Times of war are among the most trying for any group of people, from the soldiers fighting to the civilians living in the countries affected. The Second World War was an especially difficult period in history simply because of the sheer scale of it and the number of people who died, were wounded or lost their homes. With WWII historical fiction novels, this war can come alive and give you insight into what people were going through, while at the same time allowing you some escapism.
Books about the war cover many different themes. Some, for instance, are about the soldiers and what it was like to be fighting far away from home. Joseph Heller's 'Catch-22' is a classic about a US Air Force bombardier trying to stay sane amid the madness and provided the English language with a new term. 'From Here to Eternity' by James Jones was inspired by Jones' own experiences being stationed in the Pacific at the time.
The fighting brought many risks for the soldiers involved and sometimes death seemed like the preferable outcome. In 'The English Patient', Michael Ondaatje describes how being badly wounded affected not only the victim but also those who had to nurse him back to health. Soldiers who were captured faced hardships of a different kind. 'The Bridge over the River Kwai' is an acclaimed novel by Pierre Boule about what it was like to be a prisoner of war.
Before war broke out, life was quite carefree for many people but this changed as the bombs started dropping. The characters in 'Atonement' by Ian McEwan are only some of the people who had to see their lives irrevocably changed by war. If you're interested in civilian life in London at the time but you also like something different, try Connie Willis' 'Blackout' as well as the follow-up 'All Clear', which involve time travel to this very period.
In Germany itself, civilians were particularly hard hit. Many German towns and cities were in ruins by the end of the war because of Allied bombings. A very haunting book describing life for German civilians is Markus Zusak's 'The Book Thief', which is ominously narrated by Death.
One of the groups of people who suffered most during the war was European Jews. They were killed by the millions in Nazi concentration camps. The son of a camp commander is the naive narrator of John Boyne's tragic 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'.
For women in the war, the hardships included not only the food shortages and having to survive while their men were at the front. They also ran the risk of rape by enemy soldiers. In fact, towards the end of the war mass rapes were frighteningly common, especially of German women by Allied and Soviet soldiers. Italian writer Alberto Moravia wrote 'Two Women' about the aftermath of such an ordeal for an Italian mother and daughter.
If you want to find WWII historical fiction novels, you only need to look online or in your local bookstore. Many of these books were adapted into movies as well and are worth watching if you want history to come alive even more. Especially Sophia Loren's Oscar-winning performance in the film version of 'Two Women' is not to be missed.
Books about the war cover many different themes. Some, for instance, are about the soldiers and what it was like to be fighting far away from home. Joseph Heller's 'Catch-22' is a classic about a US Air Force bombardier trying to stay sane amid the madness and provided the English language with a new term. 'From Here to Eternity' by James Jones was inspired by Jones' own experiences being stationed in the Pacific at the time.
The fighting brought many risks for the soldiers involved and sometimes death seemed like the preferable outcome. In 'The English Patient', Michael Ondaatje describes how being badly wounded affected not only the victim but also those who had to nurse him back to health. Soldiers who were captured faced hardships of a different kind. 'The Bridge over the River Kwai' is an acclaimed novel by Pierre Boule about what it was like to be a prisoner of war.
Before war broke out, life was quite carefree for many people but this changed as the bombs started dropping. The characters in 'Atonement' by Ian McEwan are only some of the people who had to see their lives irrevocably changed by war. If you're interested in civilian life in London at the time but you also like something different, try Connie Willis' 'Blackout' as well as the follow-up 'All Clear', which involve time travel to this very period.
In Germany itself, civilians were particularly hard hit. Many German towns and cities were in ruins by the end of the war because of Allied bombings. A very haunting book describing life for German civilians is Markus Zusak's 'The Book Thief', which is ominously narrated by Death.
One of the groups of people who suffered most during the war was European Jews. They were killed by the millions in Nazi concentration camps. The son of a camp commander is the naive narrator of John Boyne's tragic 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'.
For women in the war, the hardships included not only the food shortages and having to survive while their men were at the front. They also ran the risk of rape by enemy soldiers. In fact, towards the end of the war mass rapes were frighteningly common, especially of German women by Allied and Soviet soldiers. Italian writer Alberto Moravia wrote 'Two Women' about the aftermath of such an ordeal for an Italian mother and daughter.
If you want to find WWII historical fiction novels, you only need to look online or in your local bookstore. Many of these books were adapted into movies as well and are worth watching if you want history to come alive even more. Especially Sophia Loren's Oscar-winning performance in the film version of 'Two Women' is not to be missed.
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