On the 30th September 1791 in Paris, a vain, meticulously dressed French Lawyer or avocat, his hair carefully brushed and powdered white, dissolved the National Assembly and had himself declared one of the only two incorruptible patriots in France.

He was, of course, the infamous Robespierre and he ushered in the Reign of Terror that was to provide the background for one of Charles Dickens' most thrilling novels.

This was a time when the rich were beheaded simply for being rich. A woman in Bordeaux was beheaded for the 'crime' of having wept at her husband's execution. Not even nuns, women and children were safe, 20,000 were guillotined in the name of the Revolution and all under the approving eye of Robespierre, by now the most powerful politician in France.

Set between London and Paris, A Tale of Two Cities has adventure, betrayal and great heroism woven through this thrilling tale of the French Revolution and is read by Andrew Sachs as an unabridged audio book for Silksoundbooks.

And what happened to Robespierre? Within three years he faced the same fate to which he had sent so many of his countrymen: death by guillotine.