The AMI's are kinda outdated now, but if you follow these instructions from the pantheon group on g.d. O using one of the Alestic Ubuntu 10.4 ami's as a base you should be fine to roll your own.
You might want to check out https://www.getpantheon.com/. They are still in beta however.
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.