The contributed module Menu Trails is what you're looking for. You can then set a menu trail based on content type.
Check out context module (development seed). It gives you a nice interface to set a context for your site or section within. You can have a news section with the path "news/node-title" and context would set the news menu item active.
It does a lot's of cool things beyond this, like granular block management.
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.