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7,238 public-domain books, summarised. Page 137 of 151.

Cover of The Comedy of Errors: The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.]

The Comedy of Errors: The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.]

William Shakespeare

A frantic comedy of errors unfolds when two sets of long-lost identical twins accidentally converge in the same city, triggering a chaotic day of mistaken identities, false accusations, and mounting absurdity.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The White Slaves of England

The White Slaves of England

John C. Cobden

The suffering of the nineteenth-century English working class is exposed through this searing indictment of an industrial system that commodified human life. It serves as a grim mirror for a society claiming moral superiority while enslaving its own poor.

History - British7 min read
Cover of Argentina, Legend and History

Argentina, Legend and History

Vicente Blasco Ibáñez

The sweeping expanse of the Argentine pampa and the turbulent birth of a nation define this portrait of a country’s soul. Through history, legend, and personal observation, the text captures the fierce spirit of a land transitioning from colonial rule to a modern, independent state.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada, from the mss. of Fray Antonio Agapida

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada, from the mss. of Fray Antonio Agapida

Washington Irving

The fall of the last Moorish stronghold in Spain is chronicled here as a sweeping, romantic epic of clashing civilizations, shifting allegiances, and the relentless march of history toward a unified kingdom.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)8 min read
Cover of Happiness: Essays on the meaning of life

Happiness: Essays on the meaning of life

Karl Hilty

True happiness is not a destination to be reached, but the byproduct of a life purposefully lived through disciplined work and unwavering moral resolve.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Le Corbeau = The Raven

Le Corbeau = The Raven

Edgar Allan Poe

A mourning scholar finds his solitude shattered by a spectral bird, whose relentless, single-word prophecy drives him into the depths of inconsolable despair.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Myths of northern lands

Myths of northern lands

H. A. (Hélène Adeline) Guerber

The ancient deities of the cold North speak again in this comprehensive guide, inviting modern readers to explore the grim, tragic, and heroic foundations of Germanic and Scandinavian mythology.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Portable Flame Thrower M2-2

Portable Flame Thrower M2-2

United States. War Department

This technical manual provides precise operational and maintenance protocols for the M2-2 portable flame thrower, a weapon system central to mid-century infantry combat.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of The cruise of the Snark

The cruise of the Snark

Jack London

HOOK Driven by the desire to escape the mundane, an author and his wife set sail to circumnavigate the globe in a small boat of their own making.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The medical aspects of death, and the medical aspects of the human mind

The medical aspects of death, and the medical aspects of the human mind

James Bower Harrison

We are all destined to reach the end of our journey, and contemplating the physical and mental transitions that lead us there is a vital, noble exercise of the mind.

Medicine & Health6 min read
Cover of The Æneids of Virgil, Done into English Verse

The Æneids of Virgil, Done into English Verse

Virgil

The legendary journey of Aeneas from the burning ruins of Troy to the founding of a new civilization in Italy is a foundational epic of Western literature, defined by divine intervention and the crushing weight of duty.

Classics of Literature6 min read
Cover of The pirates of the New England coast, 1630-1730

The pirates of the New England coast, 1630-1730

George Francis Dow

The rugged, indented shoreline of early New England served as a clandestine gateway for outlaws who blurred the line between legitimate privateering and lawless piracy. This chronicle documents the century-long struggle to contain these maritime predators.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The Theory and Practice of Perspective

The Theory and Practice of Perspective

G. A. (George Adolphus) Storey

Drawing is a conversation between the eye and the mind, where the art of perspective provides the grammar for translating three-dimensional space onto a flat surface. This guide serves as a technical manual for artists who wish to master that grammar through reason rather than rote memorization.

Art6 min read
Cover of A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland

A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland

Samuel Johnson

A celebrated man of letters and his curious companion set out to survey the rugged, vanishing cultures of the remote Western Islands, documenting a society perched between ancient tradition and a modernizing world.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Beethoven's Letters 1790-1826, Volume 2

Beethoven's Letters 1790-1826, Volume 2

Ludwig van Beethoven

The genius of a master is measured not only by his music but by the relentless, often painful, human struggle to create it. This collection captures the final, most turbulent chapter of a titan’s life.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Chitra, a Play in One Act

Chitra, a Play in One Act

Rabindranath Tagore

The power of this drama lies in the tension between the masks we wear to be loved and the raw, unadorned truth we fear to reveal. It is a meditation on whether intimacy can survive the transition from fantasy to reality.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Civilization in the United States: An inquiry by thirty Americans

Civilization in the United States: An inquiry by thirty Americans

Unknown

This collaborative inquiry captures the restless, critical spirit of early 1920s America, dissecting the perceived failures of a nation obsessed with material gain over intellectual and cultural depth. It remains a foundational document of American self-critique.

American Literature9 min read
Cover of Ethics

Ethics

Benedictus de Spinoza

Human life is a perpetual struggle between the passions that enslave us and the reason that sets us free. We navigate this fragile existence by aligning our own nature with the necessary order of the universe.

