdom near the players. I want to add a bit more diplomacy to the campaign. The only thing is they plan on talking with Chief Sootscale and will offer him a position in their government. Inviting in lawful evil NPCs to help rule your kingdom... not always the best idea!

Hopefully I'll be working a few normal encounters into the evening. There are lands near their capital that will need exploring. It will be fun to see how things develop in the coming months.

I'll be sure to post updates, including maps as the campaign progresses.

Third Sentence Thursday - Freedom and Virtue

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1) Take the book you are currently reading and open it to a random page. Share the third full sentence on that page. (If there isn’t a third one – like at the end of a chapter or a blank page – you can share the third sentence of the book or just choose another random page.) Feel free to share more than one sentence, if you feel the need to do so.
2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)
3) Post a link to your sentence at Words I Write Crazy (follow the link in the image above)
4) Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentences!

I'm reading some non-fiction this week.

"Frequently, these respective facets seem symbiotic, if not completely compatible, yet on occasion these two perspectives appear distinct, separate, and irreconcilable." Freedom and Virtue page 79 (near the beginning of an essay by John P. East)

This sentence comes form John P. East's essay "Conservatism and Libertarianism: Vital Complements." It seems to capture that at first glance, especially to an outsider, the two philosophies may seem very similar. However, when one digs deeper many very incompatible opinions quickly surface.

2013 Book Reading Challenges

Yesterday I posted about my near complete failure at the book reading challenges I undertook in 2012. 2012 was a crazy year for me including having to get a new job and taking on too many other responsibilities.

I've got things more under control right now and have a better idea on how to participate in multiple challenges. So here is the list of ones I'll be entering for 2013!

1) the JUST FOR FUN Reading Challenge 2013 over at Goodreads.


2)Book Vixen's 2013 Outdo Yourself Challenge. I'll need to read at least 61 books in 2013 to win this one.





3)The 2013 Ebook Challenge: I'll be going for the CD level (reading 10 ebooks) in 2013. Shouldn't be a problem.


4)2013 Audio Book Challenge: I'll be going for the Married-Listen level of 26 or more audio books. In past years this would have been difficult but with my extra time at the gym and speakers set up in my painting room I should be able to make more use of my listening time.


5) Nerdy Non-Fiction Challenge 2013: I'll be trying for the Dork Level - reading 7 to 10 books form four or five of the categories.


5) Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2013: I'll be careful on this one and only go for the Pike's Peak level (12 books). Last year I discovered I had a tendency to read new books or books from the library instead of my TBR pile.

While it isn't required I list the books I plan to read I thought I'd at least list six that I do plan. For course this may change as the year progresses.
* The Seychelles Affair by Mike Hoare
* More Than Fire by Philip José Farmer
* The Other Log of Phileas Fogg by Philip José Farmer
* Doctor Omega by Arnould Golopin
* Callahan's Crosstime Saloon by Spider Robinson
* Lincoln's Flying Spies by Gail Jarrow

I'll be sure to post more reviews in 2013 than I did in 2012 to share what I discover in my new year's readings.

