Hey everyone, I'm sure that if you've had a look at my threads regarding books, you'll probably know that I do a lot of reading. Even though I do read a lot, I don't read a lot of my favourite subgenre. Historical fiction, specifically around the WWI-WWII era. As of now, I've read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (non-fiction but definitely worth a mention), The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (my favourite book I've ever read), and I have Catch-22 by Joseph Heller on my shelf along with Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks which I'm about 100 pages into now. It's great so far. Can anyone recommend any historical novels around WWI-WWII era? I'm on the fence about reading The Boy In Striped Pyjamas because I've seen the film four times and cried with increasing intensity each time I watched it. Thanks for any replies. I'm trying to get my book count up to 100 by Christmas and I have twelve to go until I reach my target. :lol:
Ken Follett. His historical fiction novels are brilliant - definitely worth a read, especially his Century Trilogy set in the 1900s (the first two are most relevant for you): Fall of Giants (2010) Winter of the World (2012) Edge of Eternity (2014) He has other world war-based novels too, I should point out.
These may go beyond historical fiction, as they are alternate history, but I figured they would still qualify: Fatherland, by Robert Harris: Set in the 1960s, after Germany has achieved victory in World War II. It's a glimpse into a Nazi society, with a mixture of a detective story. Interestingly, Imperial Japan is still defeated by the Allies in 1945. Unfortunately, Germany also obtains a bomb, thus a peace is reached. It's been years since I've read it, but it is worth checking out, especially if you like little trinkets of could-bes, like what Germany could have been following a victory under the likes of Albert Speer. The Man in the High Castle, by Philip K. Dick: Also set in the 1960s, after the Axis has achieved victory in World War II. This world has a novel within a novel that, amusingly, deals with an Allied victory in World War II, so naturally it's banned in most of Axis-controlled territory. There's also a Cold War between Germany and Japan building up. The Ultimate Solution, by Eric Norden: This one focuses heavily on the Cold War between Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. It tends to be bleak and any moments of hope are, often times, stamped out. But this makes it worth a read, it doesn't try to play nice... then again, a Nazi and/or Imperial Japanese-dominated world isn't exactly nice. So, that's impressive. The Worldwar series, by Harry Turtledove: It's 1942, and the Second World War has been going as it has historically; America has just entered, Germany is in the middle of invading the Soviet Union, Japan is still fairly matched with the West... and then aliens invade. Naturally, this shakes up global politics and, begrudgingly, the Allied and Axis Powers have to come together to combat a greater threat. There are some stubborn hold-outs, but that's to be expected. There are four books (In the Balance, Tilting the Balance, Upsetting the Balance, Striking the Balance) in the first part, which chronicles the war between Earth and the aliens. The second part is three books (Second Contact, Down to Earth, Aftershocks), jumping into the 1960s, and showing the next generation growing up in this world. The last part is one book (Homeward Bound), set in various decades leading up to the 2030s, and it concludes the last chapter in the Earth-alien saga.
If you're fine with some YA, Under a War-Torn Sky by L.M. Elliot is really good, and Soldier X by Don Wolfson is fantastic. In the more adult realm, Jeff Shaara has some pretty good stuff, such as To The Last Man and No Less Than Victory. HHhH by Laurent Binet is quite powerful if you can find it, and The Good Soldier Svejk is essential.
:lol: Your thread title is incredibly misleading. It looks like you're asking if WW1 and 2 are historical fiction. :roflmao:
