Historical fiction is a great way to capture an era, whether it is the elegant Victorian era or the swinging pace and sizzle of the Jazz era. Unlike contemporary novels or even fantasy, where all a writer needs is their imagination, historical fiction requires meticulous research and often the options are overwhelming. Here are five research titles to discover the world of the 1940s.

Destined to Witness: Growing Up Black In Nazi Germany by Hans Massaquoi

One of the more unique entries to chronicle the rise of the Third Reich, Massaquoi's memoir details his childhood growing German and Liberian during a time when eugenic fervor was sweeping the nation with deadly consequences.

The Ghost Army of World War II: How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects, and Other Audacious Fakery by Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles

World War II is filled with fascinating feats of bravery and derring-do, from the man who fought with a sword to the Ghost Army, a unit in the Armed Forces that consisted of a few thousand men, from artists to actors whose sole job was to trick the German surveillance systems and throw them off course. Beyer and Sayles detail many of the incidents with wit and aplomb and this book is sure to spark any author's imagination.

Infamy: The Shocking Story of the Japanese American Internment in World War II by Richard Reeves

One of America's more shameful acts during World War II, while America was fighting on both the Pacific and European fronts, only those of Japanese descent were uprooted from their homes and interned into concentration camps for the remainder of the war. Reeves does a good job of chronicling the thoughts and attitudes that lead up to internment and how their lives changed forever.

Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account by Miklos Nyiszli, translated by Tibere Kremer

In 1944 Miklos Nyiszli, a Jewish doctor, was spared from death, only to discover his life was bound to a grimmer fate, as he is forced to assist the infamous “Angel of Death,” Dr. Josef Mengele, in his horrifying human experiments. Nyiszli provides a detailed account of the horrors that went on in Auschwitz.

The Double V Campaign: African-Americans in World War II by Michael L. Cooper

During World War II, African-Americans at home and abroad were hoping to score a double victory as they helped to free the world from tyranny and oppression, as well as show white Americans at home that they were just as capable as their fellow man. An early campaign of the Civil Rights Movement, Michael L. Cooper details the thoughts of Americans – Black or white – during a time of intense racial strife. He also showcases the hopes and dreams of those young men going off to war in a segregated army and what they hoped to accomplish for their country and their families. A great research book for any author looking to craft a unique look at the war and some of the less well known hopes and opinions.