Courtlandt Dixon Barnes Bryan (April 22, 1936 – December 15, 2009), better known as C. D. B. Bryan, was an American author and journalist.

Contemporary Authors Online ''Contemporary Authors'' is a reference work which has been published by Gale since 1962. It provides short biographies and bibliographies of contemporary and near-contemporary writers. ''Contemporary Authors'' does not have selective inclusion cr ...

Gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).Farmington Hills, Michigan Farmington Hills is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Part of the affluent suburbs northwest of Detroit, Farmington Hills is the second most-populated city in Oakland County, after Troy, with a population of 83,986 at th ...

: Gale, 2009. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC Fee via

Fairfax County Public Library The Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) is a public library system headquartered in Suite 324 of The Fairfax County Government Center in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Hennen's American Public Library Ratings ...

. Document Number: H1000013342 Source: Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2002. Entry Updated : April 5, 2001

Biography

He was born on April 22, 1936 in

Manhattan, New York City Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. stat ...

. His parents were Joseph Bryan III and Katharine Barnes Bryan; after they divorced his mother married author

John O'Hara John Henry O'Hara (January 31, 1905 – April 11, 1970) was one of America's most prolific writers of short stories, credited with helping to invent ''The New Yorker'' magazine short story style.John O'Hara: Stories, Charles McGrath, ed., The L ...

. Bryan attended Berkshire School in the class of 1954 and earned a Bachelor of Arts at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

in 1958, where he wrote for campus humor magazine ''

The Yale Record ''The Yale Record'' is the campus humor magazine of Yale University. Founded in 1872, it became the oldest humor magazine in the world when ''Punch'' folded in 2002."History", The Yale Record, March 10, 2010. http://www.yalerecord.com/about/histo ...

''. He was also a member of the fraternity St. Anthony Hall. He served in the U.S. Army in South Korea (1958–1960), but not happily. He was mobilized again (1961–1962) for the

Berlin Crisis of 1961 The Berlin Crisis of 1961 (german: Berlin-Krise) occurred between 4 June – 9 November 1961, and was the last major European politico-military incident of the Cold War about the occupational status of the German capital city, Berlin, and of p ...

. He was an

intelligence officer An intelligence officer is a person employed by an organization to collect, compile or analyze information (known as intelligence) which is of use to that organization. The word of ''officer'' is a working title, not a rank, used in the same way a ...

. Bryan sold his first short story to ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issue ...

'' in 1961. He was

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, ...

of the satirical ''

Monocle A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the visual perception in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens, generally with a wire ring around the circumference that can be attached to a string or wire. The other ...

'' (from 1961 until 1965), Colorado State University writer-in-residence (winter 1967), visiting lecturer

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 coll ...

writers workshop (1967–1969), special editorial consultant at Yale (1970), visiting professor

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyomin ...

(1975),

adjunct professor An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, however the gener ...

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...

(1976), fiction director at the New York City Writers Community from (1977), lecturer in English

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with College admission ...

(spring 1983), and Bard Center fellow

Bard College Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 18 ...

(spring 1984). His first novel, ''P. S. Wilkinson'', won the

Harper Prize The Harper Novel Prize was an award presented by Harper Brothers, an American publishing company located in New York City, New York. The award was presented to the best novel by an "a writer who hitherto had not found a wide audience". A number ...

in 1965. Bryan is best known for his non-fiction book ''Friendly Fire'' (1976). It began as an idea he sold to

William Shawn William Shawn (''né'' Chon; August 31, 1907 – December 8, 1992) was an American magazine editor who edited ''The New Yorker'' from 1952 until 1987. Early life and education Shawn was born William Chon on August 31, 1907, in Chicago, Illinoi ...

for an article in ''The New Yorker'', then grew into a series of articles, and then a book. It describes an

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

farm family, Gene and Peg Mullen, and their reaction and change of heart after their son's accidental death by

friendly fire In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy/hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cross-fire while e ...

in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. One of the real-life characters featured in the book was future

Operation Desert Storm Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...

commander

H. Norman Schwarzkopf Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. (; August 22, 1934 – December 27, 2012) was a United States Army general. While serving as the commander of United States Central Command, he led all coalition forces in the Gulf War. Born in Trenton, Ne ...

