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13,367 public-domain books, summarised. Page 229 of 279.

Cover of The Tournament—Its Periods and Phases

The Tournament—Its Periods and Phases

R. Coltman (Robert Coltman) Clephan

This scholarly account traces the evolution of the European tournament from its origins as a rough military exercise to its eventual decline into ritualized, courtly pageantry. It serves as a comprehensive reference for the history of medieval combat, armor, and chivalric custom.

History - European6 min read
Cover of The Treaties of Canada with the Indians of Manitoba and the North-West Territories: Including the Negotiations on Which They Were Based, and Other Information Relating Thereto

The Treaties of Canada with the Indians of Manitoba and the North-West Territories: Including the Negotiations on Which They Were Based, and Other Information Relating Thereto

Alexander Morris

This historical record captures the formal negotiations between the Canadian government and Indigenous nations, detailing the transition of the North-West Territories from hunting grounds to settled land through a series of foundational treaties.

Archaeology & Anthropology7 min read
Cover of The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors

The Whole Family: a Novel by Twelve Authors

William Dean Howells

This collaborative experiment in narrative perspective follows a family’s unraveling and eventual realignment, driven by the sudden, contentious engagement of its youngest daughter. It serves as a study of how a singular, private decision can act as a catalyst, exposing the long-standing frictions and secret…

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07

The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 07

John Dryden

This collection captures a pivotal moment in English letters, where the theater served as the primary battlefield for the nation’s deepest political and religious anxieties. These works resonate with the intensity of a culture fighting to define the reach of royal authority and the legitimacy of dissent.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Widdershins

Widdershins

Oliver Onions

The ordinary world is a thin veil, easily torn by the obsession of a solitary mind or the lingering weight of a house with a history. These stories explore the places where the rational and the spectral collide.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Alone

Alone

Norman Douglas

HOOK A seasoned traveler wanders through the sun-drenched hills and ancient ruins of wartime Italy, finding in its people and landscapes a persistent, defiant humanity.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of An Englishwoman's Home

An Englishwoman's Home

Annie S. Swan

This intimate record of life in the English war zone captures the quiet, profound erosion of a society under the relentless pressure of conflict. It is a testament to the resilience found in the face of inevitable, daily loss.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of An Essay on the History of Civil Society, Eighth Edition

An Essay on the History of Civil Society, Eighth Edition

Adam Ferguson

The human character is a social creation; without the company and challenges of our fellow creatures, the individual withers like a plant torn from its roots.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)6 min read
Cover of Argentine Ornithology, Volume 1 (of 2): A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic

Argentine Ornithology, Volume 1 (of 2): A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic

W. H. (William Henry) Hudson

This comprehensive catalogue documents the diverse avian life of the Argentine Republic, blending meticulous scientific nomenclature with lyrical, first-hand observations of bird behavior in the wild. It serves as an essential historical survey of a natural landscape largely untouched by modern development.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of Creatures of the Night: A Book of Wild Life in Western Britain

Creatures of the Night: A Book of Wild Life in Western Britain

Alfred Wellesley Rees

The secret lives of British wildlife unfold through a series of intimate, observational portraits, revealing the constant struggle for survival in the shadows of the woods and rivers.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of Current History: A Monthly Magazine of the New York Times, May 1918: Vol. VIII, Part I, No. 2

Current History: A Monthly Magazine of the New York Times, May 1918: Vol. VIII, Part I, No. 2

Various

The Great War rages across the battlefields of Europe, capturing a pivotal moment when the tide of conflict rests on the balance of logistics, international diplomacy, and the raw endurance of those in the trenches. This chronicle provides a contemporary window into a world-shaping struggle, documenting the…

History - American6 min read
Cover of Harper's Electricity Book for Boys

Harper's Electricity Book for Boys

Joseph H. (Joseph Henry) Adams

Build a functional world of discovery through the meticulous assembly of DIY electrical apparatus. This guide transforms raw materials into working scientific tools, demystifying the invisible forces that animate the modern age.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 1, No. 3, August, 1850

Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 1, No. 3, August, 1850

Various

This collection captures the mid-nineteenth-century zeitgeist, blending historical reflection, political upheaval, and practical advice into a panoramic portrait of an era in constant, restless motion.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, Vol. II

Incidents of Travel in Yucatan, Vol. II

John L. Stephens

These journals recount the rediscovery of lost Mayan cities, blending rigorous archaeological observation with the perils of 19th-century travel through the dense, unforgiving jungles of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Index of the Project Gutenberg Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Index of the Project Gutenberg Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

A profound intellect navigates the turbulent waters of Romanticism, mapping the geography of human imagination through poetry, critical philosophy, and a vast, restless correspondence. This collection serves as a comprehensive gateway to one of literature's most complex and brilliant minds.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference5 min read
Cover of Letters from China and Japan

Letters from China and Japan

John Dewey

An American philosopher and his wife travel to the East for a quiet vacation, only to find themselves embedded in the profound political and social awakenings of two rapidly changing nations.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Love and Intrigue: A Tragedy

Love and Intrigue: A Tragedy

Friedrich Schiller

A clash between forbidden love and rigid social hierarchy descends into a harrowing spiral of manipulation, vengeance, and ruin.

