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7,238 public-domain books, summarised. Page 144 of 151.

Cover of The Jest Book: The Choicest Anecdotes and Sayings

The Jest Book: The Choicest Anecdotes and Sayings

Mark Lemon

Centuries of British wit, sharp retorts, and tavern banter converge in a expansive collection designed to capture the enduring architecture of humor.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of The North-West Amazons: Notes of some months spent among cannibal tribes

The North-West Amazons: Notes of some months spent among cannibal tribes

Thomas Whiffen

Deep within the dense, dark rain forest between the River Issa and the River Apaporis, indigenous tribes live in complete isolation, bound by strict ancestral taboos, unrelenting intertribal warfare, and terrifying survival rituals.

Archaeology & Anthropology5 min read
Cover of The Origin of Thought and Speech

The Origin of Thought and Speech

M. Moncalm

A shared ancestral urge to give voice to physical action formed the crucible from which human reason, language, and spiritual reflection gradually evolved.

Language & Communication6 min read
Cover of The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 2 (of 4)

The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 2 (of 4)

Unknown

A meticulously detailed nineteenth-century survey charts the parishes of Cornwall, weaving together coastal geology, local folklore, ancient genealogies, and bloody historical anecdotes into a tapestry of regional memory.

History - British12 min read
Cover of The Way of Peace

The Way of Peace

James Allen

Quiet meditation and the total abandonment of the selfish ego open a direct, practical pathway to inner serenity, transforming human suffering into divine love.

Philosophy & Ethics6 min read
Cover of The Were-Wolf

The Were-Wolf

Clemence Housman

When a mysterious, silver-clad stranger enters a isolated Nordic hall, one brother sees a beautiful maiden to be wooed, while the other sees a monstrous beast that feeds on those they love.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Witchcraft and superstitious record in the south-western district of Scotland

Witchcraft and superstitious record in the south-western district of Scotland

J. Maxwell (John Maxwell) Wood

Dark, wind-swept moorlands and lonely parish Kirks hold the vanishing secrets of Scottish folk belief, preserving a history written in fear, fire, and strange midnight rituals.

History - British6 min read
Cover of A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 3, Sep. 1809-Dec. 1810

A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 3, Sep. 1809-Dec. 1810

Charles Oman

In the autumn of 1809, Napoleon’s supreme commanders converged on the Iberian Peninsula to break the Spanish defense and drive the British into the Atlantic, only to encounter a landscape transformed by scorched earth, fortress walls, and stubborn military resistance.

History - British10 min read
Cover of A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 02

A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 02

Voltaire

Human reason constantly battles the absurdity of superstition, bad philosophy, and institutional cruelty. Through an alphabetical treasury of biting commentary, ancient myths and medieval dogmas are systematically dismantled to expose the mechanics of human credulity.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of A Story of the Golden Age

A Story of the Golden Age

James Baldwin

Before the great conflict at Troy begins, a rich tapestry of mythic heroes, tragic choices, and divine encounters shapes the world of ancient Hellas.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of Agriculture for Beginners: Revised Edition

Agriculture for Beginners: Revised Edition

Charles William Burkett

A rigorous, practical manual written for rural schoolchildren, this handbook transforms traditional farming into a systematic, teachable science by connecting the fundamental principles of soil chemistry, botany, and biology to daily agricultural labor.

Science - Earth/Agricultural/Farming6 min read
Cover of Andrew Melville

Andrew Melville

William Morison

A fiery scholar challenges a king for the soul of a national church, taking his stand in classroom, court, and prison cell.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of Area Handbook for Romania

Area Handbook for Romania

Eugene K. Keefe

An exhaustive institutional survey maps a nation balancing its Latin cultural identity against Soviet influence and state-planned industrialization.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference6 min read
Cover of Clarimonde

Clarimonde

Théophile Gautier

A young priest’s single glance at a breathtaking woman shatters his holy vows, dragging him into an agonizing double life split between sacred duty and a nocturnal romance with a vampire.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of Glimpses of Bengal: Selected from the letters of Sir Rabindranath Tagore, 1885 to 1895

Glimpses of Bengal: Selected from the letters of Sir Rabindranath Tagore, 1885 to 1895

Rabindranath Tagore

A young writer retreats to the rural waterways of late nineteenth-century Bengal, finding in the quiet rhythms of river life a vast mirror for human emotion and artistic awakening.

