Cornelius Ryan
Encyclopedia
Cornelius Ryan, was an Irish
journalist
and author
mainly known for his writings on popular military history
, especially his World War II
books: The Longest Day: June 6, 1944 D-Day
(1959), The Last Battle
(1966), and A Bridge Too Far
(1974).
, Portobello
. He was an altar boy at St. Kevin's Church
, Harrington Street and studied the violin at the Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. Ryan moved to London
in 1940, and became a war correspondent for The Daily Telegraph
in 1941.
He initially covered the air war in Europe, flew along on fourteen bombing missions with the Eighth
and Ninth
United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF), and then joined General George S. Patton
's Third Army and covered its actions until the end of the European war. He transferred to the Pacific theater in 1945, and then to Jerusalem in 1946.
Ryan emigrated to the United States
in 1947 to work for TIME
, where he reported on the postwar tests of atomic weapons carried out by the United States in the Pacific. He then reported for TIME on the Israeli war in 1948. This was followed by work for other magazines, including Collier's Weekly
and Reader's Digest
.
He married Kathryn Morgan (1925–1993), a novelist, and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1951.
than had been produced to date. He began compiling information and conducting over 1000 interviews as he gathered stories from both the Allies and the Germans, as well as the French civilians.
Ryan's 1957 book One Minute to Ditch! is about the successful ocean ditching of a Pan American Boeing 377 Stratocruiser. He had written an article about the ditching for Collier's in their December 21, 1956, issue and then expanded it into the book.
In 1956 he began to write down his World War II notes for The Longest Day: June 6, 1944 D-Day
, which tells the story of the D-Day
Invasion of Normandy, published three years later in 1959. It was an instant success, and Ryan helped in the writing of the screenplay for the film of the same name
. Darryl F. Zanuck
paid the author $175,000 for the screen rights to the book.
His next work was The Last Battle
(1966), about the Battle of Berlin
. The book contains detailed accounts from all perspectives: civilian, American, British, Russian and German. It deals with the fraught military and political situation in the spring of 1945, when the forces of the western allies and the Soviet Union contended for the chance to liberate Berlin and to carve up the remains of Germany.
This work was followed by A Bridge Too Far
(1974), which tells the story of Operation Market Garden
, the ill-fated assault by allied airborne forces
on the Netherlands
culminating in the Battle of Arnhem
. This work was also made into a major motion picture of the same name.
Ryan was awarded the French Legion of Honor, and an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from Ohio University
, where the Cornelius Ryan Collection is housed (Alden Library). He was diagnosed with cancer
in 1970, and struggled to finish A Bridge Too Far during his illness. He died in Manhattan
, while on tour promoting the book, A Bridge Too Far, only two months after publication.
Four years after his death, Ryan's struggle with cancer was detailed in A Private Battle, written by his wife, from notes he had secretly left behind for that purpose. He is buried in the Ridgebury Cemetery in northern Ridgefield, Connecticut
.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
mainly known for his writings on popular military history
Military history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
, especially his World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
books: The Longest Day: June 6, 1944 D-Day
The Longest Day (book)
The Longest Day is a book by Cornelius Ryan published in 1959, telling the story of D-Day, the first day of the World War II invasion of Normandy. It includes details of Operation Deadstick, the coup de main operation by gliderborne troops to capture both Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge before the...
(1959), The Last Battle
The Last Battle (book)
The Last Battle is a 1966 book by Cornelius Ryan about the events leading up to the Battle of Berlin in World War II.The book, which was published by Simon & Schuster, is structured as a historical narrative. It is based on interviews with hundreds of persons actually involved, including Americans,...
(1966), and A Bridge Too Far
A Bridge Too Far (book)
A Bridge Too Far, a non-fiction book by Cornelius Ryan published in 1974, tells the story of Operation Market Garden, a failed Allied attempt to break through German lines at Arnhem across the river Rhine in the occupied Netherlands during World War II in September 1944. The title of the book comes...
(1974).
Early life
Ryan was born in Dublin and educated at Synge Street CBSSynge Street CBS
Synge Street CBS is a Christian Brothers School in Dublin 8, Ireland. It was founded in 1864.-Primary school:The primary section caters for boys from seven to twelve years. It is called Sancta Maria CBS. It opened in 1954.-Secondary school:...
