The Fall of Paris: The Siege and the Commune, 1870-71, by Alistair Horne
The Franco-Prussian War: The German Invasion of France, 1870-1871, by Michael Howard
Both are excellent reads, and both describe impacts and developments that led into/influenced WWI. To put the difference very simply, although they are both classics of military history, Horne's book takes a broader view and covers a great deal of the political aspects as well as the military, while Howard's book has a much tighter focus on the military.
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