The Second World War was unquestionably one of the defining events of the Twentieth Century; a conflict which spread across the planet and reached into people's homes and lives to a degree never witnessed before. Much of the history of the last sixty years has its roots in that war. It's unsurprising that it should have proved to be such a source of inspiration for artists and writers, from those seeking to try and capture the horror of the slaughter they witnessed first hand, to the writers churning out comic strips for the thriving "Achtung! Englander!" market of boys' comics like Battle and Victor - titles which continued to thrive long after the children of the war generation had grown and had children, even grandchildren, of their own.

What follows is a list of one hundred books that were inspired by, written during, or focused on the Second World War. We've arranged them according to theme, and under each theme you'll find a variety - memoirs, literary novels, popular titles; even books for children and a little poetry. There's love stories, tales of extraordinary bravery and eyewitnesses to terrible horror.

If you think we've missed any titles, why not tell us through the Book Club Forum.

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Content last updated: 25/05/2004

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