Galaxies are a massive disappointment visually, even in a large professional telescope. All the pictures are the result of long exposure photography that makes them look much brighter than they really are. That is why before photography was invented it took a 72 inch telescope to first reveal the spiral pattern in a galaxy (M51).
Photographically it only takes a tiny telescope. An off the shelf telephoto lens on a good digital camera will do it if you can keep the camera tracking the galaxy perfectly as it moves in the sky (due to Earth's rotation) during the minutes long exposure needed. Even with a good camera and lens or telescope, being so close to a big city makes the sky itself brighter than the galaxy, except for the very brightest part of the core, which is all you are seeing.
The Andromeda galaxy will look no brighter than the Milky way. After all, we are INSIDE the Milky Way, and you can't get closer than that. The Andromeda galaxy seen from outside, even close up, even with a big telescope, will appear no brighter.
If you cannot see the Milky Way with your naked eye in your sky then you cannot see the outer parts of the Andromeda galaxy with a telescope.
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.