All year I've been reading Mary S McAuliffe's series of books covering the history of Paris from the election of Napoleon III to the German occupation in WWII. They're all written from the point of view of the arts and culture - including hotels, department stores, haute couture, perfumery, Renault and Citroen and, of course, Baron Haussman's work and the Metro and canals. Very little politics - just enough to keep one in line, but we DO get the story of what Gnl de Gaulle did during WWI.
Here they are:
Just started on this one (my daughter's getting them for me on Kindle for birthdays &c)
MG