I've always been fascinated by the sheer audacity of British colonial power, but during school we were never really taught about events that happened in far-flung corners of the Empire.
I'd love to gain some insight into some of the wildest and more eccentric parts of the British Empire. So much of what we consider to be the "British character" seems to have been defined during this period, but very few of the personalities are actually very well-known.
A lot of the stories that do survive tend to glorify Britain, which isn't what I'm looking for. I'd like something that gives a fairly level-headed look into the conflicts the Brits had with indigenous people within the territories they claimed.
Any recommendations to get me started would be greatly appreciated.
Some recommendations from my areas of study, and general interest. You've mentioned that you're looking for books on conflicts/colonial conflict so I'll stick to that. The British Empire is a huge topic, and there are some big absences from my reading and topics of research - I'd recommend PMing some of the African history flaired users for further recommendations.
James Belich, The New Zealand Wars and the Victorian Interpretation of Racial Conflict. This is hands down the first book I'd recommend about the colonial conflict in New Zealand between the British/settlers and Maori. The title makes it seem like it has a limited scope, but it's a very comprehensive book that covers the military history, events, politics and evidence better than just about any other single book on the market. Very readable.
William Dalrymple, Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan. A very well-written and accessible account of the first Anglo-Afghan war. Despite being a popular history, this book is genuinely more balanced than most of the earlier single-volume histories of the war. Part of the reason for this, imo, is Dalrymple's usage of Pashto language sources and his familiarity with the country.
Stephen Gapps, The Sydney Wars. A very different sort of conflict, and a very different sort of book. This is a military history of the early colonial period of Sydney - and the conflicts and relation it had to the Indigenous nations of the basin. This book is a fantastic introduction to Australia's first frontier wars.
P.J. Marshall, Bengal: The British Bridgehead, Eastern India 1740-1828. Part of the New Cambridge History of India series, this book is one of the best introductions to the beginnings of British involvement and company rule in India.
Philip J. Stern, The Company-State: Corporate Sovereignty and the Early Modern Foundations of the British Empire in India. In all honesty, a bit of a deconstruction of the above work, this book goes into an in-depth analysis of what exactly 'company rule' means and the problems surrounding historiography about the company. An excellent history and treatment of the East India Company.
Gautam Chakravarty, The Indian mutiny and the British imagination. A go-to book about the 1857 Indian rebellion and how it was viewed throughout the British Empire. An excellent book.
Gad Heuman, "The Killing Time": The Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica. A thoroughly researched book about the Morant Bay rebellion that I enjoyed. This period of Jamaican history has a very interesting and deep historiography worth delving into.
Thomas Pakenham, The Boer War. Still one of the most definitive and readable accounts that exists.
Caroline Elkins, Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya. A highly readable and solid history of the Mau Mau uprising, and in particular - British colonial rule in Kenya. Intended for a popular-ish audience, the book is accessible and interesting.