I'm looking for a general history that covers military strategy, etc. but also one that places a lot of emphasis on the political/social dimensions of the conflict, especially in regards to the partisans.
Armageddon by Max Hastings is a very good read but it starts in 1944 (apologies if that doesn't fit your criteria) and goes to the end of the war. Hastings includes a ton of detail and emphasis about the eastern front, however he also covers the western front as well.
Hope this helps.
You should check out Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder. It doesn't go into too much detail about military strategy but does cover a lot of the partisan activity during the war. The book's main focus is on the killing done by both regimes from the 1920's through the end of the war.
If I recall correctly,Anthony beevor wrote a few books about World War II battles i,some of these books were about the eastern front.
David Glantz is a respected english writing expert who I believe had early access to the Soviet Archives when they were available. He has many books covering different aspects of the conflict. "When Titans Clashed" and "Stumbling Collossus" seem to be referred to more than most.
His own site. has this: "Espionage-Sabotage-Conspiracy: German and Russian Operations, 1940 to 1945 (Excerpts from the Files
of the German Naval Staff and from other Captured German Documents) (194 pages, with appendices). A detailed description f the organization and functions of German and Soviet intelligence, counterintelligence, and diversionary and partisan operations prepared in 1947 by the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Intelligence. Item G-015 -- $40."
I'm halfway through The Battle of the Tanks: Kursk, by Llloyd Clark
Merridale's Ivan's War would be of interest to you if you enjoy the human level.