The most recommended WW2 historical fiction books

Who picked these books? Meet our 417 experts.

417 authors created a book list connected to WW2 historical fiction, and here are their favorite WW2 historical fiction books.
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What type of WW2 historical fiction book?

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Book cover of All We Left Behind

Terrie Todd Author Of Rose Among Thornes

From my list on relationships between characters on opposing sides of WWII.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a Canadian author and I set my novels here. When I first attempted to write a book, I chose historical fiction because I thought it would be easier to get my characters into troubleā€”without cell phones and other modern conveniences to bail them out. I wasnā€™t wrong. However, the research involved with writing good historical fiction soon gave me a whole new appreciation for the genre and I was hooked. I find the WWII era far enough in the past to provide historical insight into humanityā€™s many weaknesses and strengths, yet near enough to make it relatable. Iā€™ve been thrilled with the feedback on my faith-based stories.

Terrie's book list on relationships between characters on opposing sides of WWII

Terrie Todd Why did Terrie love this book?

Of all my choices, this book is the most like mine in that it involves a Japanese-Canadian family removed from their home in British Columbia and forced into an internment camp during WWII. Hayden and Chidori are in love. But after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, Chidori and her family are seen as the enemy. Longing more than anything to help them, Hayden joins the Royal Canadian Air Force believing itā€™s the swiftest way to bring the war to an end. Thoughts of Chidori are all that keep him alive. Youā€™ll learn so much history as you absorb this story and cheer for its valiant characters.

By Danielle R. Graham,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked All We Left Behind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz

'Heart-wrenching. Emotional. A powerful story of wartime love and devotion' Glynis Peters, author of The Secret Orphan

A powerful and incredibly moving historical novel inspired by an untold story of the Second World War.

Vancouver 1941

As the war rages around the world, Hitler's fury is yet to be felt on the peaceful shores of Mayne Island. Sweethearts Hayden and Chidori are in love.

But everything changes after Pearl Harbor.

Now seen as the enemy, Chidori and her family are forced into an internment camp. Powerless to help them, Hayden joins the airā€¦


Book cover of Come from Away

Terrie Todd Author Of Rose Among Thornes

From my list on relationships between characters on opposing sides of WWII.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a Canadian author and I set my novels here. When I first attempted to write a book, I chose historical fiction because I thought it would be easier to get my characters into troubleā€”without cell phones and other modern conveniences to bail them out. I wasnā€™t wrong. However, the research involved with writing good historical fiction soon gave me a whole new appreciation for the genre and I was hooked. I find the WWII era far enough in the past to provide historical insight into humanityā€™s many weaknesses and strengths, yet near enough to make it relatable. Iā€™ve been thrilled with the feedback on my faith-based stories.

Terrie's book list on relationships between characters on opposing sides of WWII

Terrie Todd Why did Terrie love this book?

Obviously, I love that this book is set in Canada, like all my own novels. A little-known story coming out of Nova Scotia involves Nazi sailors leaving their U-Boat one evening, on a bet, to attend a small-town dance without their identity being discovered. Graham has artfully taken this possibility on its ultimate ā€œwhat-if?ā€ journey. What if one of those sailors didnā€™t make it back to his submarine before it blew up, killing everyone aboard? What if he found a deserted trapperā€™s cabin to hole up in? What if he met a young Canadian woman whose three brothers were serving overseas? Isnā€™t it a tantalizing setup? Graham totally delivers in this page-turner.

By Genevieve Graham,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Come from Away as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the bestselling author of Tides of Honour and Promises to Keep comes a poignant novel about a young couple caught on opposite sides of the Second World War.

In the fall of 1939, Grace Bakerā€™s three brothers, sharp and proud in their uniforms, board Canadian ships headed for a faraway war. Grace stays behind, tending to the homefront and the general store that helps keep her small Nova Scotian community running. The war, everyone says, will be over before it starts. But three years later, the fighting rages on and rumours swirl about ā€œwolf packsā€ of German U-Boats lurkingā€¦


Book cover of EO-N

Patrick Larsimont Author Of The Lightning and the Few

From my list on WW2 brought to life through brilliant storytelling.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve always been fascinated with military history, added to which my interest in aviation after serving in Military Intelligence with the Air Force. After a career in advertising, I took to writing during lockdown. My novels uncover forgotten facts and histories, using real characters and their exploits and providing an interpretation of world war events from different perspectives, not just the victors. My recommendations bring the past to life, unpalatable as it might be, with vibrant characters, rich set-building, and beautiful period language, sentiments, and held beliefs. History and conflict, love, loss, tragedy, and forgotten memory are brought to life, full of visceral colour, but importantly always truthfully.

Patrick's book list on WW2 brought to life through brilliant storytelling

Patrick Larsimont Why did Patrick love this book?

An intriguing dual-timeline novel about a bereaved modern-day tech CEO who discovers a link with a WW2 aircraft discovered in a Norwegian glacier.

A connection with her grandfather emerges, MIA since the war, and the Mosquito frozen in time. This is a complex tale of five intertwined lives, some modern, others in wartime, revealing the disparate views held at the end of the conflict and the horrors perpetrated by the Nazi regime.

It pits modern corporate greed and the cruel science of a warped ideology against the courage and often untold contribution of Canadian airmen and their moral determination to do the right thing. Like my own work, the novel unveils forgotten aspects of the past, shows that good shines through and still leaves an imprint on us today.

By Dave Mason,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked EO-N as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"There were so many things flowing through my mind as I finished this story that I sat very still with my thoughts for the longest time contemplating what I just read.  Indeed, I had to settle with the story a bit before I could even attempt to do it justice with a review. One thing is certain, "EO-N" is a novel of distinction - impeccably written, every sentence captivating." - Sheri Hoyte for Reader Views

2019 Alison Wiley, a once-idealistic biotech CEO, is processing her new reality: she's the last bud on the last branch of her family tree. Onā€¦


Book cover of All We Left Behind
Book cover of Come from Away
Book cover of EO-N

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