Preface
In a brief note, Dickens mentions the source of inspiration
for A Tale of Two Cities: a play in which he acted,
called The Frozen Deep, written by his friend Wilkie
Collins. He adds that he hopes that he can further his readers'
understanding of the French Revolution—“that terrible time”—but
that no one can truly hope to surpass Thomas Carlyle's The
French Revolution (published in 1837).
