Tom Hanks’ New WWII Docuseries Is a Must-Watch—and These Historical Fiction Books Go Perfectly with It
We matched gripping historical fiction reads to each episode of the History Channel's new show
Key Takeaways
- Tom Hanks narrates a new WWII docuseries premiering Memorial Day weekend.
- The History Channel series explores Pearl Harbor, the Blitz and Nazi invasions.
- WWII historical fiction novels tied to each episode can deepen the experience.
Tom Hanks is heading back to the small screen. That’s right, the 69-year-old is narrating a new historical docuseries centered around World War II—and it airs this weekend! It’s called World War II With Tom Hanks, and below we have everything you need to know about the real-life stories behind the episodes. And if the show sparks curiosity about these historic moments and you want to learn more, we’ve rounded up a few gripping, emotional must-read WWII historical fiction books based on the events in the series. Read on for everything you need to know about the series—and the books that will keep you engaged long after the credits roll.
What we know so far about ‘World War II With Tom Hanks’
World War II With Tom Hanks was announced by The History Channel back in March. Each of the 20 episodes will be centered around different moments in WWII.
“For more than 80 years, the Second World War has remained the most devastating and defining conflict in human history. World War II With Tom Hanks offers a sweeping and definitive retelling of the war, drawing on rarely seen archival material, evocative storytelling and insights from leading historians,” reads the official logline. “Narrated by Tom Hanks—whose lifelong passion for history has informed some of the most profound screen portrayals of the era—the series captures the full arc of the global conflict.”
A look at some of the stories featured in ‘World War II With Tom Hanks’
“For six dark years, the world was on fire. A conflict that toppled empires and reshaped the modern world,” Hanks says in the trailer. “No part of the globe was untouched. No life unchanged. The Second World War is the largest event in human history.” Here, some of the events featured in the series:
Episode 1, “The Beginning,” focuses on Germany’s 1939 invasion of Poland. Episode 2, “The Blitz,” is described as follows: “After toppling the Netherlands and Belgium, Nazi Germany pushes further west. The Allies scramble to support France as Churchill is forced to defend Britain from the skies and FDR rushes to mobilize wartime production.” And Episode 3, “Barbarossa,” features perhaps one of the most defining moments of the war: Operation Barbarossa, which happened between June 1941 and December 1941.
During that operation, Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party invaded the Soviet Union. The mission was a failure, largely because Hitler severely underestimated the Soviet Union’s manpower, but it did help the rest of the world see that Nazi Germany could be defeated. Just two days after the end of Operation Barbarossa, Japan bombed the United States Navy base Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii. Up until that point, the United States had remained neutral in the war, but the bombing changed everything. Episode 4, “Pearl Harbor,” delves into this history-changing attack.
“December 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan,” former President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) said in his speech at the time. “With confidence in our armed forces with the unbounding determination of our people we will gain the inevitable triumph so help us God. I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.”
Episode 5, “The War at Sea” focuses on America’s effort to control the seas during WWII.
Historical fiction books about WWII
There’s no shortage of historical fiction books related to WWII, but we’ve rounded up a few excellent reads related to the events in the first few episodes of World War II With Tom Hanks. Here, our top picks to read after each of the first episodes.
Episode 1: ‘The Things We Cannot Say’ by Kelly Rimmer
This heartbreaking dual-timeline novel, with nearly 300,000 ratings on GoodReads.com, tells the love story of Alina Dziak and Tomasz, her childhood love, whose lives are upended when Germany invades Poland, their village is torn apart and their lives are forever changed. The decades-spanning story shows the devastating impact of the war on one family, from 1939 to the present day.
“In The Things We Cannot Say Kelly Rimmer has penned a heartbreakingly powerful and hopeful love story set amidst the backdrop of war, loss and the unimaginable atrocities of WWII,” raves one reader. “Simply put this is the kind of book that grabs hold of you, envelops you within it pages and holds on long after you have finished reading.”
Episode 2: ‘Secrets of a Charmed Life’ by Susan Meissner
In this beautifully written story, 93-year-old reclusive artist Isabel MacFarland shares her life story with a young student, recalling her survival of the Blitz, when hundreds of thousands of children were evacuated from London to the countryside, which led to her separation from her sister and mother.
One reader gushes, “This is an exceptional book that mostly takes place in London, during the Blitz. So many historical fiction WWII books take place in Europe, but this one has the reader experiencing the Blitz in London almost first hand.”
Episode 3: ‘The Barbarossa Secret’ by Christopher Kerr
Curious to learn more about Operation Barbarossa? Pick up The Barbarossa Secret by Christopher Kerr, which follows a journalist’s investigation into his family’s involvement in Operation Barbarossa.
One reader calls it “An absolutely fascinating read for anyone like myself who enjoys novels set around WWII. Excellently researched it reads at times more like a history book than a work of fiction.”
Episode 4: ‘The Lieutenant’s Nurse’ by Sara Ackerman
This must-read novels follows American nurse Eva Cassidy, who heads to Hawaii to escape a difficult past, and finds herself and fellow nurses banding together in an effort to keep the victims of Pearl Harbor alive. A captivating story of love, self-discovery, heroism, friendship and compassion.
One historical fiction lover said, “The Lieutenant’s Nurse is an intriguing tale that sweeps you away to the shores of Hawaii in the early 1940s and immerses you into the life of Eva, a young nurse whose heart, strength and compassion are about to be tested when the Japanese unexpectedly rage war on Pearl Harbor.”
How to watch the ‘World War II With Tom Hanks’ premiere this Memorial Day weekend
The first three episodes of World War II With Tom Hanks will be available to watch on Monday, May 25, 2026, on the History Channel. Episodes 4 and 5 will be available June 1. The dates, times and themes of the remaining 15 episodes have yet to be announced.
Whether you tune in for the documentary or pick up a novel that brings the era to life from a personal perspective, Memorial Day weekend is the perfect time to honor the history of WWII — and the men and women whose sacrifices shaped the world we live in today.
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