I know we have a magnificent book list on the sidebar, but those are categorized by subject matter and don't really distinguish between books which are fun to read and those which are essential. I was hoping people could recommend history books which are just entertaining.

Doesn't need to be about any particular period of history, but I'm just looking for suggestions for gift ideas (including gifts to myself!)

Here are some of my recommendations based on my own reading (note I'm not vouching for the quality of the history in these, and a few of them I actually think are probably not great history, but I really enjoyed reading them).

The Cleanest Race, B.R. Myers

The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake, Samuel Bawlf (probably bad history)

Endurance, Alfred Lansing

Bloodlands, Timothy Snyder

Stalingrad, Antony Beevor

Conquistador, Buddy Levy