Essays, Letters & Speeches5 min read
Cover of Great Sea Stories

Great Sea Stories

Unknown

Storms sweep over high seas, mutineers seize control, and men face the vast expanse in search of gold and survival.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Poems Teachers Ask For: Selected by readers of "Normal Instructor-Primary Plans"

Poems Teachers Ask For: Selected by readers of "Normal Instructor-Primary Plans"

Various

A shared memory of recitations, schoolrooms, and shared values lives within these pages.

Poetry5 min read
Cover of Rienzi, the Last of the Roman Tribunes

Rienzi, the Last of the Roman Tribunes

Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron

Driven by personal tragedy and classical ideals, an extraordinary leader unites a fallen city against brutal aristocrats, only to discover that the mob's adoration vanishes the moment freedom demands sacrifice.

Historical Novels8 min read
Cover of The Beadle Collection of Dime Novels: Given to the New York Public Library By Dr. Frank P. O'Brien

The Beadle Collection of Dime Novels: Given to the New York Public Library By Dr. Frank P. O'Brien

New York Public Library

An impressive collection of cheap pioneer fiction records the wild imagination and cultural memory of nineteenth-century popular reading in America.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of The Decoration of Houses

The Decoration of Houses

Edith Wharton

True elegance in home design rests not on lavish ornament, but on the quiet discipline of classical proportion and architectural purpose.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of The Knights of the Round Table: Stories of King Arthur and the Holy Grail

The Knights of the Round Table: Stories of King Arthur and the Holy Grail

William Henry Frost

A travel companion retells the legends of King Arthur directly to a young companion while exploring the historical, quiet landscapes of modern England.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Byzantine Churches in Constantinople: Their History and Architecture

Byzantine Churches in Constantinople: Their History and Architecture

Alexander Van Millingen

Architectural form meets imperial history as the surviving sanctuaries of Constantinople reveal how Byzantine master builders transformed raw brick and marble into light-filled visions of the divine.

Architecture5 min read
Cover of Canyons of the Colorado

Canyons of the Colorado

John Wesley Powell

A wooden boat plunges down an uncharted river into a labyrinth of sheer sandstone, driven by men who measure the earth while fighting for their lives.

History - American7 min read
Cover of Folk Lore Notes. Vol. I—Gujarat

Folk Lore Notes. Vol. I—Gujarat

A. M. T. (Arthur Mason Tippetts) Jackson

A regional tapestry of living beliefs, local shrines, and everyday rituals reveals how human communities make sense of hardship, nature, and the divine.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of France and England in North America, Part I: Pioneers of France in the New World

France and England in North America, Part I: Pioneers of France in the New World

Francis Parkman

Before European powers drew rigid borders across North America, rival movements of faith, commerce, and ambition fought fragile footholds into the vast forest, where small bands of men made choices that echoed across a continent.

History - American6 min read
Cover of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Thomas Wentworth Higginson

A young scholar sets out to prove that American life can nourish a magnificent national literature, using verse and gentle scholarship to build a quiet cultural revolution.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Notes on Life & Letters

Notes on Life & Letters

Joseph Conrad

A novelist steps into the open to deliver candid judgements on his craft, his fellow writers, and a world fractured by industrial pride, total war, and political tragedy.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Renaissance in Italy, Volume 3 (of 7): The Fine Arts

Renaissance in Italy, Volume 3 (of 7): The Fine Arts

John Addington Symonds

Art exalts the physical world, creating a profound friction with Christian ideals that urge the spirit to renounce earthly beauty.

Art6 min read
Cover of The American Indian as Participant in the Civil War

The American Indian as Participant in the Civil War

Annie Heloise Abel

A harrowing look at political betrayal, Annie Heloise Abel’s history uncovers how the Union and Confederacy used, abandoned, and shattered Native nations during the American Civil War.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The Necklace of Princess Fiorimonde, and Other Stories

The Necklace of Princess Fiorimonde, and Other Stories

Mary De Morgan

Behind radiant enchantments and shimmering glass lies a realm where vanity exacts a terrible price and true devotion requires perilous sacrifice.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The Oriental tale in England in the eighteenth century

The Oriental tale in England in the eighteenth century

Martha Pike Conant

Driven by a growing appetite for exotic narrative, eighteenth-century English readers embraced imported Eastern fictions, transforming a wave of popular translations into a vital force that altered the trajectory of modern English prose.

