A Classic Pair: A Tale of Two Cities & War and Peace brings together two unforgettable pieces of historical fiction – by turns beautiful and devastating – from nineteenth-century literary giants, Charles Dickens and Leo Tolstoy. This magnetic pairing is brought to life by award-winning narrators, including the unparalleled Miriam Margolyes.

The titles included in this collection, in order of appearance, are:

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, read by Miriam Margolyes

French Doctor Manette is reunited with his daughter, Lucie, after eighteen years in imprisonment in the Bastille. They travel to London, upon which Lucie receives two declarations of love: one from the French nobleman, Charles Darnay; another from Sydney Carton, a notorious English lawyer. Enmeshed in a complex family dynamic, all are forced to move to Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror, in an attempt to save captured Darnay who travelled to France a few months before. A masterpiece of historical fiction, A Tale of Two Cities tells a story of sacrifice, redemption and the bonds that transcend even the most appalling of circumstances.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, read by Jonathan Keeble

Set during the Napoleonic Wars, Tolstoy's sweeping historical epic captures Russia during one of its most turbulent eras, where immense battles, glittering ballrooms and quiet moments of love and loss collide. Meet the idealistic Pierre Bezukhov as he searches for meaning amongst the chaos of war; the thoughtful Prince Andrei Bolkonsky as he grapples with honour and ambition; and the romantically minded Natasha Rostov as she discovers love, loss and the cruel nature of life itself for the very first time. With fascinating historical interludes and at turns profoundly philosophical, War and Peace is a powerful story about freedom and destiny – and remains one of the greatest tales of humanity ever told.

This audiobook is fully indexed. Once downloaded, each book and chapter will be listed so you can easily navigate to the individual section.

Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was an English writer and social critic. He is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime and, by the twentieth century, critics and scholars had recognized him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories are widely read, performed and adapted today.

Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) was a Russian author. He was famed for his epic novels, simplistic and direct prose, psychological insight and realism. Admired by his literary peers and significant figures from the twentieth century, Tolstoy is still regarded as one of the most influential authors of all time.