Even better if before 1914.
Any topic is okay, memoirs and travel journals especially interesting. If you can, please name some that aren't "on top of the lists" if you know what I mean, since I am likely already aware of those.
Here are some books that match this criteria that I've enjoyed and can recommend.
Kabloona by Gontran de Poncins. Interesting travel journal around the Canadian arctic.
Autobiography of Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak, or Black Hawk. While a newer books of him offer a more comprehensive big picture, this helps you understand the person behind the title, even fi through translation.
Memoir of a Revolutionary Soldier: The Narrative of Joseph Plumb Martin. Unique perspective, I found thought provoking how different some of his priorities were. Seems people in the past, like today, are focused on their own livelihood way more than the grand implications of the conflicts they are in.
by mikehillfin