Premio Bancarella
1 appearances
-
Edition 10 (1962) Winner
Cornelius Ryan
コーネリアス・ライアン
Kōneriasu Raian
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1920-06-05 （Dublin, Ireland）
- Died
- 1974-11-23 （Manhattan, New York, U.S.） age 54
- Nationality
- Irish, United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Catholicism
- Residence History
- Dublin (birth–youth) → London (early 1940s–) → New York (after emigration to U.S., remainder of life) → Ridgefield, Connecticut (burial area)
Career
- Occupations
- journalist, author (non-fiction, military history)
- Active Years
- 1940-1974
- Affiliations
- The Daily Telegraph, Time magazine, Collier's Weekly, Reader's Digest, Simon & Schuster
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synge Street CBS | — | — | — | 1930年代 | Ireland |
| Irish Academy of Music | — | violin studies | — | 1930年代 | Ireland |
Synge Street CBS
Period:
1930年代
Country:
Ireland
Primary and secondary education. Participated in church choir and Boy Scouts as a youth.
Irish Academy of Music
violin studies
Period:
1930年代
Country:
Ireland
Studied violin in youth; formal degree information not available.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Legion of Honour | — | — | Government of France | 授与 |
| — | Honorary Doctor of Letters (Ohio University) | — | — | Ohio University | 授与（名誉学位） |
Legion of Honour
Organization:
Government of France
Result:
授与
Honorary Doctor of Letters (Ohio University)
Organization:
Ohio University
Result:
授与（名誉学位）
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Longest Day: 6 June 1944 D-Day
1959 military history, non-fictionA multi-perspective account of the Normandy landings (D-Day) based on extensive interviews and records, recounting Allied, German and French civilian experiences and the operational details of the invasion.
World War IIinvasion operationseyewitness testimonyhuman courage
Adaptations
- [film] The Longest Day (film) / Ken Annakin; Andrew Marton; Bernhard Wicki (1962)
The Last Battle
1966 military history, non-fictionAn account of the Battle of Berlin and the closing months of the war in Europe, integrating testimonies from military personnel and civilians to depict military and political dynamics.
World War IIBattle of Berlinpolitical-military intersection
A Bridge Too Far
1974 military history, non-fictionA study of Operation Market Garden and its failure, tracing the events through accounts of airborne troops, ground forces, and Dutch civilians, focusing on strategic miscalculations and human stories.
airborne operationsoperational failuresoldier and civilian testimony
Adaptations
- [film] A Bridge Too Far (film) / Richard Attenborough (1977)
One Minute to Ditch!
1957 non-fiction, aviation incidentA non-fiction account reconstructing the successful ocean ditching of a Pan American Boeing 377, based on firsthand testimonies.
aviation incidentsurvival accounteyewitness testimony
Bibliography
- Star-Spangled Mikado (with Frank Kelley, 1946)
- MacArthur: Man of Action (with Frank Kelley, 1950)
- One Minute to Ditch! (1957)
- The Longest Day: 6 June 1944 D-Day (1959)
- The Last Battle (1966)
- A Bridge Too Far (1974)
- A Private Battle (posthumous, 1979, with Kathryn Morgan Ryan)
Adaptations
- The Longest Day (1962 film)
- A Bridge Too Far (1977 film)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- reportage-driven, investigative journalistic stylenarrative constructed from multiple eyewitness accountsfact-focused, clear prose
- Recurring Motifs
- writing about 'the courage of man'vivid eyewitness testimonyportrayal of both civilian and soldier perspectives
Health
-
prostate cancer1970–1974Diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1970; continued working while ill and completed A Bridge Too Far in 1974. Died in 1974 from the illness.
Legacy
Regarded as a journalist-author who popularized military history through extensive oral histories and field reporting. His narrative accounts brought WWII events to general readers and several works were adapted into films. His papers are preserved at Ohio University and other institutions.
Archives
- Cornelius Ryan Collection - Ohio University (Vernon R. Alden Library)
- Ryan Collection - Trinity College Dublin Library
In Popular Culture
- Film adaptations such as The Longest Day and A Bridge Too Far broadened public awareness of his work.
Quotes
-
What I write about is not war but the courage of man.
Source: Statement by Cornelius Ryan (from interviews and editorial records)
Trivia
- He flew on bombing missions with the Eighth and Ninth USAAF during WWII.
- Naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1951.
- Darryl F. Zanuck paid approximately US$175,000 for the screen rights to The Longest Day.
- Married to novelist Kathryn Morgan Ryan.