Product DescriptionThe unparalleled, classic work of history that recreates the battle that changed World War II-the Allied invasion of Normandy.The Longest Day is Cornelius Ryan’s unsurpassed account of D-Day, a book that endures as a masterpiece of military history. In this compelling tale of courage and heroism, glory and tragedy, Ryan painstakingly recreates the fateful hours that preceded and followed the massive invasion of Normandy to retell the story of an epic battle that would turn the tide against world fascism and free Europe from the grip of Nazi Germany.This book, first published in 1959, is a must for anyone who loves history, as well as for anyone who wants to better understand how free nations prevailed at a time when darkness enshrouded the earth.From AmazonA true classic of World War II history, The Longest Day tells the story of the massive Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Journalist Cornelius Ryan began working on the book in the mid-1950s, while the memories of the D-day participants were still fresh, and he spent three years interviewing D-day survivors in the United States and Europe. When his book was first published in 1959, it was tremendously successful, establishing many of the legends of D-day that endure in the public's mind. Ryan was enormously skillful at weaving small personal stories into the overall narrative, and he would later use the same technique to depict the airborne invasion of Holland in A Bridge Too Far. Not only is The Longest Day a pleasure to read, but subsequent historians, dutifully noting its accuracy, have relied heavily on Ryan's research for their own accounts. In short, the book is a "must read" for anyone interested in the D-day invasion. --Robert McNamaraFrom Library JournalThis is but one of many volumes released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Allied landing on the beaches of Normandy (see "World War II: Fifty Years After D-Day," LJ 4/1/94, p. 110-111). Ryan gleaned the information for this 1959 volume (LJ 11/15/59) from American, British, and German war documents and diaries of the great generals as well as through interviews with hundreds of soldiers and civilians who were involved in the invasion. Besides being a solid history of the event, this is also a portrait of the people who lived it. One of the best books on the subject, this is essential for all academic and public libraries.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.Review"A dramatic, moving masterpiece, a living memorial to the men who died and as suspenseful as the most gripping mystery story." -- J. H. Thompson, Chicago Sunday Tribune"Fifty years from now, the history of D-Day, I am sure, will lean heavily on this book." -- John Toland, The New York Times Book Review"If you have read all the accounts of D-Day or none of them, if you were in the fighting or on the sidelines, you will be spellbound, as I was, by this magnificent retelling of a glorious and tragic story." -- Lt. Gen. James GavinAbout the AuthorCornelius Ryan was born in 1920 in Dublin, Ireland, where he was raised. He became one of the preeminent war correspondents of his time, flying fourteen bombing missions with the Eighth and Ninth US Air Forces and covering the D-Day landings and the advance of General Patton’s Third Army across France and Germany. After the end of hostilities in Europe, he covered the Pacific War. In addition to his classic works The Longest Day, The Last Battle, and A Bridge Too Far, he is the author of numerous other books, which have appeared throughout the world in nineteen languages. Awarded the Legion of Honor by the French government in 1973, Mr. Ryan was hailed at that time by Malcolm Muggeridge as “perhaps the most brilliant reporter now alive.” He died in 1976.Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.Chapter 1PART TWOTHE NIGHT1The village was silent in the damp June morning. Its name was La Roche-Guyon and it had sat undisturbe

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