myebooksbuy
My Books

The whole shelf

All free summaries — page 140

7,238 public-domain books, summarised. Page 140 of 151.

Cover of The Animal Story Book

The Animal Story Book

Unknown

A sprawling collection of true-to-life accounts and classic legends, this work explores the curious, often heroic, and frequently mischievous nature of creatures great and small.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Brown Fairy Book

The Brown Fairy Book

Andrew Lang

Gathered from every corner of the globe, these stories weave together the universal anxieties and wonders of childhood through the timeless lens of folklore. They remind us that whether in a bustling palace or a lonely hut, the human heart remains the same.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Shepherd's Calendar. Volume I (of II)

The Shepherd's Calendar. Volume I (of II)

James Hogg

The Scottish hills are home to stories where the boundaries between the physical world and the supernatural thin, leaving shepherds and lairds to face the unpredictable hand of providence. These tales capture the raw, haunting spirit of a people living on the edge of wild, desolated landscapes.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of The Song of Songs: Translated from the Original Hebrew, with a Commentary, Historical and Critical

The Song of Songs: Translated from the Original Hebrew, with a Commentary, Historical and Critical

Christian D. (Christian David) Ginsburg

This rigorous scholarly work explores the enduring mystery of the Song of Songs, dissecting its historical, grammatical, and moral significance through the lens of mid-19th-century biblical criticism. It challenges centuries of established allegorical interpretation by advocating for a literal, humanistic reading…

Religion/Spirituality6 min read
Cover of The Story of Sigurd the Volsung and the Fall of the Niblungs

The Story of Sigurd the Volsung and the Fall of the Niblungs

William Morris

The ancient song of the north rises again, tracing the blood-soaked lineage of the Volsungs and the tragic, golden doom of the Niblungs.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Theory of the Earth, With Proofs and Illustrations, Volume 1 (of 4)

Theory of the Earth, With Proofs and Illustrations, Volume 1 (of 4)

James Hutton

The world is not a static stage, but a machine in constant motion, where the very stone beneath our feet is a product of fire, pressure, and vast, cyclical time.

Science - Earth/Agricultural/Farming7 min read
Cover of Woman's Institute Library of Cookery. Volume 5: Fruit and Fruit Desserts

Woman's Institute Library of Cookery. Volume 5: Fruit and Fruit Desserts

Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences

This comprehensive guide transforms the seasonal harvest into a year-round pantry through systematic instruction in canning, preserving, and the art of confectionery.

Cooking & Drinking6 min read
Cover of Anarchism

Anarchism

Paul Eltzbacher

This systematic study offers a rigorous, neutral map of anarchist thought by analyzing the core principles of its most influential thinkers. It serves as a definitive primer for those seeking to understand the movement beyond common misconceptions.

History - Modern (1750+)7 min read
Cover of Book of Etiquette, Volume I

Book of Etiquette, Volume I

Lillian Eichler Watson

True etiquette is not a rigid set of barriers to keep people out, but a graceful lubricant to help human interactions run more smoothly and kindly. It serves as the whipped cream that gives the cake of success its flavor.

How To ...5 min read
Cover of Five Years of Theosophy

Five Years of Theosophy

Unknown

The quest for ancient wisdom reveals a hidden architecture of the human soul, bridging the gap between scientific inquiry and the eternal mysteries of the spirit.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of Human Animals

Human Animals

Frank Hamel

The boundary between humanity and the animal kingdom is porous, a shifting edge where myth, superstition, and the darkest corners of human psychology collide.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of The Gadfly

The Gadfly

E. L. (Ethel Lillian) Voynich

The secret weight of a long-held betrayal forces a young man to reinvent himself as a jagged, mocking revolutionary, setting him on a collision course with the only person he ever truly loved.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of The Mesnevi

The Mesnevi

Maulana Jalal al-Din Rumi

This profound collection of spiritual teachings and parables serves as a foundational pillar of Sufi literature, using vivid allegories to guide the seeker toward the inner light of the divine.

Philosophy & Ethics7 min read
Cover of The Monster Men

The Monster Men

Edgar Rice Burroughs

A man is created in a lab, possessing a human soul but burdened by a monstrous origin. He must survive a savage wilderness to win the heart of the woman he loves.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Poet's Poet

The Poet's Poet

Elizabeth Atkins

The poet’s own words serve as our best guide to understanding the mysterious, often contradictory identity of the creative soul throughout the last century and a half.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 01 (of 12): Dresden Edition—Lectures

The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 01 (of 12): Dresden Edition—Lectures

Robert Green Ingersoll

This collection gathers the fiery, articulate arguments of a nineteenth-century orator who championed reason, science, and the absolute liberty of the human mind. It serves as a manifesto for the secular age.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 18

The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 18

Robert Louis Stevenson

A traveler traverses the vast Pacific, documenting the fading traditions of remote islanders and the encroaching influence of colonial powers in a world caught between ancient custom and modern wreckage.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of A Book of Remarkable Criminals

