A Tale of Two Cities

London: Chapman and Hall, 1859. First edition. Original printed wraps with near-invisible restoration to some spines. A Near Fine, largely unopened copy, with occasional marginal foxing or offsetting from the plates. First printing with p. 213 numbered 113 (and the other points in Smith), but without signature "b" on the list of illustrations. Complete with all sixteen etched plates by "Phiz" and all advertisements called for in Hatton & Cleever (including the scarce Thackeray ad for Cornhill Magazine), plus an additional sixteen pages of ads in parts VII and VIII not mentioned in the bibliography. Housed in a custom slipcase with chemise bearing the bookplate of Michael Sharpe.

Published in 1859, A Tale of Two Cities is considered one of the greatest of Dickens' works and contains one of the most recognizable openings in the English language: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Originally released in parts, after its completion A Tale of Two Cities became (and still remains) one of the most widely read novels in history, selling over 200 million copies to date. The book follows events in London and Paris around the time of the French Revolution, and Dickens used Thomas Carlyle's history of the French Revolution as both a source and inspiration. A complex novel of opposites and foils, its exploration of national and individual identity, selfish and selflessness, love and sacrifice has inspired countless operas, musicals, and films including a 1935 movie nominated for Best Picture.