Best opening paragraph in Wikipedia

[redhen]

Sir Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart[1] VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO (5 May 1880 – 5 June 1963), was a British Army officer of Belgian and Irish descent. He served in the Boer War, First World War, and Second World War; was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; survived a plane crash; tunnelled out of a POW camp; and bit off his own fingers when a doctor refused to amputate them. He later wrote that "Frankly I had enjoyed the war" when describing his service in the First World War.[2]

Apparently he was modest too.

"In his autobiography, Happy Odyssey, there is no mention of his VC and it fell to the publishers to add a special section covering the award."

Edited July 13, 2013 by redhen

[PersonFromPorlock]

"The genus wombat is divided into two species, the naked-nosed and the hairy-nosed wombat."

From a print edition of Britannica, though, circa 1970. Not sure if it's the opening paragraph, but I've long regarded it as the finest straight line in the English language. How Monty Python ever missed it....

[Ashotep]

Sir Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart[1] VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO (5 May 1880 – 5 June 1963), was a British Army officer of Belgian and Irish descent. He served in the Boer War, First World War, and Second World War; was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; survived a plane crash; tunnelled out of a POW camp; and bit off his own fingers when a doctor refused to amputate them. He later wrote that "Frankly I had enjoyed the war" when describing his service in the First World War.[2]

Apparently he was modest too.

"In his autobiography, Happy Odyssey, there is no mention of his VC and it fell to the publishers to add a special section covering the award."

Its a miracle he made it. Wonder what his childhood was like to prepare him for this.