, Portobello
Portobello, Dublin
In Dublin, Portobello is an area stretching westwards from South Richmond Street as far as Upper Clanbrassil Street bordered on the north by the South Circular Road and on the south by the Grand Canal....
. He was an altar boy at St. Kevin's Church
St. Kevin's Church, Harrington Street, Dublin
St. Kevin's Church opened in Harrington St., Dublin, in 1872 to serve the Roman Catholic parish of St. Kevin, which had been split from St. Catherine's in 1855. It was named after the nearby St...
, Harrington Street and studied the violin at the Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. Ryan moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1940, and became a war correspondent for The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
in 1941.
He initially covered the air war in Europe, flew along on fourteen bombing missions with the Eighth
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
and Ninth
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF), and then joined General George S. Patton
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
's Third Army and covered its actions until the end of the European war. He transferred to the Pacific theater in 1945, and then to Jerusalem in 1946.
Ryan emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1947 to work for TIME
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, where he reported on the postwar tests of atomic weapons carried out by the United States in the Pacific. He then reported for TIME on the Israeli war in 1948. This was followed by work for other magazines, including Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
and Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
.
He married Kathryn Morgan (1925–1993), a novelist, and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1951.
Career
On a trip to Normandy in 1949 Ryan became interested in telling a more complete story of Operation OverlordOperation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
than had been produced to date. He began compiling information and conducting over 1000 interviews as he gathered stories from both the Allies and the Germans, as well as the French civilians.
Ryan's 1957 book One Minute to Ditch! is about the successful ocean ditching of a Pan American Boeing 377 Stratocruiser. He had written an article about the ditching for Collier's in their December 21, 1956, issue and then expanded it into the book.
In 1956 he began to write down his World War II notes for The Longest Day: June 6, 1944 D-Day
The Longest Day (book)
The Longest Day is a book by Cornelius Ryan published in 1959, telling the story of D-Day, the first day of the World War II invasion of Normandy. It includes details of Operation Deadstick, the coup de main operation by gliderborne troops to capture both Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge before the...
, which tells the story of the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
Invasion of Normandy, published three years later in 1959. It was an instant success, and Ryan helped in the writing of the screenplay for the film of the same name
The Longest Day (film)
The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
. Darryl F. Zanuck
Darryl F. Zanuck
Darryl Francis Zanuck was an American producer, writer, actor, director and studio executive who played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of its longest survivors...
paid the author $175,000 for the screen rights to the book.
His next work was The Last Battle
The Last Battle (book)
The Last Battle is a 1966 book by Cornelius Ryan about the events leading up to the Battle of Berlin in World War II.The book, which was published by Simon & Schuster, is structured as a historical narrative. It is based on interviews with hundreds of persons actually involved, including Americans,...
(1966), about the Battle of Berlin
Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin, designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European Theatre of World War II....
. The book contains detailed accounts from all perspectives: civilian, American, British, Russian and German. It deals with the fraught military and political situation in the spring of 1945, when the forces of the western allies and the Soviet Union contended for the chance to liberate Berlin and to carve up the remains of Germany.
This work was followed by A Bridge Too Far
A Bridge Too Far (book)
A Bridge Too Far, a non-fiction book by Cornelius Ryan published in 1974, tells the story of Operation Market Garden, a failed Allied attempt to break through German lines at Arnhem across the river Rhine in the occupied Netherlands during World War II in September 1944. The title of the book comes...
(1974), which tells the story of Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
, the ill-fated assault by allied airborne forces
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
on the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
culminating in the Battle of Arnhem
Battle of Arnhem
The Battle of Arnhem was a famous Second World War military engagement fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze, Driel and the surrounding countryside from 17–26 September 1944....
. This work was also made into a major motion picture of the same name.
Ryan was awarded the French Legion of Honor, and an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
, where the Cornelius Ryan Collection is housed (Alden Library). He was diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1970, and struggled to finish A Bridge Too Far during his illness. He died in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, while on tour promoting the book, A Bridge Too Far, only two months after publication.
Four years after his death, Ryan's struggle with cancer was detailed in A Private Battle, written by his wife, from notes he had secretly left behind for that purpose. He is buried in the Ridgebury Cemetery in northern Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...
.
External links
- Cornelius Ryan Collection of World War II Papers - Ohio University Libraries
- The Reporter Who Time Forgot by Michael Shapiro, Columbia Journalism Review