The Longest Day
June 6, 1944
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The Longest Day
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Narrated by:
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Clive Chafer
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By:
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Cornelius Ryan
About this listen
The classic account of the Allied invasion of Normandy....
The Longest Day is Cornelius Ryan’s unsurpassed account of D-day, a book that endures as a masterpiece of military history. In this compelling tale of courage and heroism, glory and tragedy, Ryan painstakingly re-creates the fateful hours that preceded and followed the massive invasion of Normandy to retell the story of an epic battle that would turn the tide against world fascism and free Europe from the grip of Nazi Germany.
This book, first published in 1959, is a must for anyone who loves history, as well as for anyone who wants to better understand how free nations prevailed at a time when darkness enshrouded the earth.
©1959 Cornelius Ryan; 1987 by Kathryn Morgan Ryan, Victoria Ryan Baida, and Geoffrey J. M. Ryan (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
What listeners say about The Longest Day
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Peter Black
- 23-11-23
Read This
perfect . I am hard of hearing person. I understand every word. I urge all in my situation ...to give this reader an opportunity
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- SEATON BURN
- 13-04-13
Readable, scholarly, humane
In the two generations that have passed since the end of the Second World War historians have acquired the distance and balance from those terrible events necessary to writing good history. Given the early date of "The Longest Day" it is an enormous credit to Cornelius Ryan that he has avoided both partisanship and triumphalism in his account.
His research has obviously been meticulous, but this never causes his prose to labour and he humanises the battle on both sides without trivialising it. Most of all this is an accurate historical account that lives up to the size of the subject - perhaps the most important single day in the twentieth century.
This is not scholarly history in the academic sense, but as a single volume treatment of a momentous battle The Longest Day is as good a book as it could possibly be. And it is an impressive compliment to Ryan's prose that it translates so well to the audiobook format in a reading that does the book full justice.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dan Slee
- 24-02-24
A slightly wooden delivery of the classic story
Ryan's 1958 book of a landmark event was in itself a landmark.
Published just 13-years after the end of the Second World War it moves past a war leader's recollection of maps and dispersments. It introduces real people to the story. Not just a nervous Eisenhower trying and failing to relax with Westerns as the first waves went in. But also the Paratrooper playing dead, the seaman looking on as the landing craft edges past, the French girl cycling in hope to find her parents and the German in the observation bunker. These characters will be familiar to anyone seeing the classic war film D-Day: The Longest Day. But here they are in their original.
Perhaps most affecting was the story of how the news landed. In America, bells were rung, a man of the cloth was pressed to deliver an impromptu service on a train. In Germany, the wife of a soldier in Normandy is admonished for her reaction.
The story is peerless. The delivery and direction put mud on it's cap badge. Yet again an Englishman is employed to deliver American pronunciations on a war history. Employ an American if that's the aim.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Russell Tomlinson
- 02-08-18
Still a great account
Still a great account of the events of 6th June 1944.A blend of personal experiences and the larger picture.Very well narrated.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeffrey O.
- 06-10-23
Great book
Factual and informative enjoyed the chronological order and little known facts Will enjoy to read a continuation
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Christine Marsden
- 27-04-20
Very boring, monotone voice. Incorrect historical
Although my husband listened to the sample, he did not realize just how terribly monotone this reader is and found that the historical details were incorrect.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- cj
- 03-07-24
The narrator ruins it
The book is a great read but this audiobook is ruined by the monotone voice of the narrator. I was going to buy A Bridge Too Far as well but his awful voice has completely put me off
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- tansy
- 11-09-14
You have to give it 5 stars..but
Where does The Longest Day rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Pleased I've got it
What other book might you compare The Longest Day to, and why?
Band of Brothers
Would you be willing to try another one of Clive Chafer’s performances?
no
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Kept me listening
Any additional comments?
We live in the heart of the D Day Landings, 4 miles from Carentan & Ste Mere Eglise...I've seen the movie loads of times, I know the history, individual battles and stories...it's always been a book I've meant to read...so audible releasing it is perfect as I listen to books as I iron the linens for our 4 vacation rentals here...oh boy do I wish you had got someone to read this with less of a Mr Bean sounding voice.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- PAUL
- 20-10-15
Great author but......
Would you listen to The Longest Day again? Why?
No. Great story but terrible narration.
How could the performance have been better?
Narration is robotic and after a ten minute listen will drive you crazy with irritation.
Any additional comments?
Great author. I listened to another title called 'The Last Battle' about the fall of Berlin and it was sensational. This title is of an interest to me but sadly I've stopped listening after one hour because of the terrible narration. Don't waste your money.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Philip Buckle
- 28-04-16
One of history's most decisive events
One of history's most decisive events. Well written and finely and sympathetically narrated. Almost too short
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1 person found this helpful