You said it yourself, yo need to get yourself a retail full version. If you want to keep your Ubuntu installation and install windows 7 on your hard drive's spare space, you are gonna have to resize your ubuntu partition and leave some unallocated space for windows to occupy.
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.