Cornelius ryans private battle with cancer is openly recounted by him and by his wife kathryn in this combination of journals they both kept secret from each other as his disease progressed to its inevitable conclusion medical snafus and triumphs family crises the strength and weaknesses of friends and family alike are all laid bare . Directed by robert michael lewis with peter jeffries jim boyd peter demaio robert elston. A private battle is a compilation of secret journals one kept by connie ryan and the other by his wife kathryn morgan ryan kathryn found her husbands record only after his death we are given the privilege of living the pain and love of these two remarkable people as they experience the finiteness of life cut short and its effects on their entire family. A private battle by cornelius ryan 1979 simon and schuster edition in english. A private battle is the story of ryans 4 year effort to survive prostate cancer in the 1970s as assembled from their notes and tapes by ryans wife kathryn after his death ryan had the drive and the resources to conduct a substantial battle but the technology and medical practices of the