Beevor's 'Berlin'

Ryan's book back in the 1960's was the said book to have on the Battle for Berlin. I found his adresse through whom I cannot remember and asked him why he did not cover more on the W-SS divisions 11th, 23rd and the 33rd Charlemagne and the special anti tank hunter units stationed there plus there was nothing written about the unreal fighting of the tankers of the SS Schwere Pz. Abt. 503 which blew away quite a few Soviet tanks in the inner city fighting.......there was never a response. I gladly accept his huge roster list of people noted at the back of his book and am hopeful he interviewed everyone.... ? did he ?

E

 

I hate to think about it but it makes you wonder just did he do that with "A Bridge Too Far?"

 

Some thoughts and opinions about Cornelius Ryan...

Once again, here is a writer who was principally a journalist who certainly intended to make a good living from his work.

However, Ryan was an assiduous interviewer of survivors at a time when memories ( including his own ) were fresh. His great achievement was to synthesize these recollections into strong, coherent narratives accessible to the 'non-specialist' reader. Inevitably, this meant that much of his gathered material was not used in the process of creating a 'smooth' work.

His last work, the legendary 'A Bridge Too Far', was completed while fighting the cancer to which he would succumb, thus not living to see the 'film of the book'.

I have never read any seriously negative criticism of his books. Within their limitations, all three are essential reading for their periods and are a good 'introduction' leading to further research.

They all 'read' well and yes, I like them !

I believe that Ryan's entire archive of interviews and research is kept at the University of Ohio.