Philosophy & Ethics7 min read
Cover of Marie Antoinette and the Downfall of Royalty

Marie Antoinette and the Downfall of Royalty

Imbert de Saint-Amand

The French Revolution is a tragedy of narrowing choices, where the absolute monarch and the desperate insurgent collide in a spiral of violence. This chronicle captures the final, frantic months of the Bourbon monarchy, tracing the agonizing descent of a crown from divine right to the revolutionary scaffold.

History - European6 min read
Cover of Modern Essays and Stories: A book to awaken appreciation of modern prose, and to develop ability and originality in writing

Modern Essays and Stories: A book to awaken appreciation of modern prose, and to develop ability and originality in writing

Unknown

Great writing is not a product of mechanical imitation, but a vital, personal expression that transforms the small, overlooked details of human life into permanent, meaningful art.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Narrative of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in the Seventeenth Century, Vol. I

Narrative of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in the Seventeenth Century, Vol. I

Evliya Çelebi

An indefatigable traveler dreams of seeing the world and documents his life in the seventeenth-century Ottoman Empire, capturing the grandeur of its capital and the shifting tides of its history.

History - Other7 min read
Cover of The Gentle Art of Making Enemies

The Gentle Art of Making Enemies

James McNeill Whistler

A master of the stinging retort turns the tables on his detractors, transforming public criticism into a brilliant, biting performance of self-defense. This collection serves as a definitive record of an artist who refused to suffer fools or critics gladly.

Art6 min read
Cover of The Poetical Works of Oliver Wendell Holmes

The Poetical Works of Oliver Wendell Holmes

Oliver Wendell Holmes

The wit of a physician meets the soul of a patriot in these pages, offering a portrait of an America finding its voice through humor, history, and the steady pulse of a shared national life.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of Young Folks Treasury, Volume 3 (of 12): Classic Tales and Old-Fashioned Stories

Young Folks Treasury, Volume 3 (of 12): Classic Tales and Old-Fashioned Stories

Unknown

This collection gathers the enduring voices of world literature, inviting young readers into the grand, moral, and adventurous landscapes that have defined the Western imagination for centuries.

Children & Young Adult Reading8 min read
Cover of History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Vol. II

History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Vol. II

John Colin Dunlop

The written word was the primary architecture of the Roman state, transforming ephemeral political power into the enduring monuments of history, law, and oratory. This volume chronicles the evolution of Latin prose as it moved from the humble, practical manuals of agriculture to the sophisticated, high-stakes…

History - Ancient8 min read
Cover of Joan Thursday: A Novel

Joan Thursday: A Novel

Louis Joseph Vance

A beautiful, ambitious young woman navigates the ruthless theater world of early 20th-century New York, discovering that her climb to stardom requires the cold sacrifice of her own heart.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The History of the Great and Mighty Kingdom of China and the Situation Thereof, Volume 1 (of 2)

The History of the Great and Mighty Kingdom of China and the Situation Thereof, Volume 1 (of 2)

Juan González de Mendoza

The vast, orderly, and inscrutable landscape of China appears through the eyes of sixteenth-century travelers, painting a portrait of a civilization that feels both impossibly alien and strikingly familiar to the European mind.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)6 min read
Cover of Utopia of Usurers and Other Essays

Utopia of Usurers and Other Essays

G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton

The modern world stands at a crossroads where the pursuit of profit has supplanted the pursuit of justice, turning citizens into cogs in a vast, impersonal machine of servitude. This collection of essays serves as a piercing critique of a society that has surrendered its humanity to the cold logic of the marketplace.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of A Dialogue Concerning Oratory, or the Causes of Corrupt Eloquence: The Works of Cornelius Tacitus, Volume 8 (of 8)

A Dialogue Concerning Oratory, or the Causes of Corrupt Eloquence: The Works of Cornelius Tacitus, Volume 8 (of 8)

Cornelius Tacitus

HOOK A sophisticated meditation on the decline of public speech, this work captures a pivotal debate among Roman intellectuals regarding whether true eloquence can survive in an age of stability.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Highways and Byways in Lincolnshire

Highways and Byways in Lincolnshire

W. F. (Willingham Franklin) Rawnsley

This invitation to explore the landscape of Lincolnshire follows the main roads and hidden byways of a storied county, revealing a treasury of medieval architecture, ancient ruins, and the enduring spirit of the English countryside.

Architecture7 min read
Cover of Poems of James Russell Lowell: With biographical sketch by Nathan Haskell Dole

Poems of James Russell Lowell: With biographical sketch by Nathan Haskell Dole

James Russell Lowell

The verses collected here offer a window into a nineteenth-century mind grappling with the demands of love, the weight of history, and the moral urgency of a nation in flux. They capture the transition from romantic idealism to the sharp, satirical edge of political engagement.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of Sail Ho! A Boy at Sea

Sail Ho! A Boy at Sea

George Manville Fenn

A young sailor faces his first true test when a treacherous mutiny turns a routine voyage into a desperate struggle for survival. High seas and human malice collide in this classic tale of grit and redemption.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Collector's Handbook to Keramics of the Renaissance and Modern Periods

The Collector's Handbook to Keramics of the Renaissance and Modern Periods

William Chaffers

This comprehensive survey offers a window into the evolution of ceramic artistry, serving as a meticulously organized guide for the dedicated collector. It bridges the gap between historical inquiry and practical identification, cataloging the rise and fall of major manufactories across Europe and the East.