2012 Book Reading Challenge Recap

READING CHALLENGES FOR 2012
*Reading Challenge Addicts Challenge for 2012

*150+ Reading Challenge for 2012
1) A Feast Unknown: by Philip José Farmer (Sci-Fi/Adventure)
2) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler (History/WWI)
3) The Divide: by William Overgard(Alternate History)
4) Tunnel Through Time: by Lester Del Rey (Sci-Fi)
5) Planet Hulk: written by Greg Pak (Graphic Novel)
6) Gods of Manhattan: by Al Ewing. Part of the Pax Britannia series (science fiction/pulpy)
7) Six Days of War: by Michael B. Oren, narrated by Robert Whitfield (History/Middle-East) - Audio Book
8) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier. One of the two best books on World War I to come out in recent years. (History/World War I)
9) Tarzan at the Earth's Core: by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Sci-fi/Fantasy)
10) The Untold History of the Potato: by John Reader. (audio book narrated by Martin Hyder) (History)
11) The Kingdom: by Mark Waid (graphic novel)
12) Into Africa: by Martin Dugard (History/Africa) - Audio Book
13) Sir Jolly Jingle's Beastly Journey: by Wallace Tripp (Picture Book)
14) Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom: By Robert Place Napton & Roberto Castro. (Graphic Novel)
15) The Red Baron: by Manfred von Richtofen (Memoir/World War I)
16) The Crying of Lot 49: by Thomas Pynchon
17) Forgotten Bookmarks: by Michael Popek
18) Oh My Gods: by Philip Freeman (Mythology)
19) Watson's Afghan Adventure: by Kieran McMullen
20) The Quantum Story: by Jim Baggott (Science)
21) The Other Teddy Roosevelts: by Mike Resnick
22) Kull: Exile of Atlantis: by Robert E. Howard
23) Snuff: by Terry Pratchett (Fantasy)
24) Firestorm: by Taylor Anderson
25) Ready Player One: by Ernest Cline (Science Fiction)
26) The Bloody White Baron: by James Palmer (History)
27) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: by Lewis Carroll (fantasy)
28) The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling (picture book)
29) Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm: by the Brothers Grimm
30) Children of the Sky: by Vernor Vinge (science fiction)
31) Iron Gray Sea: by Taylor Anderson (book 7 of Destoryermen series)
32) War is a Racket: by Smedley D. Butler
33) Coup d'Etat: by Harry Turtledove (part 4 of the War That Came Early series)
34) Brave New World: by Aldous Huxley
35) The Long Earth: by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
36) Space Wars: by William Scott
37) Life of Black Hawk: by Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak
38) Animal Farm: by George Orwell
39) Shakedown Socialism: by Oleg Atbashian
40) Red Orc's Rage: by Philip Jose Farmer
41) A Woman A Day: by Philip Jose Farmer
42) Jesus on Mars: by Philip Jose Farmer
43) Kingmaker Part 1 - Stolen Land: by James Jacobs (Pathfinder Adventure path)
44) Presidential Pulp: by Ivan Eland (Presidential history/Politics)
45) Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World: by Jack Weatherford
46) Through the Looking-Glass: Lewis Carroll
47) The Peerless Peer: by Philip Jose Farmer
48) Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II: by Keith Lowe (History/WWII)
49) Star Wars: Scoundrels: by Timothy Zahn
50) Rethinking the American Union for the Twenty-First Century: by Donald W. Livingston
51) Skull & Shackles part 1: The Wormwood Mutiny: by Richard Pett (RPG/Pathfiinder adventure path)
52) CCH Master Tax Guide: Didn't read this entire thing - but a lot of it for a 80 self-study course.
53) Across The Universe: The DC Universe Stories: by Alan Moore (graphic novel)
54) The Black Count: by Tom Reiss (history)
55) The Dardenelles Disaster: by Dan van der Vat (history/WWI)
56) The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle: Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)
57) Red Shirts: A Novel with Three Codas: by John Scalzi
58) My Ideal Bookshelf: by Thessaly la Force
59) Underground Warfare, 1914-1918: by Simon Jones (history/WWI)
60) Gulliver of Mars: by Edwin Lester Arnold

*2012 Read 52 books in 52 weeks
While I did read over 1 book a week I didn't write enough reviews or post to the challenge host blog. We'll count that as a fail.
*Chunkster Challenge 2012: Striving for Chubby Chunkster level
Reading 4 really large books.... didn't read even one over 1,000 pages - unless you count the Master Tax Guide, which I don't.
*Get Steampunked! 2012: Striving for Geared level
Got one out of five on this one. Maybe two if Tarzan at Earth's Core is included (it did have an airship in it) 1) Gods of Manhattan: by Al Ewing. Part of the Pax Britannia series

*Graphic Novels Challenge 2012
Missed a few months on this one.
1) January - Planet Hulk: written by Greg Pak
2) February - The Kingdom: written by Mark Waid
3) March - Warlord of Mars: Fall of Barsoom: By Robert Place Napton & Roberto Castro.
4) April -
5) May -
6) June -
7) July -
8) August -
9) September -
10) October -
11) November -
12) December - Across The Universe: The DC Universe Stories: by Alan Moore (graphic novel)

*Non-Fiction Non-Memoir Reading 2012 Challenge: Master's Degree level
Was shooting for 25 books -
1) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler
2) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier
3) The Bloody White Baron: by James Palmer
4) Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World: by Jack Weatherford

5) Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II: by Keith Lowe (History/WWII)
6) Rethinking the American Union for the Twenty-First Century: by Donald W. Livingston
7) The Black Count: by Tom Reiss (history)
8) The Dardenelles Disaster: by Dan van der Vat (history/WWI)
9) Underground Warfare, 1914-1918: by Simon Jones (history/WWI)

