The Longest Day (book)
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder | Cornelius Ryan |
| Products | Book |
The Longest Day is a 1959 publication authored by Cornelius Ryan that provides a detailed account of the D-Day, marking the initial phase of the World War II invasion of Normandy. It highlights the coup de main mission executed by gliderborne troops, who secured the Caen canal and Orne river bridges (Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge) prior to the main amphibious assault. The book has been translated into eighteen languages and sold millions of copies worldwide. Its content is drawn from interviews with military personnel and civilians from the United States, Canada, Britain, France, and Germany.
Overview
Financial backing and research assistance were provided by Reader's Digest, which featured excerpts in their June and July 1959 issues.
The story both opens and concludes in La Roche-Guyon, described as France’s most heavily occupied village, with German troops outnumbering residents by more than three to one. This village housed Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s headquarters in its castle; Rommel commanded Army Group B.
The book is divided into three segments: "The Wait," "The Night," and "The Day." It also contains a section on casualties and includes a list of contributors, detailing their roles during D-Day and their professions at the time of publication. Ryan dedicated this work to all the men who participated in D-Day.
Research spanned nearly three years, involving over 3,000 interviews with survivors from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, France, and Germany. The narrative incorporates 383 eyewitness testimonies.
Among senior Allied officers who supported Ryan’s research were General Maxwell D. Taylor, Lieutenant Generals James M. Gavin and Sir Frederick E. Morgan, as well as General Sir Richard Nelson Gale. German contributors included Generaloberst Franz Halder, Hauptmann Hellmuth Lang, and General der Infanterie Günther Blumentritt. Additionally, Ryan utilized official documents such as war diaries, reports, and historical records.
On June 6, 1965, Ryan published an addendum titled "More of The Longest Day" in Reader's Digest.
The book’s title was chosen by editor Peter Schwed, inspired by a remark made by Rommel to his aide Helmuth Lang on April 22, 1944: "...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."
Reception
The Longest Day: June 6, 1944 was released by Simon & Schuster in November 1959 with an initial print quantity of 85,000 copies. It was reprinted numerous times and spent twenty-two weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list.
Adaptation
A cinematic adaptation of the book was produced in Hollywood in 1962 under the same title, The Longest Day.
In May 2014, Andre Deutsch issued a 70th Anniversary Collector's Edition that includes 120 photographs, 30 previously unpublished removable facsimile documents from the Cornelius Ryan Archive, and features cover art by Brazilian photographer Rodrigo Bressane portraying an interpretation of the iconic Omaha Beach helmet from the film.
External links
- The Reporter who Time Forgot https://archives.cjr.org/second_read/the_reporter_who_time_forgot.php
- The Ryan Collection at the Library of Trinity College Dublin contains multiple editions of The Longest Day