. It was made into an Emmy-winning 1979 television movie of the same name, for which he shared a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

. It's also been cited in professional military studies. Bryan died from cancer on December 15, 2009 at his home in

Guilford, Connecticut Guilford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, that borders Madison, Branford, North Branford and Durham, and is situated on I-95 and the Connecticut seacoast. The population was 22,073 at the 2020 census. History Guil ...

Works

Bryan contributed articles to many periodicals, including ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', ''

The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. ...

'', ''

The New York Times Book Review ''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely read ...

'', ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hu ...

'', ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

'', '' Harper's'', '' Saturday Review'', and ''

The Weekly Standard ''The Weekly Standard'' was an American neoconservative political magazine of news, analysis and commentary, published 48 times per year. Originally edited by founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, the ''Standard'' had been described as a "r ...

''. He additionally author the narration for the 1963 Swedish film ''The Face of War''. Books (''non-fiction'')
''Friendly Fire''.
New York City: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1976. Sherrill, Robert.br>"Friendly Fire."
Review of ''Friendly Fire'' by C. D. B. Bryan. ''

'', May 9, 1976, pp. 199-200. Archived fro
the original.
/ref> ::Adapted by

Fay Kanin Fay Kanin (née Mitchell; May 9, 1917March 27, 2013) was an American screenwriter, playwright and producer. Kanin was President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1979 to 1983. Biography Born Fay Mitchell in New York City t ...

into the 1979 television movie of the same name. A

Book-of-the-Month Club Book of the Month (founded 1926) is a United States subscription-based e-commerce service that offers a selection of five to seven new hardcover books each month to its members. Books are selected and endorsed by a panel of judges, and members c ...

selected alternate.
''The National Air and Space Museum''.
New York City:

Abrams Books Abrams, formerly Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (HNA), is an American publisher of art and illustrated books, children's books, and stationery. The enterprise is a subsidiary of the French publisher La Martinière Groupe. Run by President and CEO Mich ...

, 1979. ::A

selected alternate. Second edition included photographs by Jonathan Wallen, 1988.
''The National Geographic Society: 100 Years of Adventure and Discovery''.
New York City:

, 1987.
''Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind: Alien Abduction, UFOs and the Conference at M.I.T.''.
New York City: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995. . Books (''novels'')
''P. S. Wilkinson''.
New York City:

Harper & Row Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins based in New York City. History J. & J. Harper (1817–1833) James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishin ...

, 1965. ::"Portions of this novel appeared originally in ''

''."
''The Great Dethriffe''.
New York City: Dutton, 1970.
''Beautiful Women; Ugly Scenes''.
New York City: Doubleday, 1983. . ::A

Literary Guild The Literary Guild of America is a mail order book club selling low-cost editions of selected current books to its members. Established in 1927 to compete with the Book of the Month Club, it is currently owned by Bookspan. It was a way to encoura ...

alternate. Book contributions * "Introduction.
''In the Eye of Desert Storm: Photographers of the Gulf War''.
New York City: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. / Professional Photography Division of

Eastman Kodak Company The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...

, 1991. / . Book reviews * "By War Possessed." Review of ''Winners and Losers'' by

Gloria Emerson Gloria Emerson (May 19, 1929 – August 3, 2004) was an American author, journalist and ''New York Times'' war correspondent. Emerson received the 1978 National Book Award in Contemporary Thought for ''Winners and Losers'', her book about the V ...

