A Tale of Two Cities (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations)
Written for serial publication in 1859, Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" is a historical novel that takes place in England and France in the years leading up to the French Revolution. It is one of Dickens' most famous and widely taught novels. Its first line, which begins, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," is one of the most recognizable openers in all of literature.
From June 1941, the Soviets were forced to undertake large-scale defensive operations in the face of the overwhelming German blitzkrieg assault, operations which ran counter to their preference for highly mobile, offensive warfare. Lessons were quickly learned across a wide variety of terrain and climates, including the open steppes, dense forests, wooded swamps, cities, and in snow and ice, where the availability of construction materials differed greatly.
Nearly 4,000 cities on our planet today have populations of 100,000 people or more. We know their names, locations, and approximate populations from maps and other data sources, but there is little comparable knowledge about all these cities, and none that can be described as rigorously scientific.
The French Revolution brings terror and death to many people. But even in these troubled times people can still love and be kind. They can be generous and true-hearted . . . and brave
