From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals who Remade Asia, by Pankaj Mishra. One of those books I found fascinating as a glimpse into a different world, and worldview, despite my real disagreements with the author. Here is a useful review from The Telegraph. Here is another, from The Daily Beast.
Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the US Navy, by Ian Toll. A lively, entertaining popular history, covering (a) the early debates over whether the US should have a navy, and if so, what form it should take; and (b) the naval actions of the period, during the Quasi-War against France, the First Barbary War, and the War of 1812. A good introduction to the topic. Here is the New York Times’ review.