Sharpe's Trafalgar (Bernard Cornwell, 2000)

"Read" this via audio book format while commuting.

The author has a long list of books featuring "Sharpe."

In this one, he is returning to England from India in 1805; lovely lady on board ship; captured by French; ends up linked with Nelson at Trafalgar while dealing with French intriguers.

Cornwell always has good detail in these historical novels. "Line ahead," for example.

The Opium Wars (Hanes and Sanello)

Imperialism; mid 19^th century war, Britain in China (taking advantage). 

Wellington – the Years of the Sword (Elizabeth Longford)

Biography through Waterloo.  The lines at Torres.

MiddleMarch (George Eliot, 1871-72 (serialised))

As best I can tell - deservedly on various lists of the best novels in English literature.

Main story involves Dorothea - something of a do-gooder - drops the fiance folks that she would marry (with every expectation of a good match) to marry a middle-aged, not-robust scholar (Casaubon) who she thought was involved in a great work, and she thought it would be great to be his assistant.  This didn't work out so well.  There were a few other story lines as well, quite a few characters.

Would be worth a re-read.

Tomorrow's Gold (Marc Faber)

Economist reviewing history, recommending commodities Asia.  Not very interesting.

The Tsar's Last Armada (Constantine Pleshakov)

Battle of Tsushima, 1905.  Russian unpreparedness.  Consequences for Russian politics.

Empire - How Spain Became a World Power (1492-1763) (Henry Kamen)

Per title

The Victorians (A. N. Wilson)

Victorian era - I like Wilson's writing.

The Origins of American Slavery (Betty Wood)

Role of English colonies in slave trade.

Victory: An Island Tale (Joseph Conrad, 1915)

European businessman living in Indonesia travels to a town on some island to do whatever business; saves a girl (playing in the hotel band) from an attacker and takes her back to the island where he lives; they fall in love.  The attacker seeks revenge, including via sending three guys to the protagonist's island to kill him. 

The Bridge at No Gun Ri (Charles Hanley et al)

Difficult situation in Korean War.

A Brilliant Solution (Carol Berkin)

Constitutional convention.  The Constitution as written is a marvel.

August 1914 (Alexander Solzenitsyn)

Battle of Tannenbaum.  Solzenitsyn writes wonderfully.

Lords of the Horizons (Jason Goodwin)

Introductory re Ottoman Empire.

Hard Times (Charles Dickens, 1854)

Charles Gradgrind insisting on "facts" to his children; Josiah Banderby exposed.