by Cornelius Ryan

isbn: 0671890913
subject: Nonfiction, History, Military
finished: 3/12/1999

Rommel predicted that the day of the Allied landing on the continent would be "the longest day". Ryan's book tells the story of D-Day using anecdotes and reconstructed dialogue as well as statistics and description of tactics. Although The Longest Day is informative and engaging, its style of reporting has aged poorly and overuse of anecdotes sometimes reduces the impact of the events rather than enhancing it. Still, it does a good job capturing the logistical difficulties of the massive invasion, the mindset of the commanders on both sides, and most of all, the heroism of individual soldiers attacking a heavily defended coast.