It seems as if you have already made your mind up to use log4net directly. This is perfectly reasonable, as you consider it to be a stable dependency. I have just switched from log4net to NLog for our projects, so it does happen that you may change logging frameworks in future, which is where an abstraction has its advantages.
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.