“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” The words are timeless, they could apply to the world today. But of course, they were written over 150 years ago by Charles Dickens, in his masterpiece “A Tale of Two Cities.” If he was still alive, Charles Dickens would be turning 200 in just a few months. And all these years later, we continue to read his books, adapt his stories to the screen, and celebrate him as one of the greatest writers ever born. But beyond being a great writer, and a champion of the poor – who was Charles Dickens? Claire Tomalin delves into this question in her new book “Charles Dickens: A Life.” She joins The Takeaway from our partner the BBC in London.