The classic account of the final offensive against Hitler's Third Reich -- newly in print for the 50th anniversary of VE Day. The Battle for Berlin was the culminating struggle of World War II in the European theater, the last offensive against Hitler's Third Reich, which devastated one of Europe's historic capitals and brought the Nazi leviathan to its downfall. It was also one of the war's bloodiest and most pivotal moments, whose outcome would play a part in determining the complexion of international politics for decades to come. The Last Battle is the compelling account of this final battle, a story of brutal extremes, of stunning military triumph alongside the stark conditions that the civilians of Berlin experienced in the face of the Allied assault. As always, Ryan delves beneath the military and political forces that were dictating events to explore the more immediate questions of survival, where, as the author describes it, "to eat had become more important than to love, to burrow more dignified than to fight, to exist more militarily correct than to win." The Last Battle is the story of ordinary people, both soldiers and civilians, caught up in the despair, frustration, and terror of defeat. It is history at its best, a masterful illumination of the effects of war on the lives of individuals, and one of the enduring works on World War II.

科尼利厄斯·瑞恩（Cornelius Ryan，1920-1974）

“也许是当下全世界最才华横溢的记者！”

——1973年被授予法国荣誉军团骑士勋章

“站在新闻与历史写作交叉路口的巨人。”

——《哥伦比亚新闻评论》

美国著名历史作家、新闻记者，肯尼迪总统的密友，和巴顿、艾森豪威尔以及戈特哈德·海因里齐等军事将领亦过从甚密。

二战期间，他是那个时代最杰出的战地记者。曾随同美国第八、第九空军参与过14次轰炸行动，亲历了诺曼底登陆，并跟随巴顿将军的第三集团军挺进法国和德国，直至攻克柏林。欧洲战事结束后，他又奔赴太平洋战场前线进行报道。

1947年，加入《时代》周刊，定居美国；随后，开始了长达近30年的“二战史诗三部曲”研究写作。冷战高峰时期，他为追寻历史真相，深入莫斯科，查阅苏联未解密档案，证实了希特勒的确在柏林战役中已经死亡，并揭露了苏军在德国境内的大规模暴行。

在“二战史诗三部曲”中，他关注人的命运，力图再现那些伟大的历史时刻。《时代》周刊盛赞，他以近距离观察战争的眼光和历经鲜血和死亡的灵魂，完成了普通作家“不可能完成的任务”。

“二战史诗三部曲”的出版使他享誉全球。1959年，荣获克里斯托弗奖；1962年，荣获意大利班加雷拉文学奖；1973年，被法国政府授予荣誉军团骑士勋章。

1974年，他才54岁，却不幸因癌症病逝。为了纪念他在新闻和历史写作方面的突出贡献，美国设立了科尼利厄斯·瑞恩奖。