Longest Day: The Classic Epic of D Day [Paperback]

 

 

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"The Longest Day" by Cornelius Ryan is the epic history of Operation Overlord, the Normandy Landings of June 6, 1944. Brought to the big screen in the movie of the same title, it will be a very familiar read for many. This book employs a skillful weaving of the big picture with the human interest. Here we get an understanding for the objectives of the battle and the heroic, tragic and humorous incidents which arose during this momentous contest.

The days leading up to Overlord were demanding and nerve wracking for both sides. The Germans were split between Rommel, who believed that the invasion must be stopped on the beach or not at all, and Von Rundstedt, who wanted to let the invasion come ashore and then engage it beyond the range of Allied naval guns. Von Rundstedt based his opinion on what he thought that he had learned from prior landings. The Allies, for their part, had learned from the disastrous Canadian raid on Dieppe in 1942 that any invasion must have the advantage of overwhelming force. They had their own disagreements, such as how to employ air power. Should it be used in a Transportation Plan, to isolate the battlefield, or to pound the German heartland? The Germans had the disadvantage of having to defend the whole shoreline, while the Allies could choose where to direct their fury. The German Atlantic Wall of mines, barbed wire, gun encasements, "Rommel Asparagras", beach obstacles and other impedimenta presented a daunting front to the Allies and strained the productive capacity of the Reich. The Allies maximized their advantage through Operation Fortitude, the faux army commanded by Patton aimed at Calais. Still they had their own cases of the jitters, such as when a popular British crossword puzzle writer used several Overlord related words in the weeks leading up to the invasion. The final uncontrollable was the weather, which forced a one day delay and almost scrubbed the landings.

The complexity of the operation boggles the mind. The weeks of air bombardment, the parachute drops to secure causeways and crossroads behind the beaches, gliders to bring in more troops and heavier equipment, naval bombardment followed by the amphibious assaults on five Norman beaches had to be timed to the moon and tide. Considering the scope of the operation, the missed drop zones, the landings on the wrong beach, the assault on abandoned fortifications at Pointe du Hoc, and the other snafus are understandable.

A reader can get these big stories from many sources. What makes this book unique is the human touch, the narration of stories that we remember from the movie. We read about Pvt. Arthur B. "Dutch" Schultz, of the 82nd Airborne who really did win a wad in a crap game and then decide to lose it all, the troops who landed in the heart of Ste. Mare Eglise while a fire was being fought, including Pvt. John Steele of the 82nd who did get caught on the steeple and the chaplain who did dive five times to find his mass kit in the flooded drop zone, just to mention a few.

This is an interesting read for its human interest value. For anyone wanting an understanding of D-Day, it is essential. This and Stephen Ambrose's "D-Day" (see my Amazon review) are the two leading works available in English. The frequency with which Ambrose quotes Ryan gives testimony to the value of "The Longest Day" as a definitive historical source.

Mr Ryan does a masterful job of telling the thrilling and personall story of the "day of days" June 6th 1944, the allied assault on Normandy by the British, Canadiens, and Americans. I read the book when I was in high school many years ago and it was just as enjoyable when I re-read it recently. The story of the greatest amphibious assault in the history of the world as seen through the eyes and memroies of so many men on both sides make it a book that can not be put down. As we celebrated the 60th aniversary of this world changing battle that was the beginning of the end of Nazi Europe this past June it was only fitting that we read this classic tale again. Oh yes, it is still better than the movie.

In the entire breadth and length of world history, few events stir the imagination and possess one's profound interest like World War II. It is probably because, had it not been a so tragic and so real of a war, it would have made for tremendous cinema. Never in this world's history has so much been at stake in an armed conflict; and never has there been a war with so many highs and lows, with mind-boggling twists and more drama and tension than 1000 movies. The early tragic days of war, like Germany's 'blitzkrieg' (lightning war) assault on France were tempered by the minor miracles such as the dramatic Allied escape at Dunkirk. The unstoppable force of Rommel's AfrikaCorps conquering of North Africa was soon offset by Britain's dramatic victory and El Alamein and General Patton's dogged quest to push Rommel right out of the African continent. These two examples barely scratch the surface of stories in just the European Theater of World War II (Japan's Pacific War is a whole different set of drama and heroics).