Art6 min read
Cover of The Party and Other Stories

The Party and Other Stories

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

This collection of stories captures the quiet, devastating friction between the lives people lead and the lives they imagine they deserve. It is a profound, unsentimental portrait of human restlessness and the absurdity of social masks.

Russian Literature6 min read
Cover of The Second Jungle Book

The Second Jungle Book

Rudyard Kipling

To witness the wild is to know the weight of a Law that governs all who breathe, from the smallest creature to the master of the hunt.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Floreat Etona: Anecdotes and Memories of Eton College

Floreat Etona: Anecdotes and Memories of Eton College

Ralph Nevill

Eton College is more than a school; it is a sprawling, rowdy, and venerable institution defined by its defiance, its rigid hierarchies, and its peculiar, enduring traditions. This collection of memories invites the reader into the heart of a world where ancient rituals once balanced precariously against the…

History - British6 min read
Cover of Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1905 to 1906

Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1905 to 1906

L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery

This collection gathers thirty-one short stories published during a pivotal time in the author’s career. These vignettes capture the quiet dramas, domestic tensions, and romantic yearnings of turn-of-the-century Prince Edward Island.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 2, May, 1851

The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 2, May, 1851

Various

A vibrant snapshot of mid-19th-century intellectual life, this periodical weaves together global reportage, literary criticism, and the domestic fashions of a burgeoning era.

Art6 min read
Cover of The North American Slime-Moulds: A Descriptive List of All Species of Myxomycetes Hitherto Reported from the Continent of North America, with Notes on Some Extra-Limital Species

The North American Slime-Moulds: A Descriptive List of All Species of Myxomycetes Hitherto Reported from the Continent of North America, with Notes on Some Extra-Limital Species

Thomas H. (Thomas Huston) Macbride

These curious organisms thrive in the shadows of the forest, bridging the divide between the plant and animal kingdoms. They are the elusive, ephemeral slime-moulds, cataloged here with the precision of a lifelong observer.

Nature/Gardening/Animals5 min read
Cover of A Boy's Will

A Boy's Will

Robert Frost

A young poet’s inaugural collection, this work charts the transition from the solitary, brooding impulses of youth to a grounded, mature engagement with the world of work, love, and nature. It captures the quiet intensity of finding one's place in a landscape that is both indifferent and deeply resonant.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of A History of Champagne, with Notes on the Other Sparkling Wines of France

A History of Champagne, with Notes on the Other Sparkling Wines of France

Henry Vizetelly

HOOK The sparkling wine of the Marne is more than a drink; it is a "wildfire wine" that has served as the universal symbol of French conviviality for centuries.

Cooking & Drinking6 min read
Cover of Assisting Ananias

Assisting Ananias

W. C. (Wilbur C.) Tuttle

This is a rollicking Western tall tale that follows three desperate drifters as they attempt a preposterous confidence scheme. It captures the frantic, dust-choked energy of a frontier yarn where the truth is merely a flexible starting point for a better story.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Eskimo Folk-Tales

Eskimo Folk-Tales

W. J. Alexander (William John Alexander) Worster

A collection of Greenlandic oral traditions, these tales reveal a stark, singular world where the boundary between human, animal, and spirit is as thin as the Arctic ice.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Foods and Household Management: A Textbook of the Household Arts

Foods and Household Management: A Textbook of the Household Arts

Helen Kinne

This rigorous guide elevates the daily maintenance of the home into a disciplined intersection of science, economics, and art. It serves as an essential manual for those who view domestic management as a vital professional pursuit.

Cooking & Drinking6 min read
Cover of Prince or Chauffeur? A Story of Newport

Prince or Chauffeur? A Story of Newport

Lawrence Perry

An American naval officer goes undercover as a chauffeur to stop a foreign prince from smuggling military secrets out of a Newport estate.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The buccaneers and marooners of America

The buccaneers and marooners of America

Daniel Defoe

Adventures are to the adventurous. This collection gathers the stark, often brutal chronicles of the seventeenth-century freebooters who haunted the Spanish Main, leaving behind a legacy of iron-fisted rule and lawless exploration.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Divorce of Catherine of Aragon: The Story as Told by the Imperial Ambassadors Resident at the Court of Henry VIII

The Divorce of Catherine of Aragon: The Story as Told by the Imperial Ambassadors Resident at the Court of Henry VIII

James Anthony Froude

The rupture between Henry VIII and Rome was not merely a royal whim, but a seismic shift in the foundations of the English nation. This account strips away the myth to reveal the political machinery of the Tudor era.

History - British7 min read
Cover of The Life of Robert Louis Stevenson for Boys and Girls

The Life of Robert Louis Stevenson for Boys and Girls

Jacqueline Overton

The life of a brilliant, sickly writer unfolds from his lighthouse-building roots in Scotland to his final, sun-drenched days in the South Seas.

Biographies6 min read
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