Homosexuality in the 30s: we could read "While England Sleeps", for starters. And I've got a non-fiction rec, "Queer London", which is sitting on my "to read" bookshelf, *sigh*.

Boer War would be great as I suspect there are a range of books with different perspectives.

Egyptology, YES. Have to have an Amelia Peabody mystery in there, for starters. (I read one and didn't like it, but that doesn't mean it's not a good candidate.)