Noted historian, Cornelius Ryan, tackles one of the most ambitious, daring, and momentum-shifting operations of the entire war, the massive Allied invasion of France on June 6th, 1944: D-Day! It had been more than four years since the Germans viciously evicted the Allies from the European proper during the brutal conquering of France. It had also been more than two years since the United States had gotten involved in the war. Yet, despite the length of time and numerous operations (including the conquering of Fascist Italy), the Allies had yet to set foot back on Hitler's 'Fortress Europe'. Aside from a failed Canadian invasion attempt to Dieppe some time earlier, no attempt had been made to retake the land and open a second front against Nazi Germany. Finally after months, of planning, the Allies were prepared for begin that 'day of days' when the final step towards freeing the world from Hitler's tyranny would begin.

Ryan brings and ingenious gift of storytelling in recounting the tales of the men who planned and the men who fought in this decisive battle. Instead of attempting a dry, academic narrative, Ryan focuses on the personal battles of the men in the conflict. He ranges from expressing Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower's apprehension and distress over green lighting the mission after having already postponed it once to the fear of the paratrooper who was forced to play dead while he hung from his parachute canopy off a church steeple while German bullets peppered the air around him to the hope of a French family as they realized what was happening and that one day their teenage daughter would end up marrying one of the liberators. The account of how Hitler's advisors refused the believe that this was the true invasion and declined the wake their leader from his nap to get orders lest they feel the Fuhrer's wrath is also vividly depicted. "The Longest Day" is full of rich stories like these.

Ryan breaks his script down into three distinct sections: The Wait (dealing with the preparation and first postponement of the invasion), the Night (dealing with the pre-invasion paratrooper mission to secure bridgeheads and neutralize German resistance to the coming land attack), and the Day (which deals the actually assault). Unlike some historians, Ryan gives a fair and balanced of all the participants involved in D-Day. While British Glider Troops captured crucial bridges that nullified the German counter-offensive potential, Ryan also gives due to the American airborne assaults by the 101st and 82nd airborne divisions. While most of history recalls the bloody price paid by the American soldiers on the sands of 'Bloody Omaha' Beach, Ryan does well focus recognition the dramatic obstacles and astounding accomplishments of the British forces at Gold and Sword Beaches and the Canadian contributions at Juno Beach.

D-Day was the most dramatic military operation in terms of manpower, complexity, and risk ever attempted up to that point. While the war would still drag on for almost a year following the success of this invasion, it was clear to many, including the illustrious Rommel, himself, that Germany's last best chance to end the war on favorable terms was over, and it was just a matter of time before the Third Reich was brutally wiped from the earth. Thanks to Cornelius Ryan, all history buff and casual history readers have, in "The Longest Day", an historical document allows us to never to forget how these men, to quote Lincoln, "laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom".

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5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a CLASSIC - Want to Learn About D-Day, Start Here!!!
Often the term "classic" is thrown around in the literary field without much regard to the real breadth of genre and writings, and is thus cheapened in use. Read more

Published on Jun 5 2004 by Mannie Liscum

4.0 out of 5 stars The Longest Day
The Longest Day is a non- fiction book by Cornelius Ryan. It is about the Allied invasion of Normandy and the events leading up to it in World War two. Read more

Published on April 29 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars The longest day reviewed by a high school student.
I have seen the longest day and read the book. Obviously I am going to say I enjoyed the book more then the movie but I think they go hand in hand. Read more

Published on Mar 3 2004 by Nick Spencer

5.0 out of 5 stars true classic : must read for war/history buffs
I had seen the movie earlier and read excerpts from time to time. I was not sure about the book, given that, we all know what happened at least at a high level. Read more

Published on Jan 4 2004 by Mj

5.0 out of 5 stars a classic indeed
This is a fine, fine read that lives up to its reputation as the classic account of D-Day--and also as a truly riveting read. Read more

Published on Nov 28 2003 by Yalensian

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book but now too dated
This was an awesome book when first written and it's still great to read now. But it's based on research now five decades old and can, as a result, be inaccurate or secretive in... Read more

Published on Jun 24 2003 by bigbrian12

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic Account of D-Day
The first volume of what came to be known as Cornelius Ryan's World War II trilogy, (The Longest Day, The Last Battle, A Bridge Too Far) this 1959 best seller is considered by... Read more

Published on Jun 20 2003 by Alex Diaz-Granados

5.0 out of 5 stars great read
Great combination of fact with a touch of the human drama.

Published on Jun 20 2003 by Matthew Ptak

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Outstanding...
What an awesome book this is. In just a little over 300 pages, Mr. Ryan caught the epic drama and sweep of the Normandy invasion. Read more

Published on Feb 1 2003 by Grant Waara

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the Best
For anyone curious about the invasion of Normandy you should start here. This book is easy to read. It's entertaining. Read more

Published on Dec 22 2002 by KEVIN C. DELAHANTY

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