I'm looking to do some research for a personal project, and while I'm not a student of history, I would like it to be as grounded in historical fact as possible. So I need some books focusing on Russia/the Soviet Union, Asia (especially China and Mongolia, as well as what is now Kazakhstan), and the Middle East from about 1920-1990, with a firmer focus on the post-WW2 world. Pretty much anything from that time period, including but not limited to:

• Military campaigns and histories (I don't want a huge focus on WW2 but a few things will be helpful).
• The Cold War and international relations in general.
• Asia and the Middle East post-WW2.
• The formation and eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union.
• The rise of other dictatorships in these regions.
• Books on everyday life in these regions and time periods, not solely having to do with sweeping historical events.

Additionally, I'm interested in:

• Biographies of Stalin
• At least one or two books about the European side of WW2.

Please keep in my though, while I'm an avid reader, I'm not vastly accustomed to reading dry, purely informative text. Not to imply that all history text must be dry, I wouldn't know, but I would appreciate it if you could suggest things that are accessible to a layman. I'd also really appreciate if you could explain a bit about why you recommend a certain book, or why you agree with another poster's suggestion.

Thanks so much for any help!