. '' Saturday Review'', February 5, 1977, pp. 22-23. * "Combat Junky." Review of ''A Rumor of War'' by

Philip Caputo Philip Caputo (born June 10, 1941) is an American author and journalist. He is best known for '' A Rumor of War'' (1977), a best-selling memoir of his experiences during the Vietnam War. Caputo has written 16 books, including two memoirs, five b ...

. '' Saturday Review'', June 11, 1977, pp. 36-37. Short stories * " So Much Unfairness of Things." ''

'', June 2, 1962, p. 31
Full text available.
::A

selection.

References

Bibliography * Connery, Thomas B. (ed.). ''Sourcebook of American Literary Journalism''. Westport, CT:

Greenwood Press Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. (GPG), also known as ABC-Clio/Greenwood (stylized ABC-CLIO/Greenwood), is an educational and academic publisher (middle school through university level) which is today part of ABC-Clio. Established in 1967 as G ...

, 1992. * ''Contemporary Literary Criticism'', Vol 29. Detroit: Gale, 1984. * ''Dictionary of Literary Biography'', Volume 185: American Literary Journalists, 1945–1995. Detroit: Gale, 1997. * Schroeder, Eric James. ''Vietnam, We've All Been There: Interviews with American Writers''. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1992. * Sims, Norman (ed.). ''The Literary Journalists''. New York City: Ballantine, 1984, p. 3. * Atlantic, July 1976; August 1983. * ''

Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'', July 1976, p. 93; August 1983, pp. 96–98. * ''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Puli ...

'', June 13, 1995. * ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

Book World'', October 9, 1983. * ''

The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...

'', June 11, 1976. * ''

Commonweal Commonweal or common weal may refer to: * Common good, what is shared and beneficial for members of a given community * Common Weal, a Scottish think tank and advocacy group * ''Commonweal'' (magazine), an American lay-Catholic-oriented magazin ...

'', February 19, 1965, pp. 672–673. * ''Los Angeles Times Book Review'', August 28, 1983. * ''

National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...

'', April 20, 1971. * ''

New Republic New Republic may refer to: Places * New Republic, California, former name of Santa Rita, Monterey County, California * New Republic (Santarem), district in the city of Santarém, Pará Countries * New Republic (Brazil), the restored civilian gove ...

'', November 7, 1970. * ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...

'', November 23, 1970; May 17, 1976. * ''

'', July 31, 1995. * ''

New York Review of Books New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

'', April 8, 1965; August 5, 1976, pp. 41–43. * ''

'', February 1, 1965; October 21, 1970; May 12, 1976; August 9, 1983. * ''

'', January 31, 1965, p. 4; November 1, 1970, pp. 46–47; May 9, 1976, pp. 1–2; October 14, 1979; August 28, 1983, pp. 10, 15; June 11, 1995. * ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'', April 24, 1995. * '' Saturday Review'', February 6, 1965; January 22, 1972; May 15, 1976. * ''

Time magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on M ...

'', February 5, 1965, pp. 112, 114; April 19, 1976. * ''

Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...

'', October 7, 1965; December 29, 1972, p. 1573. * ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'', October 24, 1979; June 5, 1995. * ''Washington Post Book World'', December 27, 1970, p. 6; May 2, 1976, p. L5; August 21, 1983, p. 3.

External links

Boxes in the Attic
("Stories discovered inside 67 boxes of books, letters, photos and other items left to me and my sisters by our father, author C.D.B. Bryan, who passed away in December of 2009") – reminiscences about Bryan by his son, Saint George Bryan. * C. D. B. Bryan Papers. Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bryan, Courtlandt 1936 births 2009 deaths Deaths from cancer in Connecticut American male journalists Journalists from New York City United States Army officers Novelists from Connecticut Writers from New York City 20th-century American novelists Military intelligence Hotchkiss School alumni Berkshire School alumni The Yale Record alumni American male novelists 20th-century American male writers Novelists from New York (state) 20th-century American non-fiction writers St. Anthony Hall