Dickens, Charles.

A Tale of Two Cities [True First Issue of First Edition with All Nine (!) Markers in Original 19th Century Binding but lacking Title-Page as well as pages i-viii of Preliminaries (blank page, Dedication and Content-Page are missing). This copy starts with page [ix],the “List of Plates” bound here directly after the Vignette but importantly, the book seemed to have been bound this way since the pages were not torn out. This copy shines through the extraordinary condition of the Plates by H.K.Browne which, according to reference works, “were not duplicated and consequently most copies have poor impressions…” NOT this one !]

First Edition – First Issue. London, Chapman & Hall, [1859]. Octavo (14 cm wide x 22 cm high). Pagination: Frontispiece, Title-Page with Title-Vignette present (see image), [ix (being “List of Plates”)], 254 pages with all 16 plates and vignettes in their place [Illustration for page 197 bound after page 198]. Original Hardcover / Very decorative original 19th century half-leather with gilt lettering and ornament to spine. The wonderful marbled endpapers intact and firm with not a trace of splitting (very unusual). Title-Page with year missing ! Illustration on page 48 with a minor, professional repair of a very small tear. Spine of binding with a small defect. All plates in very good and clean condition with only the faintest signs of occasional foxing. Besides the lacking title-page, the dedication-page and the content-page, in very good condition with only minor signs of external wear to the upper spine.

Markers of the True First Issue of the First Edition present in this copy:

1. Signature ‘b’ noted on list of plates
2. The name Stryver misspelled on the Plate juxtaposed to page 94
3. The word ‘affectionately’ misspelled on page 134
4. Page 213 falsely numbered as 113
5. The word ‘himself’ lacking the letters ‘l’ and ‘f’ on page 166
6. Triple end quotes on page 238, line 14
7. Page 98 shows a comma instead of a period after the Chapter number
8. Chapter VII of Book the Second is titled “Monsieur the Marquis in Town” here (Content-Page viii not present in this copy), but
our copy shows correctly the flaw “Monseigneur in Town” in the Text
9. Chapter VIII of Book the Second is titled “Monsieur the Marquis in the Country” here (Content-Page viii not present in this copy), but our copy shows correctly the flaw “Monseigneur in the Country” in the Text



A Tale of Two Cities is a historical novel published in 1859 by English author Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris, and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.

A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens’s best-known work of historical fiction, is said to be one of the best selling novels of all time. In 2003, the novel was ranked 63rd on the BBC’s The Big Read poll. The novel has been adapted for film, television, radio, and the stage, and has continued to influence popular culture. (Wikipedia)

• Keywords: Catalogue Nineteen – English Literature before 1850 · Catalogue No.10 – International Literature · Dickens · Dickens, Charles · English Literature – Rare · English Literature of the 19th century · First Edition
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 32330AB

EUR 1.500,--