On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in the year 1918, the battlefields of Europe fell silent as four years of fighting came to a close. In celebration of the ending of this unprecedented level of warfare and destruction, the participating nations of World War I chose Nov. 11 as the day each year to honor those who fight for and serve their countries. In the United States we call it Veterans Day.
We have a number of great resources for those interested in learning more about the armed forces or those who have served themselves. Library databases can help with learning more about influential historical battles or find out if you’re suitable for enlistment by checking out the ASVAB test prep. Schedule a one-on-one appointment to get technology assistance or help navigating online forms. And if you are doing family history research, be sure to see records including the Burlington County Veteran Grave Registration collection and the indexes to New Jersey soldiers in both the Revolutionary War and Civil War. As always stop by your local library branch to learn more!
Check out some selected titles about military history, warfare and the soldiers’ experience below:
Books (Fiction):
All Quiet on the Western Front
Perhaps THE definitive work about life on the trench-filled front lines of World War I. Written by a former German soldier it is as relevant today as when it was written almost 100 years ago; the recent film version won numerous accolades at the Academy Awards.
Kurt Vonnegut’s best-known work, this time-traveling anti-war novel is a classic for a reason. Based on the author’s own experiences in World War II it deals with the feeling of meaninglessness in war and the trauma experienced by those who participate, culminating with the still controversial bombing of Dresden in February 1945.
A collection of semi-autobiographical stories centered on a single platoon during the Vietnam War. The work has sold over two million copies and in 2016 the Library of Congress included it in its list of the most influential books written and read in America.
Books (Nonfiction):
A Pulitzer Prize winning analysis of the lead-up and launch of the supposed “splendid little war” that saw millions killed, it focuses on the machinations of Europe’s “Great Powers” (Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia) at the outbreak of World War I. The book’s end point of August 1914, only one month into the war, reflects the dug-in, battle-of-inches, trench warfare that it became for the following four years.
Covering the years 1777-1780, this is the second book in a planned trilogy on the history of the American Revolution. It picks up right where the first book ends, with the Continental Army’s momentous victories in Trenton and Princeton and depicts the development and expansion of the conflict across the colonies and the international intrigue threatening to ruin Great Britain’s plans.
This book tells the story of Louis Zamperini, a young track star from California whose life takes him from the 1936 Berlin Olympics to a Japanese POW camp. Despite enduring trials, tribulations, and torture Louis makes it through the war and in time achieves peace with those who wronged him.
Movies (DVDs):
Two British soldiers must travel through enemy territory to deliver information and prevent an ambush, to save the lives of hundreds of men. The decision to shoot the film in a single unbroken take* makes it a thrill from beginning to end.
Dr. Strangelove, Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
A classic satire of Cold War politics starring Peter Sellers in three separate roles, including the titular doctor. Gentlemen, there’s no fighting in the war room!
See both the monotony and life-and-death stakes of war in this Best Picture winner starring Jeremy Renner as the maverick member of a bomb squad stationed in Iraq. He clashes with his team over his methods as they deal with the constant threat of insurgents and the psychological toll of combat.
