Cornelius Ryan

Cornelius Ryan was an Irish-American journalist and author who specialized in writing popular military history. He was born in Dublin and educated by the Christian Brothers. He studied violin at the Irish Academy of Music and was a boy scout. He moved to London in 1940 and became a war correspondent for The Daily Telegraph. He covered the air war in Europe and joined General Patton's Third Army until the end of the war. He also reported on the Pacific theater and the establishment of Israel. He immigrated to the United States in 1947 and worked for Time, Collier's Weekly, and Reader's Digest. He gained international recognition for his journalistic reporting of the US space program and his articles on aviation disasters. He wrote three best-selling books on World War II events: The Longest Day, The Last Battle, and A Bridge Too Far. He was diagnosed with cancer in 1970 and died in 1974. He was awarded the French Legion of Honor and several other prizes for his contributions to journalism and historical writing.