Tale of Two Cities

‘A Tale of Two Cities’ (1859), Dickens’ greatest historical novel, traces the private lives of a group of people caught up in the cataclysm of the French Revolution and the Terror. Dickens based his historical detail on Carlyle’s great work – The French Revolution – and also on his own observations and investigations during numerous visits to Paris. “”The best story I have written”” was Dickens’ own verdict on ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, and the reader is unlikely to disagree with this judgement of a story which combines historical fact with the author’s unsurpassed genius for poignant tales of human suffering, self-sacrifice, and redemption. AUTHOR: When ‘The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club’, his first novel, was published, Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was just twenty-four. Published, like most of his books, in weekly instalments, it started him on a path to fame, wealth and international acclaim. Widely considered to be a literary genius second only to Shakespeare, Dickens’ works, such as ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘A Christmas Carol’, remain as popular as ever. —- ISBN: 9781853260391