World War II Books Everyone Should Read At Least Once

1.
The Diary of a Young Girl
The Diary of a Young Girl 4.20 avg rating — 4,072,810 ratings
2.
Night
Night 4.38 avg rating — 1,334,128 ratings
3.
Pattern of Shadows (Mary, #1)
Pattern of Shadows (Mary, #1) 4.13 avg rating — 230 ratings
4.
Schindler’s List
Schindler’s List 4.34 avg rating — 164,325 ratings
5.
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption 4.39 avg rating — 989,147 ratings
6.
The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom
The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom 4.47 avg rating — 348,489 ratings
7.
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich 4.22 avg rating — 144,570 ratings
8.
The Longest Day: June 6, 1944
The Longest Day: June 6, 1944 4.34 avg rating — 25,784 ratings
9.
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin 3.89 avg rating — 215,175 ratings
10.
Hiroshima
Hiroshima 4.04 avg rating — 86,434 ratings
11.
The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II
The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II 4.24 avg rating — 50,730 ratings
12.
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest 4.44 avg rating — 136,005 ratings
13.
Flyboys: A True Story of Courage
Flyboys: A True Story of Courage 4.20 avg rating — 22,794 ratings
14.
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War 4.30 avg rating — 67,941 ratings
15.
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History (Maus, #1)
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History (Maus, #1) 4.39 avg rating — 365,557 ratings
16.
Churchill, Hitler, and "The Unnecessary War": How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World
Churchill, Hitler, and "The Unnecessary War": How Britain Lost Its Empire and the West Lost the World 4.19 avg rating — 1,968 ratings
17.
Flags of Our Fathers
Flags of Our Fathers 4.22 avg rating — 62,881 ratings
18.
Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943
Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943 4.32 avg rating — 40,051 ratings
19.
Citizen Soldiers: The US Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany
Citizen Soldiers: The US Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany 4.24 avg rating — 24,326 ratings
20.
Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan
Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan 4.35 avg rating — 21,286 ratings
21.
Hitler's Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields
Hitler's Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields 3.59 avg rating — 5,807 ratings
22.
With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa 4.49 avg rating — 45,836 ratings
23.
Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family
Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family
by: Miep Gies
4.30 avg rating — 66,127 ratings
24.
In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors
In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors 4.33 avg rating — 23,187 ratings
25.
The Nazi Officer's Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocaust
The Nazi Officer's Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocaust 4.17 avg rating — 48,561 ratings
26.
The Second World War
The Second World War 4.48 avg rating — 1,715 ratings
27.
Berlin Diary: The Journal of a Foreign Correspondent 1934-1941
Berlin Diary: The Journal of a Foreign Correspondent 1934-1941 4.34 avg rating — 6,315 ratings
28.
A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City: A Diary
A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City: A Diary
by: Anonymous
4.29 avg rating — 17,073 ratings
29.
The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II
The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II 3.73 avg rating — 31,440 ratings
30.
Catch-22
Catch-22 3.99 avg rating — 873,303 ratings
30.
Patton: A Genius for War
Patton: A Genius for War 4.25 avg rating — 4,271 ratings
32.
A Bridge Too Far
A Bridge Too Far 4.27 avg rating — 21,303 ratings
33.
The Great Escape
The Great Escape 4.22 avg rating — 10,405 ratings
34.
Life After Life (Todd Family, #1)
Life After Life (Todd Family, #1) 3.78 avg rating — 237,974 ratings
35.
Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal
Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal 4.14 avg rating — 19,738 ratings
36.
D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Battle for the Normandy Beaches
D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Battle for the Normandy Beaches 4.31 avg rating — 30,947 ratings
37.
Number the Stars
Number the Stars 4.19 avg rating — 608,383 ratings
38.
All the Light We Cannot See
All the Light We Cannot See 4.31 avg rating — 1,904,441 ratings
39.
The Rising Sun: The Decline & Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-45
The Rising Sun: The Decline & Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-45 4.30 avg rating — 5,936 ratings
40.
The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler’s Atomic Bomb
The Winter Fortress: The Epic Mission to Sabotage Hitler’s Atomic Bomb 4.24 avg rating — 5,907 ratings
41.
Inferno: The World at War, 1939-1945
Inferno: The World at War, 1939-1945 4.35 avg rating — 10,719 ratings
42.
Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941–1942
Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941–1942 4.61 avg rating — 9,756 ratings
43.
Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich
Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich 4.05 avg rating — 30,218 ratings
44.
The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History
The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History 3.80 avg rating — 51,850 ratings
45.
A Train in Winter (The Resistance #1)
A Train in Winter (The Resistance #1) 3.85 avg rating — 8,706 ratings
46.
The Luck of the Weissensteiners
The Luck of the Weissensteiners 3.84 avg rating — 977 ratings
47.
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour 4.35 avg rating — 11,391 ratings
48.
The Second World War
The Second World War 4.39 avg rating — 10,406 ratings
49.
Lost in Shangri-la: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II
Lost in Shangri-la: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II 3.87 avg rating — 46,525 ratings
50.
Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific
Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific 4.23 avg rating — 24,385 ratings
50.
Armageddon: The Battle for Germany, 1944-1945
Armageddon: The Battle for Germany, 1944-1945 4.28 avg rating — 7,363 ratings
52.
HHhH
HHhH 4.07 avg rating — 27,465 ratings
53.
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy 4.22 avg rating — 80,453 ratings
53.