A Book of Remarkable Criminals

H. B. (Henry Brodribb) Irving

Driven by dark passions and cold calculation, these portraits explore the intersection of motive and action in the lives of history’s most notorious offenders.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of A Tale of a Tub

A Tale of a Tub

Jonathan Swift

A labyrinthine satire on human folly, this work dissects the pretensions of religion, philosophy, and literature through a chaotic blend of allegory and intellectual mischief. It remains a foundational masterpiece of ironic prose.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Bakemono Yashiki (The Haunted House), Retold from the Japanese Originals: Tales of the Tokugawa, Volume 2 (of 2)

Bakemono Yashiki (The Haunted House), Retold from the Japanese Originals: Tales of the Tokugawa, Volume 2 (of 2)

James S. (James Seguin) De Benneville

HOOK This atmospheric chronicle explores the eerie, lingering legacy of a haunted Edo estate, weaving together the lives of historical figures and the restless spirits of the Tokugawa era.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 07 (of 15), Spanish

Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 07 (of 15), Spanish

Charles Morris

This chronicle traces the turbulent evolution of Spain from the mythical age of King Wamba to the decisive naval battles of 1898, capturing the relentless spirit of a nation defined by its conquests and its losses.

History - European6 min read
Cover of Man in the Iron Mask (an Essay)

Man in the Iron Mask (an Essay)

Alexandre Dumas

A captive whose features were never seen, but whose existence haunted the corridors of power, remains the ultimate symbol of arbitrary, unreachable tyranny. No single key unlocks this cell, yet the mystery itself endures.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Social Life in the Insect World

Social Life in the Insect World

Jean-Henri Fabre

This collection of observations brings the hidden dramas of the insect world to life, revealing a landscape of bizarre rituals, brutal survival, and surprising sophistication beneath our feet.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of The Art of Letters

The Art of Letters

Robert Lynd

Literature is a conversation that transcends the grave, and these reflections serve as a bridge between the reader and the giants of the English tradition. Here, the pursuit of letters is treated not as a dry academic exercise, but as a living, breathing, and often messy human endeavor.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The Invisible Censor

The Invisible Censor

Francis Hackett

A collection of incisive, restless observations that cut through the polite veneers of early twentieth-century American life to expose the uncomfortable truths underneath.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Time Enough at Last

Time Enough at Last

Lyn Venable

HOOK After a nuclear apocalypse leaves him the last survivor in a ruined city, a bookish man finally finds the solitude he has always craved—only to have his own fragility betray him at the moment of triumph.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Turkish Literature

Turkish Literature

Epiphanius Wilson

This volume offers an evocative, scholarly doorway into the Ottoman literary imagination, bridging the gap between historical tradition and the Western reader through a curated collection of fables, courtly poetry, and narrative folklore.

Literature - Other7 min read
Cover of Crises in the History of the Papacy: A study of twenty famous popes whose careers and whose influence were important in the development of the church and in the history of the world

Crises in the History of the Papacy: A study of twenty famous popes whose careers and whose influence were important in the development of the church and in the history of the world

Joseph McCabe

The papacy stands as an institution of unrivaled longevity and influence, a subject whose historical weight often obscures the individual men who occupied the throne of St. Peter. This volume examines twenty pivotal figures, tracing how their personal ambitions, moral failures, and administrative strategies shaped…

History - European7 min read
Cover of Great short stories, Volume 2 (of 3)

Great short stories, Volume 2 (of 3)

Unknown

The veil between the living and the dead wears thin in these haunting chronicles, where the past refuses to stay buried and every shadow hides a secret waiting to be told.

Short Stories6 min read
Cover of Quotes and Images From The Works of George Meredith

Quotes and Images From The Works of George Meredith

George Meredith

A lover must have his delusions, just as a man must have a skin. This collection gathers the sharp, bracing observations of a Victorian master who found the human comedy written in the wrinkles of our social pretenses.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Third Edition, Vol. 06 of 12)

The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (Third Edition, Vol. 06 of 12)

James George Frazer

The ancient rituals of death and rebirth reveal the deep, shared anxieties of humanity across time. This investigation maps the mythic landscapes where human fate and the fertility of the earth are inextricably bound.

Archaeology & Anthropology7 min read
Cover of The Hidden Power, and Other Papers upon Mental Science

The Hidden Power, and Other Papers upon Mental Science

T. (Thomas) Troward

The universe is not a collection of external forces to be feared, but a living, responsive intelligence waiting for the individual to recognize their own inherent capacity to direct it.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 06 (of 12)

The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 06 (of 12)

Edmund Burke

The state, at its best, is a moral organism defined by duty, tradition, and the fragile balance of human rights. Through a series of urgent letters and public addresses, the architect of this collection argues that political power is a trust, not a possession.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Three Plays

Three Plays

Luigi Pirandello

The masks we wear to survive are often more real than the people beneath them. These three plays dismantle the safety of certainty, revealing that truth is a mirror shattered by the very act of looking.

