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The Trumpet-Major by Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy’s *The Trumpet-Major* stands as a unique entry in his bibliography, classified among his romances and fantasies rather than the tragic novels…

The Trumpet-Major by Thomas Hardy
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Runtime: 11 hr 48 min · Watch the full audiobook on YouTube · Subscribe to Ion Books

Thomas Hardy’s *The Trumpet-Major* stands as a unique entry in his bibliography, classified among his romances and fantasies rather than the tragic novels for which he is best known. Published in 1880, this historical fiction transports readers to the Dorset coast of 1804, a time when the looming threat of Napoleon’s invasion cast a long shadow over rural England. The narrative weaves intimate domestic life with the broader currents of history, capturing the anxiety of a nation waiting for war while personal dramas unfold within its villages. Hardy draws upon meticulous research, including interviews with veterans and archival records, to render a vivid portrait of a community navigating uncertainty. The story centers on Anne Garland and the complex affections that bind her to two brothers, their choices tested by duty, honor, and the unpredictable nature of fate. This work offers a quieter, more hopeful counterpoint to Hardy’s later masterpieces, yet it retains his characteristic sensitivity to the subtle ironies of human connection.

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Public domain & narration

The Trumpet-Major was first published in 1880. Works first published before 1931 are in the public domain in the United States, so the text is free to read, share and adapt. The edition shown here comes from Project Gutenberg, which publishes only books that are in the US public domain.

The narration is the LibriVox recording read by 10 volunteer readers, including Simon Evers, RobbieRogers and Rebecca Dittman. LibriVox volunteers dedicate their recordings to the public domain.

Ion Books adds the synchronized scrolling text and video, so you can read along while you listen, for free.

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Chapters

  1. Chapter 00 - Preface (4:14) · watch
  2. Chapter 01 - What Was Seen From the Window Overlooking the Down (20:51) · watch
  3. Chapter 02 - Somebody Knocks and Comes In (18:06) · watch
  4. Chapter 03 - The Mill Becomes an Important Centre of Operations (17:28) · watch
  5. Chapter 04 - Who Were Present at the Miller's Little Entertainment (7:17) · watch
  6. Chapter 05 - The Song and the Stranger (16:52) · watch
  7. Chapter 06 - Old Mr. Derriman of Oxwell Hall (24:00) · watch
  8. Chapter 07 - How They Talked in the Pastures (8:13) · watch
  9. Chapter 08 - Anne Makes a Circuit of the the Camp (15:13) · watch
  10. Chapter 09 - Anne is Kindly Fetched by the Trumpet-Major (28:19) · watch
  11. Chapter 10 - The Matchmaking Virtues of a Double Garden (15:42) · watch
  12. Chapter 11 - Our People Are Affected by the Presence of Royalty (20:56) · watch
  13. Chapter 12 - How Everybody Great and Small Climbed... (14:48) · watch
  14. Chapter 13 - The Conversation in the Crowd (12:20) · watch
  15. Chapter 14 - Later in the Eve. of the Same Day (9:15) · watch
  16. Chapter 15 - 'Captain' Bob Loveday of the Merchant Service (22:34) · watch
  17. Chapter 16 - They Make Ready for the Illustrious Stranger (22:52) · watch
  18. Chapter 17 - Two Fainting Fits and a Bewilderment (15:35) · watch
  19. Chapter 18 - The Night After the Arrival (13:21) · watch
  20. Chapter 19 - Miss Johnson's Behaviour Causes No Little Surprise (19:05) · watch
  21. Chapter 20 - How They Lessened the Effect of the Calamity (19:06) · watch
  22. Chapter 21 - 'Upon the Hill He Turned' (12:29) · watch
  23. Chapter 22 - The Two Households United (23:18) · watch
  24. Chapter 23 - Military Preparations on an Extended Scale (21:28) · watch
  25. Chapter 24 - A Letter, A Visitor and a Tin Box (10:09) · watch
  26. Chapter 25 - Festus Shows His Love (12:56) · watch
  27. Chapter 26 - The Alarm (26:27) · watch
  28. Chapter 27 - Danger to Anne (16:55) · watch
  29. Chapter 28 - Anne Does Wonders (24:08) · watch
  30. Chapter 29 - A Dissembler (9:19) · watch
  31. Chapter 30 - At The Theatre Royal (16:33) · watch
  32. Chapter 31 - Midnight Visitors (13:46) · watch
  33. Chapter 32 - Deliverance (12:01) · watch
  34. Chapter 33 - A Discovery Turns the Scale (23:11) · watch
  35. Chapter 34 - A Speck on the Sea (23:16) · watch
  36. Chapter 35 - A Sailor Enters (16:09) · watch
  37. Chapter 36 - Derriman Sees Chances (12:21) · watch
  38. Chapter 37 - Reaction (19:53) · watch
  39. Chapter 38 - A Delicate Situation (20:36) · watch
  40. Chapter 39 - Bob Loveday Struts Up and Down (22:57) · watch
  41. Chapter 40 - A Call on Business (15:50) · watch
  42. Chapter 41 - John Marches into the Night (8:38) · watch

Full text

This work is too long to show on one page. Read it on Project Gutenberg · download ebook.txt

Sources

Raw pipeline data (admin)