A review by feedingbrett
The Longest Day: June 6th, 1944 by Cornelius Ryan

informative slow-paced

3.0

Perhaps it is the nature of non-fiction literature that slowed my momentum of enduring through the entire book, with The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank being the only exception so far. That being said, Cornelius Ryan has created a historical document, but a document that traces itself like a novel - at least for the most part. Its narrative constant may be the war itself, the setting, and the constant progression of time, therefore characters come in and out of the chapters depending on their given relevance, but each moment feels informative, both historically and emotionally. Despite its length, one is aware whilst reading through that there are portions that Ryan has researched that have been omitted for the sake of pace and ease of absorption, and I don't blame him for it. Yet by the end, I was left even more curious on what more could be dug from the triumphant, tragic, and critical day that was June 6 1944.