On this day, September 2, 1945, Japan officially surrendered to the Allied Powers, marking the end of World War II, one of the worst wars in the present history. Lasting from September 1, 1939 through September 2, 1945, WWII would devastate numerous cities, destroy and take the lives of millions of families and individuals, and impact hundreds of countries across the globe. Six years of pure devastation, some of the resulting impacts still felt to this day, immortalized in memorials and museums across the globe, and stories retold in numerous books and movies. Nearly a century later, and more stories are being told for the first time, unearthed after being buried in classified documents, or forgotten in missing journals kept by the soldiers or officials or survivors that lived the atrocities first hand. We’ll never truly know the actual number of lives taken during the conflicts, or during the twelve long years of the Holocaust, many of the records lost or destroyed during or following the war. Books were also destroyed, leaving a detrimental gap in Jewish and Queer literature and scientific research in Germany; museums destroyed by air raids or ransacked by Nazis, priceless artifacts, paperwork, studies, and many other culturally significant ephemera gone in flames. As we reflect on the many losses that accrued during WWII, it’s also important to learn about the history of this event, the many stories previously untold, and the people who made a positive impact during the war, saving lives from death camps, smuggling stolen artifacts to be preserved from destruction, and decoding letters to send food and other supplies to stranded soldiers.
Below is a variety of different books and movies, recommended for students in middle school through adults. Materials may contain sensitive topics, pertaining to war, violence, or genocide. I’ve split the recommendations below by age group, by the intensity of the materials explored. As with any historical depictions fictional or otherwise, these materials may contain outdated language and terminology, and potentially graphic images.
Middle School – Introduction to WWII
High School
Adults
Movies
Adults – If this topic interests you, check out the World at War Forum programming at WPPL!
