Rural Rides (Annotated)

Enriched Edition. Horseback Journeys Through Regency England, Rural Life, Agricultural Reform, and Radical Political CommentaryBy William Cobbett

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Length19h 54m

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Rural Rides is William Cobbett's vivid record of journeys through southern and midland England in the 1820s, combining travel writing, political reportage, agricultural observation, and polemical satire. Written in a vigorous, plain-spoken prose that resists polite literary refinement, the book sets hedgerows, farms, cottages, markets, and parish life against the abstractions of finance, enclosure, and parliamentary misrule. In the context of post-Napoleonic Britain, it stands as both an anti-industrial pastoral and a radical social document. Cobbett, born in rural Surrey in 1763, rose from farm labourer's son to soldier, journalist, pamphleteer, and Member of Parliament. His intimate knowledge of agricultural labour, coupled with his hatred of corruption, paper money, and centralized power, shaped the moral urgency of Rural Rides. The work reflects a lifetime spent defending the independence of ordinary Englishmen against what he saw as the predations of landlords, bankers, placemen, and speculators. This book is indispensable for readers interested in English rural history, political radicalism, and the literature of place. Cobbett's judgments can be fierce, partial, and uncompromising, but his eye is extraordinarily exact. Rural Rides rewards anyone seeking a passionate, unsentimental portrait of a changing nation. This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience. - A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.

Journey Political Intrigue Exploration Nature & Wilderness Rebellion

Audiobook details

Rating★★★★ 3.8 (417)

Includes Goodreads, Amazon, LibraryThing

GenreTravel

Length19 hrs 54 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

Publish dateApr 9, 2020

LanguageEnglish

1Rural Rides (Annotated)

2Introduction

3Historical Context

4Synopsis (Selection)

5RURAL RIDES, ETC.

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6JOURNAL: FROM LONDON, THROUGH NEWBURY, TO BERGHCLERE, HURSTBOURN TARRANT, MARLBOROUGH, AND CIRENCESTER, TO GLOUCESTER.

7JOURNAL: FROM GLOUCESTER, TO BOLLITREE IN HEREFORDSHIRE, ROSS, HEREFORD, ABINGDON, OXFORD, CHELTENHAM, BERGHCLERE, WHITCHURCH, UPHURSTBOURN, AND THENCE TO KENSINGTON.

8KENTISH JOURNAL: FROM KENSINGTON TO DARTFORD, ROCHESTER, CHATHAM, AND FAVERSHAM.

9NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK JOURNAL.

10SUSSEX JOURNAL: TO BATTLE, THROUGH BROMLEY, SEVEN-OAKS, AND TUNBRIDGE.

11SUSSEX JOURNAL: THROUGH CROYDON, GODSTONE, EAST-GRINSTEAD, AND UCKFIELD, TO LEWES, AND BRIGHTON; RETURNING BY CUCKFIELD, WORTH, AND RED-HILL.

12HUNTINGDON JOURNAL: THROUGH WARE AND ROYSTON, TO HUNTINGDON.

13JOURNAL: HERTFORDSHIRE, AND BUCKINGHAMSHIRE: TO ST. ALBANS, THROUGH EDGWARE, STANMORE, AND WATFORD, RETURNING BY REDBOURN, HEMPSTEAD, AND CHESHAM.

14RURAL RIDE, OF 104 MILES, FROM KENSINGTON TO UPHUSBAND; INCLUDING A RUSTIC HARANGUE AT WINCHESTER, AT A DINNER WITH THE FARMERS, ON THE 28TH SEPTEMBER.

15THROUGH HAMPSHIRE, BERKSHIRE, SURREY, AND SUSSEX, BETWEEN 7th OCTOBER AND 1ST DECEMBER, 1822, 327 MILES.

16JOURNAL: RIDE FROM KENSINGTON TO WORTH, IN SUSSEX.

17FROM THE (LONDON) WEN ACROSS SURREY, ACROSS THE WEST OF SUSSEX, AND INTO THE SOUTH EAST OF HAMPSHIRE.

18THROUGH THE SOUTH-EAST OF HAMPSHIRE, BACK THROUGH THE SOUTH-WEST OF SURREY, ALONG THE WEALD OF SURREY, AND THEN OVER THE SURREY HILLS DOWN TO THE WEN.

19RIDE THROUGH THE NORTH-EAST PART OF SUSSEX, AND ALL ACROSS KENT, FROM THE WEALD OF SUSSEX, TO DOVER.

20RURAL RIDE FROM DOVER, THROUGH THE ISLE OF THANET, BY CANTERBURY AND FAVERSHAM, ACROSS TO MAIDSTONE, UP TO TONBRIDGE, THROUGH THE WEALD OF KENT, AND OVER THE HILLS BY WESTERHAM AND HAYS, TO THE WEN.

21RURAL RIDE: FROM KENSINGTON, ACROSS SURREY, AND ALONG THAT COUNTY.

22RIDE: FROM CHILWORTH, IN SURREY, TO WINCHESTER.

23RURAL RIDE: FROM WINCHESTER TO BURGHCLERE.

24RIDE, FROM BURGHCLERE TO PETERSFIELD.

25RURAL RIDE FROM PETERSFIELD TO KENSINGTON.

26RIDE DOWN THE VALLEY OF THE AVON IN WILTSHIRE.

27RIDE FROM SALISBURY TO WARMINSTER, FROM WARMINSTER TO FROME, FROM FROME TO DEVIZES, AND FROM DEVIZES TO HIGHWORTH.

28RIDE FROM HIGHWORTH TO CRICKLADE AND THENCE TO MALMSBURY.

29RIDE, FROM MALMSBURY, IN WILTSHIRE, THROUGH GLOUCESTERSHIRE, HEREFORDSHIRE, AND WORCESTERSHIRE.

30RIDE FROM RYALL, IN WORCESTERSHIRE, TO BURGHCLERE, IN HAMPSHIRE.

31RIDE, FROM BURGHCLERE TO LYNDHURST, IN THE NEW FOREST.

32RIDE: FROM LYNDHURST (NEW FOREST) TO BEAULIEU ABBEY; THENCE TO SOUTHAMPTON AND WESTON; THENCE TO BOTLEY, ALLINGTON, WEST END, NEAR HAMBLEDON; AND THENCE TO PETERSFIELD, THURSLEY, GODALMING.

33RIDE: FROM WESTON, NEAR SOUTHAMPTON, TO KENSINGTON.

34RURAL RIDE: TO TRING, IN HERTFORDSHIRE.

35NORTHERN TOUR.

36EASTERN TOUR.

37EASTERN TOUR ENDED, MIDLAND TOUR BEGUN.

38TOUR IN THE WEST.

39PROGRESS IN THE NORTH.

40Analysis

41Reflection

42Memorable Quotes