Plays/Films/Dramas5 min read
Cover of Twenty Years of My Life

Twenty Years of My Life

Douglas Brooke Wheelton Sladen

A life defined by the pursuit of literature and the art of hospitality, this memoir captures the shifting tides of the late Victorian and Edwardian literary world through the eyes of a dedicated connector of people.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of An Historical Account of the Settlements of Scotch Highlanders in America

An Historical Account of the Settlements of Scotch Highlanders in America

J. P. (John Patterson) MacLean

Thousands of displaced Scots sought a new life in the American wilderness, only to find themselves caught in the gears of a revolution they neither invited nor understood.

History - American7 min read
Cover of Celebrated Travels and Travellers, Part 3.: The Great Explorers of the Nineteenth Century

Celebrated Travels and Travellers, Part 3.: The Great Explorers of the Nineteenth Century

Jules Verne

The nineteenth century represents a breathless era of global mapping, where the final blank spots on the world’s atlas vanish under the persistent scrutiny of explorers. This exhaustive chronicle captures the sheer scale of that ambition, documenting the mapping of continents, the navigation of treacherous polar…

History - Modern (1750+)7 min read
Cover of Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies: or Man of Pleasure's Kalendar for the Year, 1788

Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies: or Man of Pleasure's Kalendar for the Year, 1788

Anonymous

This guide serves as a candid, irreverent directory of London’s eighteenth-century demimonde, cataloging the city’s working women with a blend of tactical appraisal, anatomical detail, and poetic flourish.

History - British5 min read
Cover of History of Religion: A Sketch of Primitive Religious Beliefs and Practices, and of the Origin and Character of the Great Systems

History of Religion: A Sketch of Primitive Religious Beliefs and Practices, and of the Origin and Character of the Great Systems

Allan Menzies

Religion is a universal human phenomenon, shaped by the slow evolution of social bonds and moral ideals from the earliest tribal roots to the complex, world-spanning systems of faith that define modern civilization.

History - Religious6 min read
Cover of Jerusalem Delivered

Jerusalem Delivered

Torquato Tasso

A sweeping epic of faith, war, and enchanted desire, this Renaissance masterpiece follows the Crusaders as they strive to reclaim the Holy City through blood, valor, and the intervention of the supernatural.

History - Medieval/Middle Ages6 min read
Cover of The Grey Woman and other Tales

The Grey Woman and other Tales

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

Through tales of domestic peril and urban struggle, these narratives capture the quiet, persistent courage of women navigating worlds that often treat them as property or afterthoughts.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Personal Life of David Livingstone: Chiefly from his Unpublished Journals and Correspondence in the Possession of His Family

The Personal Life of David Livingstone: Chiefly from his Unpublished Journals and Correspondence in the Possession of His Family

William Garden Blaikie

A relentless explorer and devout missionary, David Livingstone spent his life mapping the African interior, determined to combat the slave trade and open the continent to the world.

Biographies8 min read
Cover of The Rivers of Great Britain, Descriptive, Historical, Pictorial: Rivers of the East Coast

The Rivers of Great Britain, Descriptive, Historical, Pictorial: Rivers of the East Coast

Various

The rivers of Great Britain are the arteries of its history, and this sweeping survey maps the life—both pastoral and industrial—that thrives along the banks of its most storied eastern waterways.

History - British7 min read
Cover of We of the Never-Never

We of the Never-Never

Jeannie Gunn

HOOK This is a vivid, autobiographical account of a city-bred woman’s year living in the heart of the Australian Northern Territory, where harsh wilderness and human warmth collide.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Your Mind and How to Use It: A Manual of Practical Psychology

Your Mind and How to Use It: A Manual of Practical Psychology

William Walker Atkinson

Mental efficiency is not an innate gift but a skill that can be developed through the systematic training of one’s own cognitive faculties.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of A Distinguished Provincial at Paris

A Distinguished Provincial at Paris

Honoré de Balzac

Lucien de Rubempré arrives in Paris with grand poetic ambitions, only to discover that the literary world is a ruthless marketplace where integrity is the first casualty of survival.

French Literature5 min read
Cover of A Gloucestershire Lad at Home and Abroad

A Gloucestershire Lad at Home and Abroad

F. W. (Frederick William) Harvey

A soldier’s lyric heart beats against the brutality of war, finding a sanctuary of memory in the green hills of home.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Blazing the Way

Blazing the Way

Emily Inez Denny

The pioneer experience in the Pacific Northwest was a rugged process of clearing forests, building homes, and navigating a rapidly shifting landscape. This collection captures the quiet, persistent labor of those who first transformed a wilderness into a home.

History - American6 min read
Advertisement