The Longest Day (book)
| The Longest Day | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Cornelius Ryan |
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | Normandy landings |
| Genre(s) | World War II history |
| Publication date | 1959 |
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The Longest Day is a book by Cornelius Ryan published in 1959, telling the story of D-Day, the first day of the World War II invasion of Normandy. It includes details of Operation Deadstick, the coup de main operation by gliderborne troops to capture both Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge before the main assault on the Normandy beaches. It sold tens of millions of copies in eighteen different languages.[1]
The book is not a dry military history, but rather a story about people, and reads at times like a novel. It is based on interviews with a cross-section of participants, including U.S., British, French and German officers and civilians.
Researchers spent almost three years locating survivors of D-Day and over 700 interviews were undertaken in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, France and Germany. 383 accounts of D Day were used in the text of the book.
Senior Allied officers who assisted the author included General Maxwell D. Taylor, Lieutenant General James M. Gavin, Lieutenant General Sir Frederick E. Morgan and General Sir Richard Nelson Gale.
German officers who assisted with the book included Colonel General Franz Halder, Captain Hellmuth Lang and Major General Gunther Blumentritt.
The author also used Allied and German post action reports, War diaries, histories and official records.
On 6 June, 1965, the author published an article "More of The Longest Day" on Reader's Digest as a supplement.[2]
Cornelius Ryan dedicated his book for all the men of D Day.
The book takes its name from a quote by Erwin Rommel: "...the first 24 hours of the invasion will be decisive...the fate of Germany depends on the outcome...for the Allies, as well as Germany, it will be the longest day."
The Longest Day is also the name of a 1962 film based on the book, featuring many star actors.
[edit] References and notes
- ^ Michael Shapiro (May / June 2010). "The Reporter Who Time Forgot". Columbia Journalism Review. http://www.cjr.org/second_read/the_reporter_who_time_forgot.php?page=all. Retrieved 2010-05-17.
- ^ "Cornelius Ryan Collection of World War II Papers". Manuscript Collection. https://www.library.ohiou.edu/archives/mss/mss020.html. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
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