It depends a little bit on what you mean historical.
I am a great fan of Dan Carlin, who has a vibrant way to narrate history. His podcasts are the best but he also has books. I loved this one : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49947205-the-end-is-alwa...
I try to read a book about all major powers from a few centuries back. The last one I read was about Hamilton (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16130.Alexander_Hamilton), which for non-americans is maybe less known than say lincoln. Napoleon (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25637528-napoleon) or Churchill are other nice examples, because those are usually much more complex than history remembers them for :).
I'd love you to answer your own thread if you have suggestions, I'm searching for new ideas as well!