*Read Your Name Challenge 2012
S: Sir Jolly Jingle's Beastly Journey: by Wallace Tripp
E: The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling
A: A Feast Unknown: by Philip José Farmer
N:
Man! That is the height of laziness. Didn't even look for a quick book for the letter N.
*Time Travel Reading Challenge 2012: Mind-boggling Voyage: 10 to 12 time travel books level
1) Tunnel Through Time: by Lester Del Rey
A couple other books I read this year had time travel elements in them. If I could go back in time I'd change the level I tried for in this challenge.
*2012 Short Story Reading Challenge: Tell Me A Story level (1-3)
1) Presidential Pulp: by Ivan Eland (Presidential history/Politics)
I did read at least one short story anthology for the 1-3 required for the Tell Me A Story level of the 2012 Short Story reading challenge. Got One! Just not a very impressive level of one.
*A-Z Book Challenge
A) A Feast Unknown: by Philip José Farmer
B) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler
C) The Crying of Lot 49: by Thomas Pynchon
D) The Divide: by William Overgard(Alternate History)
E) The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling
F) Forgotten Bookmarks: by Michael Popek

G) Gods of Manhattan: by Al Ewing. Part of the Pax Britannia series
H) Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm: by the Brothers Grimm
I) Iron Gray Sea: by Taylor Anderson
J) Jesus on Mars: by Philip Jose Farmer
K) Kingmaker Part 1 - Stolen Lands: by James Jacobs
L) The Long Earth: by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
M) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier
N)
O)Oh My Gods: by Philip Freeman (Mythology)
P) The Peerless Peer: by Philip Jose Farmer
Q)
R) The Red Baron: by Manfred von Richtofen
S) Sir Jolly Jingle's Beastly Journey: by Wallace Tripp
T) Tunnel Through Time: by Lester Del Rey
U) Underground Warfare, 1914-1918: by Simon Jones (history/WWI)
V)
W)Watson's Afghan Adventure: by Kieran McMullen
X)
Y)
Z)

