Traveling to Paris, Versailles and the Loire Valley

I will be travelling a year from now to the mentioned places for the first time in my life. I already read the Count of Monte Cristo and some of Balzac novels.

I am looking for books, fiction or non-fiction, that will teach me about the general history of the important landmarks so that I will understand the historical significance of the places I am looking to visit (palace of Versailles, Arc of Triumph, Louvre, Chateux of the Loire Valley). I understand I am probably asking for something that is impossible to condense in one book, so I am open to suggestions of multiple books.

Thanks a lot fellow reditors.