You should consider ConfigGen. It was developed for this purpose. It produces a config file for each deployment machine, based on a template file and a settings file.
I know that this doesn't answer your question specifically, but it might well answer your problem.
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.