Myanmar has inspired some exceptional writing. A short list of the most useful and readable:
Travel and history
Burmese Days — George Orwell. Orwell served in the Indian Imperial Police in Burma from 1922 to 1927, and this novel draws on that experience: colonial privilege, racism, and creeping self-disgust. Essential reading.
The Glass Palace — Amitav Ghosh. A sweeping novel following a Burmese family from the fall of the last royal court in 1885 through to independence. Beautifully written and remarkably good on the textures of Burmese life.
Finding George Orwell in Burma — Emma Larkin. A travel book and historical investigation retracing Orwell's time in Burma and connecting his Burmese experiences to his later work. Very good on the surveillance culture that has defined Myanmar under both colonial and military rule.
The Trouser People — Andrew Marshall. A journey through Myanmar following the trail of a Victorian colonial officer. Sharp, funny, and honest about the difficulties of travel under the junta.
The River of Lost Footsteps — Thant Myint-U. The best single-volume history of Myanmar by a Myanmar-born historian. Clear on the deep historical roots of the country's current crisis.
Where China Meets India — Thant Myint-U. A more recent book looking at the intersection of China, India, and Southeast Asia in the borderlands, with Myanmar at the centre. Forward-looking and essential for understanding the geopolitics.
Older classics
A Thousand Miles on an Elephant in the Shan States — Holt S. Hallett. Victorian-era travel writing through the Shan hills; available from White Lotus.
Old Burma – Early Pagan — Gordon Luce. The definitive academic work on the Pagan period, in three volumes.
Burmese Folk Tales — Maung Htin Aung. Collected folk stories providing a window into popular culture and traditional beliefs.
The Lands of Charm and Cruelty — Stan Sesser. Includes a long essay on Burma alongside other Southeast Asian countries, written in the early 1990s. Sharp political observation.
Architecture and art
Historical Sites in Burma — Aung Thaw. Government-published but still the most comprehensive guide to the archaeological sites.