Start with high-confidence buddhist history books, then narrow by subgenre or adjacent topics.
The Story of Buddhism
Donald S. Lopez Jr.
Buddhism: a Very Short Introduction
Damien Keown
Hua-yen Buddhism
Francis H. Cook, Francis Harold Cook
The Way of Zen
Alan Watts, Alan W. Watts
Re Enchantment
Jeffery Paine
Clear Serenity, Quiet Insight
Paul L. Swanson
Buddhism for Dummies
Jonathan Landaw, Stephan Bodian
Rainbow Body and Resurrection
Francis V. Tiso
The Perfection of Wisdom in First Bloom
Bhikkhu Analayo, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
