The Longest Day

To this day, one of the best and most researched accounts of D-Day I have ever had the pleasure to read. I really enjoyed how Ryan put in the effort to research and recount, not just the perspective of the Allies, but also of the Nazis, as that is something you don't normally get.

Most say that history is written by the victors, and that's not entirely true. History is written by the survivors, but historians rarely bother to get the perspective of the losing side without being heavily biased. While it is difficult, it's not impossible and Ryan's historical masterpiece is a testament to that, even including snippets of the work of the French Underground. Small glimpses into what was going on in the German high command and at the local show more level with the resistance show the chinks in the armor that allowed the Allied victory and began the downfall of the Nazi party. The Longest Day is a beautiful narrative from countless records, both Allied and Axis, as well as the first hand accounts of 383 souls that were an integral part in one of the most important military battles in the modern world. A must read for history buff and researcher alike. show less

Have you seen the movie? They make such a prominent statement in the opening credits that it is "based on the book by Cornelius Ryan" that I've always had a mind to read it.

After all, while the story is epic, the movie just "tries too hard" in parts. Isn't the breaching of fortress Europe enough of a plot? No! Movie-goers also need a schmaltzy love story too. Surely the book can't be that contrived?

The good news is that it is not. It shares the "tell a story through a mosaic of slice-of-life vignettes" approach, yet does it with compelling integrity. It is gritty and unrelenting; sometimes poignant, but always authentic. The book's most rewarding and fascinating aspect is how it shows in rich detail the diverse impact of action and show more inaction, decision and indecision - and often just plain luck - in the final outcome of the day. show less

This was another book club read and although I've said that I don't like military history, this book is written in a way that I was able to read and learn and even enjoy doing so. Ryan's research was extensive, but he selected and condensed those myriad details into a single approachable volume. I was especially impressed that his research covered both sides of the

The great thing about The Longest Day is its spirit. There's a feeling of embarking on an adventure. It's upbeat and at times very funny. This is not a gritty human tragedy, it still retains some of the can-do sacrifice for the greater good spirit of its time, being published just 15 years after the event. Cornelius Ryan (b. 1920) was of that generation. It's also a valuable work of original research built from 100s of interview with participants on both sides, including higher-level German officers. Yet, it remains entertaining and easy to read like the best creative nonfiction. All around a remarkable book that easily earns 5-stars for longevity as a classic.

I think people view history as a boring and tedious subject because they forget that flesh and blood people are often the backbone of historical events. People who could have been the reason for their very being. Cornelius Ryan didn't forget that the importance of D-Day didn't lie in how it happened but whomade it happen. In his introduction he makes it clear that The Longest Day is not an military account of June 6th, 1944 but "a story of people..." within a 24 hour time span. The detail and clarity with which Ryan writes about seemingly ordinary men and women makes The Longest Day extraordinary.

Have you seen the movie? They make such a prominent statement in the opening credits that it is "based on the book by Cornelius Ryan" that I've always had a mind to read it.

After all, while the story is epic, the movie just "tries too hard" in parts. Isn't the breaching of fortress Europe enough of a plot? No! Movie-goers also need a schmaltzy love story too. Surely the book can't be that contrived?

The good news is that it is not. It shares the "tell a story through a mosaic of slice-of-life vignettes" approach, yet does it with compelling integrity. It is gritty and unrelenting; sometimes poignant, but always authentic. The book's most rewarding and fascinating aspect is how it shows in rich detail the diverse impact of action and show more inaction, decision and indecision - and often just plain luck - in the final outcome of the day. show less

I'd read this book in its Italian translation in the mid 80s and I'd loved it. The original version is even more powerful, with its concise, clipped and journalistic style, in conveying the sense of history and the ravages of those few days of war that changed the world in 1944. Ryan writes several years after the facts, with the benefit of extensive research, yet his style is that of an "on the field" reportage. The many personal stories that unfold within the larger historic facts range from the mundane to the tragic, via the heroic and, at times, the book has downright poignant and moving paragraphs that make the reader feel the harsh truth of the war in a way less spectacular but more real than movie attempts like the movie based on show more the book, and bearing the same title, or the later Saving Private Ryan. Definitely a must read. show less