Here's a list of reading for you!
Barbara Tuchman's 'A Distant Mirror' This covers the 14th century in Western Europe. Her 'Guns of August' about the start of WW1 is also a classic.
Desmond Seward's 'The Wars of the Roses' was really interesting. This is the 15th century civil war in England over the crown. This is one of the great stories of history. Shakespeare wrote eight plays about it, including Richard III and Henry V, two of his best.. Seward's history is very comprehensive.
Alison Weir's 'The Princes In the Tower' was short and really good. It's about the same period. It addresses the question: was Richard III guilty? I had little interest in Medeival history until I read it a few years ago. Now I can't get enough of the period.
A bio of Napoleon could be pretty intimidating, but well worth the effort. I've read two, but am afraid I do not recall the authors. I did just finish Curtis Cate's 'The War of the Two Emperors', about Napoelon's invasion of Russia. I couldn't put it down. It might be a little hard to find, I picked it up in a used bookstore (which is a great place to find great history books, btw).
Crusades. I read two books this year that were pretty good:
-Jonathan Riley-Smith's 'A History of the Crusades' was a wealth of information. Prepare to be angry.
- Karen Armstrong's 'Holy War: The Crusades and Their Impact On the World Today' takes a different tilt on the topic, drawing a relationship between the Crusades and the state of Isreal. I learned a lot from this book and would highly recommend it.
I have also learned a lot from historical novels. James Michener is at the top of my list. 'The Source', definitely. I read it when I was 16 and it gave me a love for history ever since. Also check out 'Hawaii', 'Chesapeake' and 'Centennial' And he wrote a book on Texas also, but I have not read it.
Check out Leon Uris: 'Trinity' about the British in Ireland. 'QBVII' was riveting.
Edward Rutheford wrote a couple good historical novels about England. 'Sarum' was pretty good. I made a special trip to visit the place when I was in England becaudse I enjoyed his book so much.
Browse through used bookstores' history sections for great stuff. You'll find really interesting things. And it won't cost you an arm and a leg. Also, your public library is a good place to browse. Your librarian may even give you a recommendation on a topic of your interest.
So there's a few choices. History has been a passion of mine as far back as I can remember. Enjoy the stories that are out there. It's been a lifetime of entertainment for me.