The Moon Is Down is a 1942 novel by American writer John Steinbeck. The book is about the military occupation of a small town in Northern Europe by an unnamed army. Steinbeck wrote it as propaganda intended to fuel resistance movements in occupied countries during World War II. The book was widely bootlegged and adapted for the stage in Europe. The Moon Is Down was adapted into a film by Irving Pichel in 1943. No. 1 on The New York Times Fiction best seller list for 12 weeks, from the issue of March 23, 1942. Wiki link