A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities is a Charles Dickens novel serialised in All the Year Round from April to November 1859 and issued as a book by Chapman and Hall of London that year. Set in London and Paris around the French Revolution, it centres on Dr Manette, his daughter Lucie and two look-alike men.
- Editions tracked
- 2
- First edition
- Chapman and Hall, 1859
- First published
- Chapman and Hall, London, 1859
Spot the first edition: P. 213: page number misprinted as 113 (first issue) Full identification guide
Which edition do you have?
First edition
- 1st Chapman and Hall1859 Hardback I own A Tale of Two Cities, Chapman and Hall 1859 Log in to want this
Later and other editions
On screen
- A Tale of Two Cities Film, 1917
- A Tale of Two Cities Film, 1922
- The Only Way Film, 1927
- A Tale of Two Cities Film, 1935
- A Tale of Two Cities Film, 1958
- A Tale of Two Cities Film, 1980
- A Tale of Two Cities Television
From Wikidata. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
Pictures of the book
Freely licensed pictures of the work. They are not necessarily the edition you hold: check the points on each edition's page.
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How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained
Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of A Tale of Two Cities?
The first edition of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens was published in London by Chapman and Hall in 1859.
How many editions of A Tale of Two Cities are there?
We track 2 editions of A Tale of Two Cities, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Has A Tale of Two Cities been adapted for film or television?
Yes, including A Tale of Two Cities (television), A Tale of Two Cities (film, 1980), A Tale of Two Cities (film, 1958).
Where these facts come from
- A Tale of Two Cities, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- A Tale of Two Cities (Q308918), Wikidata (wikidata.org)
- Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, first edition in book form, Bonhams, 2021 (bonhams.com)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.