I've received some great ones here in the past. Specifically, I'm looking for general histories in a few areas. I want something that's well-written and informative. I do not want to be bogged down in minute details and lists of names or places that have precious little context. I know relatively little about these areas, so I'd like a good place to start.

1. Ancient Egypt

2. The Roman Empire

3. China (pre-20th Century, whether ancient or closer to modern)

If anyone knows something that they would recommend, that would be excellent.

P.S. I'm about halfway through Shelby Foote's Civil War trilogy, and it continues to be a very good read. I also read a book by David Grann called The Lost City of Z, about Percy Fawcett's explorations of the Amazon, including his final expedition, from which he never returned, to find the lost city he believed was there, and covered recent discoveries that prove in some ways he was right. It was a fairly superficial read and didn't cover much that you couldn't find on wikipedia, but it was quick and interesting, with a personal touch.