At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor
At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor 4.21 avg rating — 3,692 ratings
55.
The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All For the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II
The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All For the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II 4.09 avg rating — 12,935 ratings
56.
My Mother's Secret
My Mother's Secret 4.20 avg rating — 19,102 ratings
57.
Those Who Save Us
Those Who Save Us 4.11 avg rating — 102,912 ratings
58.
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
The Making of the Atomic Bomb 4.40 avg rating — 23,885 ratings
59.
1939 - The War That Had Many Fathers: The Long Run-Up to the Second World War
1939 - The War That Had Many Fathers: The Long Run-Up to the Second World War 4.57 avg rating — 301 ratings
60.
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 4.39 avg rating — 352,743 ratings
61.
Life and Fate
Life and Fate 4.45 avg rating — 14,755 ratings
62.
The Forgotten Soldier
The Forgotten Soldier
by: Guy Sajer
4.39 avg rating — 11,837 ratings
63.
When Books Went to War: The Stories that Helped Us Win World War II
When Books Went to War: The Stories that Helped Us Win World War II 3.92 avg rating — 8,412 ratings
64.
Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45
Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45 4.28 avg rating — 5,078 ratings
65.
An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 (World War II Liberation Trilogy, #1)
An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 (World War II Liberation Trilogy, #1) 4.29 avg rating — 22,175 ratings
66.
The Guns of August
The Guns of August 4.18 avg rating — 82,591 ratings
67.
Crabwalk
Crabwalk 3.47 avg rating — 4,041 ratings
68.
The End of Innocence (Sophia's War #1)
The End of Innocence (Sophia's War #1) 3.55 avg rating — 152 ratings
69.
The English Patient
The English Patient 3.86 avg rating — 137,374 ratings
70.
Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory
Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory 4.03 avg rating — 22,515 ratings
71.
Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust
Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust 3.72 avg rating — 5,063 ratings
72.
The French Baker's War
The French Baker's War 3.79 avg rating — 2,786 ratings
73.
The Orphans of Dachau
The Orphans of Dachau 4.59 avg rating — 96 ratings
74.
Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II
Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II 3.96 avg rating — 29,155 ratings
75.
Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany
Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany 4.21 avg rating — 9,584 ratings
76.
Survival in Auschwitz
Survival in Auschwitz 4.34 avg rating — 83,588 ratings
77.
Mila 18
Mila 18
by: Leon Uris
4.32 avg rating — 26,365 ratings
78.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas 4.16 avg rating — 933,501 ratings
79.
The Bronze Horseman (The Bronze Horseman, #1)
The Bronze Horseman (The Bronze Horseman, #1) 4.29 avg rating — 92,482 ratings
80.
The Last Battle: The Classic History of the Battle for Berlin
The Last Battle: The Classic History of the Battle for Berlin 4.25 avg rating — 7,006 ratings
81.
The Train to Crystal City: FDR's Secret Prisoner Exchange Program and America's Only Family Internment Camp During World War II
The Train to Crystal City: FDR's Secret Prisoner Exchange Program and America's Only Family Internment Camp During World War II 4.08 avg rating — 2,433 ratings
82.
Suite Française
Suite Française 3.86 avg rating — 77,015 ratings
82.
Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad
Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad 4.23 avg rating — 14,177 ratings
84.
Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters
Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters 4.33 avg rating — 19,675 ratings
85.
War and Remembrance
War and Remembrance 4.43 avg rating — 38,936 ratings
86.
The Naked and the Dead
The Naked and the Dead 3.94 avg rating — 26,162 ratings
87.
The Winds of War (The Henry Family, #1)
The Winds of War (The Henry Family, #1) 4.38 avg rating — 58,923 ratings
88.
A Life in Secrets: Vera Atkins and the Missing Agents of WWII.
A Life in Secrets: Vera Atkins and the Missing Agents of WWII. 4.09 avg rating — 2,065 ratings
89.
I Will Bear Witness 1942-45 A Diary of the Nazi Years
I Will Bear Witness 1942-45 A Diary of the Nazi Years 4.38 avg rating — 1,266 ratings
90.
Pieces of Wood
Pieces of Wood 4.54 avg rating — 13 ratings
91.
Saving Mona Lisa: The Battle to Protect the Louvre and Its Treasures During World War II
Saving Mona Lisa: The Battle to Protect the Louvre and Its Treasures During World War II 4.06 avg rating — 532 ratings
92.
Private Battles and The Khaki Cage
Private Battles and The Khaki Cage 4.46 avg rating — 13 ratings
93.
The Journal of Hélène Berr
The Journal of Hélène Berr 4.09 avg rating — 1,762 ratings
94.
The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice
The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice 4.26 avg rating — 4,612 ratings
95.
If This Is a Man • The Truce
If This Is a Man • The Truce 4.54 avg rating — 21,711 ratings
96.
The Nightingale
The Nightingale 4.64 avg rating — 1,894,069 ratings
97.
Austerity Britain, 1945-51
Austerity Britain, 1945-51 4.21 avg rating — 942 ratings
97.
Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal
Neptune's Inferno: The U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal 4.30 avg rating — 7,224 ratings
99.
Pegasus Bridge: June 6, 1944
Pegasus Bridge: June 6, 1944 4.15 avg rating — 10,973 ratings
100.
Sarah's Key
Sarah's Key 4.18 avg rating — 489,764 ratings
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