German Literature6 min read
Cover of Marianela

Marianela

Benito Pérez Galdós

A young woman, discarded by society, finds her only solace in a fragile, imagined world—until a sudden miracle of science threatens to shatter the foundation of her existence.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Matthew Calbraith Perry: A Typical American Naval Officer

Matthew Calbraith Perry: A Typical American Naval Officer

William Elliot Griffis

A resolute commander navigates the transition from wooden sailing ships to the steam-powered era while opening Japan to the wider world.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Occoneechee, the Maid of the Mystic Lake

Occoneechee, the Maid of the Mystic Lake

Robert Frank Jarrett

This blend of lyrical narrative and cultural preservation explores the ancient traditions of the Cherokee, centered on a quest for love amidst the rugged beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Robur the Conqueror

Robur the Conqueror

Jules Verne

A brilliant engineer constructs a flying machine that renders traditional balloons obsolete, challenging the world to accept a new era of aviation that it is not yet ready to embrace.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Romantic Spain: A Record of Personal Experiences (Vol. I)

Romantic Spain: A Record of Personal Experiences (Vol. I)

John Augustus O'Shea

The heart of a restless, war-torn nation beats through these pages, capturing the vibrant contradictions of a land caught between ancient traditions and the volatile, shifting politics of a fragile, nascent republic.

History - European6 min read
Cover of Sunny Memories Of Foreign Lands, Volume 1

Sunny Memories Of Foreign Lands, Volume 1

Harriet Beecher Stowe

In this travelogue, a celebrated American writer recounts an 1853 journey to Great Britain, finding a landscape steeped in history and a public eager to embrace an author whose work had recently ignited a global moral firestorm.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of The ethics of rhetoric

The ethics of rhetoric

Richard M. Weaver

Persuasion is not merely a tool for winning arguments, but a moral act that reveals the speaker’s deepest commitments. To use rhetoric effectively is to shape the soul of the audience toward the good.

Language & Communication6 min read
Cover of The Fern Lover's Companion: A Guide for the Northeastern States and Canada

The Fern Lover's Companion: A Guide for the Northeastern States and Canada

George Henry Tilton

This guide serves as a gentle, comprehensive field companion for identifying the diverse ferns native to the Northeastern United States and Canada. It transforms botanical study into a deeply rewarding, accessible pursuit for the amateur naturalist.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of The Fourth Dimension

The Fourth Dimension

Charles Howard Hinton

Can we train the human mind to perceive a dimension beyond our own? This investigation offers a practical guide to visualizing the geometry of a world hidden in plain sight.

Philosophy & Ethics6 min read
Cover of The Patchwork Girl of Oz

The Patchwork Girl of Oz

L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum

A young boy journeys through a magical land to save his uncle, accompanied by a vibrant, living patchwork doll who speaks in riddles and rhymes.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Salamander

The Salamander

Owen Johnson

The story of a young woman navigating the treacherous social landscape of early 20th-century New York, this novel dissects the intersection of ambition, desire, and the dangerous game of playing with fire.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Secret of Sarek

The Secret of Sarek

Maurice Leblanc

A master of disguise navigates the jagged cliffs of Brittany to dismantle a century-old conspiracy of blood, greed, and ancient superstition. The legendary gentleman thief intervenes in a family’s tragic cycle of kidnapping and revenge to unmask a monstrous adversary.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of The sleeping beauty and other fairy tales from the old French

The sleeping beauty and other fairy tales from the old French

Arthur Quiller-Couch

The collection presents a selection of classic French fairy tales, reimagined with wit and a light touch. It invites readers to look past the familiar plots and find the deeper, more human resonance hidden within these enduring narratives.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Wits and Beaux of Society. Volume 2

The Wits and Beaux of Society. Volume 2

Thomson, A. T., Mrs.

These biographical sketches illuminate the vanished world of eighteenth-century British elite society, where wit was a currency as vital as gold and social standing was both a precarious triumph and a gilded cage.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of There & Back

There & Back

George MacDonald

A young man discovers his true heritage, but finds that his identity lies not in a baronet’s title, but in the quiet dignity of a life lived with integrity, purpose, and faith.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Through Russia

Through Russia

Maksim Gorky

A wandering youth traverses the vast, rugged landscapes of Russia, encountering a mosaic of souls whose disjointed lives reveal the hidden, often melancholic, rhythms of a society in transition.

