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[ranganathan]

I just finished Connie Willis's THE BLACKOUT and became uncomfortably aware of how US-centric my knowledge of World War II is.  Willis's book is set during the late summer-September of 1940 and focuses on what day to day life was like for Londoners during the Blitz (through the eyes of time travelers, but no need to get hung up on that detail).  Can anyone suggest some good books that can help me learn more about this time period?  I lean towards popular non-fiction but if the book is accessible enough, I can tackle those with footnotes. :)

[whatsherknuckle]

My book group just read Troublesome Young Men and Citizens of London, both by Lynne Olson, and most of us enjoyed both of them.  Troublesome Young Men is concerned with British politics in the lead-up to WWII, while Citizens of London is about three Americans (Edward R. Murrow, Averell Harriman, and John Gilbert Winant) in London during the war.  I am by no means a historian (I'm a librarian, as I think you are--right?--from your moniker), so I don't know if these are the best books on the subject, but I gamely read and quite liked both of them.

If you happen to want to read more fiction set during the blitz, then I'd also recommend Night Watch by Sarah Waters.  I think the structure of the novel is a bit gimmicky, but I still liked it.

[tee_bee]

I'm something of a WWII history buff (a term I rather dislike) and very much enjoyed, and learned a lot from, Citizens of London. I look forward to hearing of other good books on the Blitz.

[prytania3]

There's that novel by Graham Greene--but I can't think of the name of it.

[whatsherknuckle]

The End of the Affair.

[bibliothecula]

Sarah Waters's Night Watch.

[betterslac]

Much of the description of city life in 1984 (minus the telescreens and some aspects of Hate Week).

[wegie]

The current standard popular history is Juliet Gardiner, which has got rave reviews on this side of the pond.