The Longest Day
by Cornelius Ryan · first published 1901
5mentions
1recommended by
5HN commenters
2010–2024first – last mentioned
20% recommend80% neutral
A clear, well-researched, and very readable account of Operation Overlord as told by survivors. Skip the Ambrose book and read this instead.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Great book! I used to love story format non-fiction books, and "The Killer Angels" was one of my favorites. Also, check out "The Longest Day" by Cornelius Ryan (D-Day) and my favorite one of his, "A Bridge Too Far" (about largest airborne operation in WWII). Just don't watch the movies!
on “Ask HN: What are you reading right now?” ↗…secrecy, i.e. absence of information was the key espionage tactic at play here is not quite right. Instead, the allies put a massive amount of effort into misinformation. Going from memory… In his book, The Longest Day, Cornelius Ryan reported that the Germans knew the location, the approximate dates, and had even determined what signal would be sent to the French Resistance (a particular stanza in a poem read in a…
on “The Unsolved Mystery of the D-Day Puzzles” ↗…checked the Amazon page and all of the two-star reviews follow a similar theme: "In the hands of a writer with a flair for the dramatic and the ability to turn a phrase such as Cornelius Ryan [Wrote The Longest Day and A Bridge Too Far] [...], W.E.B. Griffin, Tom Clancy, or Donald Burgett [Wrote "first-hand accounts" and is one of the subjects of Band of Brothers], this book would have been a compelling read. However,…
on “World War II Battle When Americans and Germans Fought Together (2013)” ↗> In his book, The Longest Day, Cornelius Ryan reported that the Germans knew the location, the approximate dates A lot of the German high command was convinced that the landings would be at the Pas de Calais (the shortest crossing).…
on “The Unsolved Mystery of the D-Day Puzzles” ↗Thanks, just bought it. "The Longest Day: June 6, 1944" by Cornelius Ryan (for others looking for it, there are multiple titles called "The Longest Day")
on “D-Day, as told by paratroopers” ↗