The Castle on the Hill by Elizabeth Goudge, No Dawn for Men by James Lepore, Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian, The Land Girls by Angela Huth, just about anything by Charlotte Bingham, the Oxford Chronicles (trilogy) by Melanie Jeschke, The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse, The Distant Hours and The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton, A Bridge Aross the Ocean and Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner, The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman, if you want war stories Douglas Reeman is good for Naval battles
all the light we cannot see. suite francaise, sarah’s key,beneath the scarlet sky,women in the castle,nazi officers wife,night, hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet,madonnas of leningrad, guernsey potato peel pie literary society
Mila 18 – Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Battle Cry – Marines in the Pacific, The Angry Hills – set in wartime Greece; post WW II books – Exodus – history of Palestine from late 19th century to founding of Israel 1948, QB VII – role of a Polish doctor in a concentration camp, Armageddon: A Novel of Berlin – the Four Powers occupation and Soviet Blockade by land of the city’s western boroughs ending with the Berlin Airlift – all by Leon Uris
Michelle Grassi Brockmeier, yep, love his books, read Mila 18 at least 3 times and Exodus twice. Ive seen the movies based on Exodus and QB VII, but did not know there was a movie of Battle Cry until recently. I did read that the actor who played the character of Lamont Quincy “L.Q” Jones, Justus McQueen, liked the name so much he used it as his stage name – L.Q. Jones
Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks: The boy in the stripped pyjamas , John Boone. A meal in winter by Hubert Mingarelli. Primo Levi survived the holocaust and has written a number of books, not fiction.
My Story: Battle of Britain, My story: War Nurse, My story: D-Day. I Am Canada has a few WW1 & 2. My Story has a few from the First World War as well. Book Thief. David Turtledove Writes an alternate history series of both World Wars as well.
Oops, The Assissi Underground by Alexander Ramati- true life account by Father Rufino Naccacci of the events surrounding the Assissi Network, an effort to hide 300 Jews in the city of Assissi, Italy
I have read most of these so I’ll give some lesser known gems Daughters of the night sky about female Russian fighter pilots Bakers Secret Karolinas Twins Home Fires Fall of Giants series by Ken Follett and his WWII spy novels Fannie Flaggs All Girl Gas Attendants last Reunion (or something like that) I read several authors from England that publish serial novels that I just love because it offers a different POV. These authors include Beryl kingston, Mary Gibson, Nadine Dorries.
There are a lot of really excellent books that take place during WWII, but if you want to learn a lot about the war while also reading a good story, I would recommend The Winds of War by Herman Wouk, and the sequel, War and Remembrance.
The Devil’s Arithmetic, The Nightingale, Sarah’s Key, Number the Stars, Lilac Girls, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Loved the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and the Lilac Girls. Both are great reads.
Same! I really liked how funny Juliet was in the Guernsey book!
@Erin She was delightful. Wouldn’t it have been fun to meet her? I love people like Juliet.
The Storyteller, The Alice Network (I haven’t read that one yet), The Book Thief
@Erin The Alice Network is amazing!
@Ashlee ugh it’s been on my list for so long, I really need to read it!
W.E.B. Griffin’s “Brotherhood of War,” and “The Corps” series.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Love That I Have
@Kerran I really want to read The Tattooist of Auschwitz!
The Castle on the Hill by Elizabeth Goudge, No Dawn for Men by James Lepore, Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian, The Land Girls by Angela Huth, just about anything by Charlotte Bingham, the Oxford Chronicles (trilogy) by Melanie Jeschke, The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse, The Distant Hours and The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton, A Bridge Aross the Ocean and Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner, The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman, if you want war stories Douglas Reeman is good for Naval battles
Sven hassel..
Fall of Giants from Ken Follett
Eye of the Needle!
The Reader, The Book Thief
The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Sarah’s Key
Lilac Girls
Night Soldiers series by Alan Furst
I’m surprised no one has mentioned The Bronze Horseman!!!! Excellent book and series!!!
I hated the third book, but I LOVE the first.
@Roxy loved the first one, the second one not so much. Didn’t bother with third
@Michelle second I didn’t LOVE but I needed them to end up together. But the third fully ruined one of my favorite characters, Alexander.
all the light we cannot see. suite francaise, sarah’s key,beneath the scarlet sky,women in the castle,nazi officers wife,night, hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet,madonnas of leningrad, guernsey potato peel pie literary society
skeletons at the feast,light in the ruins
All The Light We Cannot See ?
If you want well-written non-fiction, Nimitz, and The Battle of Midway.
Mila 18 – Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Battle Cry – Marines in the Pacific, The Angry Hills – set in wartime Greece; post WW II books – Exodus – history of Palestine from late 19th century to founding of Israel 1948, QB VII – role of a Polish doctor in a concentration camp, Armageddon: A Novel of Berlin – the Four Powers occupation and Soviet Blockade by land of the city’s western boroughs ending with the Berlin Airlift – all by Leon Uris
@Linda thought I was the last Leon Uris fan. I read them when a teenager and they started my love of WWII history.
Michelle Grassi Brockmeier, yep, love his books, read Mila 18 at least 3 times and Exodus twice. Ive seen the movies based on Exodus and QB VII, but did not know there was a movie of Battle Cry until recently. I did read that the actor who played the character of Lamont Quincy “L.Q” Jones, Justus McQueen, liked the name so much he used it as his stage name – L.Q. Jones
Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks:
The boy in the stripped pyjamas , John Boone.
A meal in winter by Hubert Mingarelli.
Primo Levi survived the holocaust
and has written a number of books, not fiction.
My Story: Battle of Britain, My story: War Nurse, My story: D-Day. I Am Canada has a few WW1 & 2. My Story has a few from the First World War as well. Book Thief. David Turtledove Writes an alternate history series of both World Wars as well.
A bronze horseman, the nightingale, number the stars.
The Assissi Underground by Alexander Ramati – true life account by Father Niccar
Oops, The Assissi Underground by Alexander Ramati- true life account by Father Rufino Naccacci of the events surrounding the Assissi Network, an effort to hide 300 Jews in the city of Assissi, Italy
Devils Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
Just finished reading The Paris Architect. It was amazing!!
I have read most of these so I’ll give some lesser known gems
Daughters of the night sky about female Russian fighter pilots
Bakers Secret
Karolinas Twins
Home Fires
Fall of Giants series by Ken Follett and his WWII spy novels
Fannie Flaggs All Girl Gas Attendants last Reunion (or something like that)
I read several authors from England that publish serial novels that I just love because it offers a different POV. These authors include Beryl kingston, Mary Gibson, Nadine Dorries.
The Nightingale, The Tattooist, Beneath a Scarlet Sky.
The Old Corps
There are a lot of really excellent books that take place during WWII, but if you want to learn a lot about the war while also reading a good story, I would recommend The Winds of War by Herman Wouk, and the sequel, War and Remembrance.
@Julie oh my gosh, I forgot those oldies but goodies