There are several websites available with information on the origins of names. Just enter in your name to find out where it came from and what it means. You can find more information here: meaning-of-names.com.
An excellent resource for learning the origin of your last name is Ancestry.com. This website enables you to learn facts about your family's history. You can find more information here: ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.