Didn't do to bad hear. Just that letter 'N' taunting me again. *2012 Picture Book Reading Challenge: Level One
1) Sir Jolly Jingle's Beastly Journey: by Wallace Tripp
2) The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling
Two out of twelve. I suppose I could have gone to the library and quickly read ten more picture books but that would have seemed cheap.
*Truth in Fiction Challenge: Master's Level (5 pairs of books)
Big fail on this one. Didn't coordinate my reading very well.
*2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
1) A Feast Unknown: by Philip José Farmer
2) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler
3) The Divide: by William Overgard(Alternate History)
4) Tunnel Through Time: by Lester Del Rey
5) Gods of Manhattan: by Al Ewing. Part of the Pax Britannia series
6) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier
7) Tarzan at the Earth's Core: by Edgar Rice Burroughs
8) The Red Baron: by Manfred von Richtofen
9) Red Orc's Rage: by Philip Jose Farmer
10) A Woman A Day: by Philip Jose Farmer
11) Jesus on Mars: by Philip Jose Farmer
12) Brave New World: by Aldous Huxley
I might have done a bit better on this one. Didn't get near the 41 I needed. Spent too much time reading new books.
*2012 War Through the Generations Reading Challenge: WWI - Swim level 11+ books
1) The Burden of Guilt: by Daniel Allen Butler
2) Myth of the Great War: by John Mosier
3) The Red Baron: by Manfred von Richtofen
4) The Bloody White Baron: by James Palmer (involves the War and Russian Revoultion
5) The Dardenelles Disaster: by Dan van der Vat (history/WWI)
6) Underground Warfare, 1914-1918: by Simon Jones (history/WWI)
Just needed five more to finish this one up. I know I hit one of the lower levels, but I aimed for the 11+ level (the highest). This is the most embarrassing one since I have so many books on world war I on my shelf and on my Kindle. It is also an area of history I specialize in. Drat.
*The 2012 TBR Pile Challenge
1 - A Feast Unknown by Philip Jose Farmer (COMPLETED - Review coming shortly)
2 - Tarzan at the Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs (COMPLETED)
3 - Frankenstein Unbound by Brian Aldiss (to be completed)
4 - Hadon of Ancient Opar by Philip Jose Farmer (to be completed)
5 - The Divide by William Overgard (COMPLETED)
6 - Gods of Manhattan by Al Ewing (COMPLETED)
7 - The Red Baron by Manfred Von Richtofen (COMPLETED)
8 - Voices From the Great War by Peter Vansittart (to be completed)
9 - Myth of the Great War by John Mosier (COMPLETED)
10 - Tunnelling to Freedom by Hugh Durnford & others (to be completed)
11 - The Burden of Guilt by Daniel Allen Butler (COMPLETED)
12 - World War I The African Front by Edward Paice (to be completed)
Got distracted during the year. Note the unread books involving World War One that would have helped with the other challenge too.
*2012 Ebook Challenge: CD Level
1)Oh My Gods: by Philip Freeman (Mythology)
2)Watson's Afghan Adventure: by Kieran McMullen
2)The Other Teddy Roosevelts: by Mike Resnick
3)The Elephant's Child: by Rudyard Kipling
4)Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: by Lewis Carroll
5)Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm: by the Brothers Grimm
6)Presidential Pulp: various authors
7)Through the Looking-Glass: by Lewis Carroll
8)Gulliver of Mars: by Edwin Lester Arnold
9)
10)
Very close on this one too. I guess I shouldn't have spent so much time reading short stories on my Kindle.
*2012 Audio Book Challenge
1) Six Days of War: by Michael B. Oren, narrated by Robert Whitfield (History/Middle-East)
2) The Untold History of the Potato: by John Reader; narrated by Martin Hyder (History/general)
3) Into Africa: by Martin Dugard (History/Africa)
4) The Quantum Story: by Jim Baggott (Science)
5) Kull: Exile of Atlantis: by Robert E. Howard
6) Snuff: by Terry Pratchett (Fantasy)
7) Firestorm: by Taylor Anderson
8) Ready Player One: by Ernest Cline (Science Fiction
9) Children of the Sky: by Vernor Vinge (science fiction)
10) Iron Gray Sea: by Taylor Anderson
11) Coup d'Etat: by Harry Hurtledove (Alternate History)
12) Brave New World: by Aldous Huxley
13) The Long Earth: by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
14) Live of Black Hawk: by Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak
15) Animal Farm: George Orwell
16) Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World: by Jack Weahterford
17) Savage Continent: Europe in the Aftermath of World War II: by Keith Lowe (History/WWII)
18) The Black Count: by Tom Reiss (history)
19) The Dardenelles Disaster: by Dan van der Vat (history/WWI)
20) The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle: Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)
21) Red Shirts: A Novel with Three Codas: by John Scalzi
22)
23)
24)
25)
Came close on this one. If only I had re-joined my gym a couple months early.
*2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge: read 60 books in 2011 so must surpass this number for 2012.
I read 60 books again this year. I would grab a children's book that I could quickly finish to get up to 61 for this year - but that would be stupid. IN CONCLUSION Looks like I only succeeded in one of the challenges I entered last year. I would have bet on getting through half of them but something happened. What happened is that I didn't want my reading time dictated by random choices I made on New Year's Eve. New books came out that interested me and had be read. My interests shifted during the year. Most importantly I joined too many reading challenges. I'll have to enter only two or three for 2013. I should also get better at posting reviews of books I've read to potentially help others in deciding if it is something they should spend time on. I'll post something tomorrow on the new (and fewer) challenges I plan to participate in for 2013. Happy New Year to all. Sorry about the lapse in posts in the last few months. It has been a crazy end of 2012.

Third Sentence Thursday - Underground Warfare 1914-1918

1. Take the book you are currently reading and open it to a random page. Share the third full sentence on that page. (If there isn’t a third one – like at the end of a chapter or a blank page – you can share the third sentence of the book or just choose another random page.) Feel free to share more than one sentence, if you feel the need to do so.
2. Share your thoughts on the sentence (or sentences).
3. Post a link on Proud Book Nerd's Third Sentence for the week by clicking on the image above.
4. Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentence(s).

"He also asked that new units be recruited from the class of 1915, which need not be trained in the full range of field engineering, but only in sapping and mining." (from Underground Warfare 1914-1918 by Simon Jones (p.36)

Both sides were unprepared for the type of war that would develop. Little training had been given to sapping and mining in the years prior to the Great War, is was assumed that it would be a war of mobility. It quickly became apparent that the old skills would still be needed, and by the end of the war they would be greatly refined and many new developments in underground warfare would take place. French General Foch realized the need for sappers and made this request regarding the class of 1915.