World War II through Film and Literature
Harvard Extension School
HIST E-1890
Section 1
CRN 26815
This course is an introduction to the study of World War II through the literature and films it inspired. Among the topics discussed are the home fronts of the belligerent powers, the air and naval wars, women in the war zone, war in the Pacific, and persecution in Europe. Among the literary works we read and the films made from them that we view are Phyllis Bottome's The Mortal Storm, Antti Tuuri's The Winter War, Iris Chang's The Rape of Nanking, Agnes Newton Keith's Three Came Home, Władysław Szpilman's The Pianist, and Lothar-Günther Buchheim's Das Boot. We also analyze some films not based directly on a book, such as Casablanca and Mrs. Miniver, as well as some books that have not yet been made into films such as A Woman of Berlin and Madame Fourcade's Secret War.
Registration Closes: January 23, 2025
Credits: 4
View Tuition Information Term
Spring Term 2025
Part of Term
Full Term
Format
Online or On Campus
Credit Status
Graduate, Noncredit, Undergraduate
Section Status
Open