Novels7 min read
Cover of Visits and Sketches at Home and Abroad, Vol. 2 (of 3): With Tales and Miscellanies Now First Collected

Visits and Sketches at Home and Abroad, Vol. 2 (of 3): With Tales and Miscellanies Now First Collected

Mrs. (Anna) Jameson

A discerning observer of art and character wanders through the storied landscapes of 19th-century Germany and the ancestral halls of England, finding the human soul mirrored in paint, marble, and history.

Art6 min read
Cover of William Shakespeare as He Lived: An Historical Tale

William Shakespeare as He Lived: An Historical Tale

Henry Curling

The world’s most celebrated playwright begins as a misunderstood, daydreaming youth in Stratford, eventually rising from local obscurity to win the favor of Queen Elizabeth herself.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Wolfert's Roost, and Miscellanies

Wolfert's Roost, and Miscellanies

Washington Irving

A weary, observant wanderer finds refuge in the quiet corners of history, sharing stories that bridge the gap between ancient legend and the evolving landscape of the American imagination.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of A Laodicean

A Laodicean

Thomas Hardy

A young architect’s quest to restore a crumbling fortress sparks an unlikely romance with its wealthy, indecisive heiress, pulling them both into a conflict between modern ambition and the heavy weight of ancestral ghosts.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of An Ocean Tramp

An Ocean Tramp

William McFee

The sea is not a romantic playground, but a vast, indifferent stage where modern men—mechanics and engineers—wrestle with the machinery of an industrial age to carve out their own hard-won character.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Army and Navy Uniforms and Insignia: How to Know Rank, Corps and Service in the Military and Naval Forces of the United States and Foreign Countries

Army and Navy Uniforms and Insignia: How to Know Rank, Corps and Service in the Military and Naval Forces of the United States and Foreign Countries

Dion Williams

This volume provides a comprehensive, technical guide to the standardized appearance of the armed forces during the First World War. It serves as an essential reference for identifying the specific ranks, branches, and services of military personnel.

History - American7 min read
Cover of Bradford's history of the Plymouth settlement, 1608-1650: Rendered into modern English by Harold Paget

Bradford's history of the Plymouth settlement, 1608-1650: Rendered into modern English by Harold Paget

William Bradford

Driven by an uncompromising vision of religious purity, a small band of exiles leaves everything behind to forge a precarious, isolated life in the unforgiving wilderness of the New World.

History - American7 min read
Cover of Christmas

Christmas

Unknown

A carefully curated treasury of seasonal reflections, this collection gathers the finest poetry, prose, and legend to illuminate the enduring spirit of Christmas across the ages.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of History of the United States, Volume 2

History of the United States, Volume 2

Elisha Benjamin Andrews

The French and Indian War sowed the seeds of American independence, transforming a colonial debt crisis into a revolution that birthed a new nation. This account chronicles the difficult transition from colonial dependency to a sovereign, expanding republic.

History - American6 min read
Cover of In Lakeland Dells and Fells

In Lakeland Dells and Fells

William T. Palmer

The rugged beauty of England's Lake District comes alive through intimate portraits of its people, its wildlife, and the relentless, seasonal pulse of life among the fells.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia: From Moreton Bay to Port Essington, a distance of upwards of 3000 miles, during the years 1844-1845

Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia: From Moreton Bay to Port Essington, a distance of upwards of 3000 miles, during the years 1844-1845

Ludwig Leichhardt

This is a meticulous, day-by-day record of an arduous 3,000-mile overland trek across the untamed Australian wilderness. It captures the relentless struggle for survival against a landscape of vast beauty and unforgiving terrain.

Archaeology & Anthropology7 min read
Cover of King Henry IV, Part 1

King Henry IV, Part 1

William Shakespeare

Caught between the weight of a crown and the allure of the tavern, a young prince must choose between his riotous companions and the brutal demands of a fracturing kingdom.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Lectures on Stellar Statistics

Lectures on Stellar Statistics

C. V. L. (Carl Vilhelm Ludwig) Charlier

The cosmos is not a static backdrop but a vast, measurable data set waiting to be decoded. Through the rigorous application of mathematics, the night sky transforms into a structured system of observable truths.

Science - Physics6 min read
Cover of Mungo Park and the Niger

Mungo Park and the Niger

Joseph Thomson

A journey into the heart of an unknown continent, the quest to map the mysterious Niger River stands as a singular monument to human endurance, ambition, and the tragic cost of discovery.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Northern Lights, Complete

Northern Lights, Complete

Gilbert Parker

The frontier is a mirror where men and women confront their own ghosts, their hidden pasts, and the unforgiving, beautiful expanse of the Canadian North.

Adventure6 min read
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