History6 min read
Cover of Under the Rebel's Reign

Under the Rebel's Reign

Charles Neufeld

An adventurous young German ventures into nineteenth-century Egypt, where he finds himself trapped between imperial military campaigns, local uprisings, and personal rivalries.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Arthur Machen: Weaver of Fantasy

Arthur Machen: Weaver of Fantasy

William F. (William Francis) Gekle

A shadowy, quiet life yields a strange literature of ecstasy, ancient ritual, and cosmic terror.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of Collected works of Padraic H. Pearse

Collected works of Padraic H. Pearse

Padraic Pearse

Sacrifice and uncompromising devotion shape this urgent collection of political writings and speeches. Padraic H. Pearse outlines a revolutionary vision designed to break foreign rule and spark a national rebirth through total dedication to complete independence.

General5 min read
Cover of Emerson and Other Essays

Emerson and Other Essays

John Jay Chapman

A sharp, unsparing intelligence interrogates the giants of nineteenth-century literature, dismantling institutional idolatry to rediscover the vital, erratic sparks of personal freedom and genuine artistic power.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Essays and Dialogues

Essays and Dialogues

Giacomo Leopardi

Despair turns into quiet clear-sightedness in these classical dialogues, which dismantle every human consolation from glory to progress with unrelenting, polished wit.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Famous Impostors

Famous Impostors

Bram Stoker

Driven by the endless appetite of society to be duped, tricksters and pretenders throughout history have risked prison and the gallows to trade off false identities.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of The Bishop and Other Stories

The Bishop and Other Stories

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

A weary bishop sees a ghost of his childhood in a crowded church, while across the vast Russian plains, a lonely boy rides a wagon train toward an uncertain future.

Russian Literature7 min read
Cover of The Life of Johannes Brahms (Vol 1 of 2)

The Life of Johannes Brahms (Vol 1 of 2)

Florence May

A dedicated young artist navigates the unyielding demands of mastery, the clash of warring musical ideologies, and the transcendent spark of mentorship on his journey toward enduring creative independence.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Moors in Spain

The Moors in Spain

Stanley Lane-Poole

Eight centuries of vibrant Islamic rule in medieval Spain brought unparalleled science, art, and agricultural beauty to Europe, only to crumble under internal feuds and ruthless conquest.

History - European6 min read
Cover of The Pocket R.L.S.: Being Favourite Passages from the Works of Stevenson

The Pocket R.L.S.: Being Favourite Passages from the Works of Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson

A keen, luminous gaze captures the beauty of daily existence, finding quiet nobility in simple duties, open roads, and honest human fellowship.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of Wellington's Army, 1809-1814

Wellington's Army, 1809-1814

Charles Oman

A vast imperial army moves not merely by grand strategy, but on a chaotic tide of iron, bread, and fallible human spirit.

History - British7 min read
Cover of Women Painters of the World: From the Time of Caterina Vigri, 1413-1463, to Rosa Bonheur and the Present Day

Women Painters of the World: From the Time of Caterina Vigri, 1413-1463, to Rosa Bonheur and the Present Day

Unknown

A comprehensive history of women painters from the 15th century to the present day.

Art7 min read
Cover of A Catalogue of Books in English Later than 1700, Vol. 3: Forming a portion of the library of Robert Hoe

A Catalogue of Books in English Later than 1700, Vol. 3: Forming a portion of the library of Robert Hoe

Unknown

An exhaustive inventory of post-1700 English literature transformed into an art object, this third volume of Robert Hoe’s private library catalogue preserves the physical and typographical history of rare books across centuries.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference6 min read
Cover of Empress Josephine: An Historical Sketch of the Days of Napoleon

Empress Josephine: An Historical Sketch of the Days of Napoleon

L. (Luise) Mühlbach

A Creole orphan ascends from a turbulent childhood in Martinique to become the heart of revolutionary France and the beloved wife of its conqueror. Her story tracks a dramatic rise and fall through blood, glory, and heartbreak.

Biographies8 min read
Cover of Four and Twenty Fairy Tales: Selected from Those of Perrault, and Other Popular Writers

Four and Twenty Fairy Tales: Selected from Those of Perrault, and Other Popular Writers

J. R. (James Robinson) Planché

An inventive spirit and a stroke of fortune may carry a humble youth higher than a grand inheritance. In this mid-nineteenth-century collection, fairy tales reveal how cleverness, patience, and true affection triumph over bizarre enchantments and cruel rivals.

French Literature11 min read
Cover of French Mediaeval Romances from the Lays of Marie de France

French Mediaeval Romances from the Lays of Marie de France

Marie, de France, active 12th century

Love requires total fidelity, absolute discretion, and the courage to endure profound grief when fortune turns its wheel.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of Hidden Water

Hidden Water

Dane Coolidge

When the Arizona rain breaks over Bender, it flushes out cattlemen, sheepmen, and adrift idealists, all looking for shelter or a second chance.

Adventure6 min read
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