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13,367 public-domain books, summarised. Page 252 of 279.

Cover of Gray youth: The story of a very modern courtship and a very modern marriage

Gray youth: The story of a very modern courtship and a very modern marriage

Oliver Onions

This portrait of a restless, self-styled intellectual couple navigating the social and financial anxieties of early twentieth-century London exposes the fragility of their "modern" ideals when confronted with the crushing weight of reality.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Shackleton in the Antarctic: Being the story of the British Antarctic expedition, 1907-1909

Shackleton in the Antarctic: Being the story of the British Antarctic expedition, 1907-1909

Shackleton, Ernest Henry, Sir

The frozen heart of the Antarctic demands everything from those who dare to cross its threshold. This account chronicles a race against hunger, ice, and the limits of human endurance at the bottom of the world.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Conspiracy of Gianluigi Fieschi, or, Genoa in the sixteenth century

The Conspiracy of Gianluigi Fieschi, or, Genoa in the sixteenth century

Emanuele Celesia

In the shadow of the Renaissance, a young nobleman dares to challenge the most powerful figures of his age, igniting a desperate struggle for Genoa’s lost liberty. This historical inquiry peels back the layers of a sixteenth-century political crisis to reveal the human cost of ambition and imperial intrigue.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)7 min read
Cover of The Flame

The Flame

Gabriele D'Annunzio

A young visionary artist seeks to forge a new national myth in Venice, entangled between the aging, tragic brilliance of his muse and the dangerous, youthful allure of a rival.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Prose Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley, Vol. 1 [of 2]

The Prose Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley, Vol. 1 [of 2]

Percy Bysshe Shelley

A visionary mind leaves behind a singular archive of creation, blending the fevered intensity of youth with the refined, sharp-edged intellect of a mature philosopher. These volumes gather the scattered brilliance of a revolutionary spirit.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Royal Observatory, Greenwich: A Glance at Its History and Work

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich: A Glance at Its History and Work

E. Walter (Edward Walter) Maunder

The Royal Observatory at Greenwich serves as both a landmark for time and a monument to the rigorous, often invisible, labor required to map the heavens. This account demystifies the historic institution, detailing how it grew from a modest royal project into a global standard for navigation.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Titanic

Titanic

Filson Young

The greatest ship ever built slides into the sea as a testament to human pride, only to meet a swift and icy end that reshapes the world’s understanding of hubris.

History - European6 min read
Cover of American Indian life

American Indian life

Unknown

A collection of ethnographic portraits and narratives, these accounts preserve the lived experiences and cultural nuances of diverse indigenous peoples across the Americas.

Archaeology & Anthropology7 min read
Cover of Beacon Lights of History, Volume 07: Great Women

Beacon Lights of History, Volume 07: Great Women

John Lord

This survey of history examines the lives of extraordinary women who shaped their eras, weaving together personal biography with the broader social and religious currents of their times.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Vanishing Man: A Detective Romance

The Vanishing Man: A Detective Romance

R. Austin (Richard Austin) Freeman

A missing man, a bizarre will, and a trail of ancient Egyptian relics draw a physician into a lethal puzzle. This masterfully plotted mystery redefines the boundaries of forensic science.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of A Journal of a Tour in the Congo Free State

A Journal of a Tour in the Congo Free State

Marcus R. P. Dorman

This account offers a firsthand, unapologetic defense of the Congo Free State at the height of international scrutiny, documenting a traveler's journey through a landscape of colonial administration, river commerce, and shifting native relations.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Chess Generalship, Vol. I. Grand Reconnaissance

Chess Generalship, Vol. I. Grand Reconnaissance

Franklin K.‏ (Franklin Knowles) Young

Chess is presented here not as a mere pastime, but as a rigorous simulation of military science, where the board becomes a theater of war and the pieces function as specialized corps.

History - Warfare6 min read
Cover of Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3: Zoology

Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society - Vol. 3: Zoology

Linnean Society of London

A quiet revolution in scientific understanding rests within these pages, marking the moment when the natural world began to shift from a collection of fixed species to a dynamic, evolving process.

Journals6 min read
Cover of Primitive Time-reckoning: A study in the origins and first development of the art of counting time among the primitive and early culture peoples

Primitive Time-reckoning: A study in the origins and first development of the art of counting time among the primitive and early culture peoples

Martin P. (Martin Persson) Nilsson

Humanity’s earliest efforts to measure the passing of time began not with clocks or calendars, but by counting nights and observing the rhythmic shifts of the natural world.

Archaeology & Anthropology7 min read
Cover of Scarabs: The History, Manufacture and Symbolism of the Scarabæus in Ancient Egypt, Phoenicia, Sardinia, Etruria, etc

Scarabs: The History, Manufacture and Symbolism of the Scarabæus in Ancient Egypt, Phoenicia, Sardinia, Etruria, etc

Isaac Myer

The scarab, a humble dung beetle, served as the most profound emblem of resurrection and solar divinity in the ancient world. This study illuminates how a small insect became the central synthesis of Egyptian religious philosophy.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Successful Exploration Through the Interior of Australia: From Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria

Successful Exploration Through the Interior of Australia: From Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria

William John Wills

This account documents the 1860–1861 expedition to cross the Australian continent from south to north, detailing the harrowing struggle of its leaders to survive a landscape that eventually claimed their lives.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The History of Puerto Rico: From the Spanish Discovery to the American Occupation

The History of Puerto Rico: From the Spanish Discovery to the American Occupation

R. A. (Rudolph Adams) Van Middeldyk

The oldest European-settled territory in the United States holds a story of four centuries of colonial rule, defined by the clash of empires and the struggle of a local population to define itself.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of The Old House, and Other Tales

The Old House, and Other Tales

Fyodor Sologub

These haunting, dreamlike tales map the thin border between brutal reality and the shimmering, often tragic, illusions we construct to survive it.

Russian Literature6 min read
Cover of Black-Eyed Susan

Black-Eyed Susan

Ethel Calvert Phillips

A spirited, inquisitive young girl navigates the small, imaginative world of a quiet rural lane, finding wonder in simple treasures, new friendships, and the enduring comfort of her grandparents' home.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of El Estudiante de Salamanca and Other Selections

El Estudiante de Salamanca and Other Selections

José de Espronceda

A reckless libertine gambles with his own soul in a nightmarish, nocturnal pursuit of a phantom. This dark masterpiece defines the Spanish Romantic spirit through its defiance of death and its intoxicating, musical verse.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Glimpses of America: A Pictorial and Descriptive History of Our Country's Scenic Marvels

Glimpses of America: A Pictorial and Descriptive History of Our Country's Scenic Marvels

James W. (James William) Buel

The American landscape is a vast, untamed collection of wonders, from the glacial shores of the far northwest to the lush, reptilian depths of southern rivers. This sweeping visual and narrative survey captures the continent’s immense geographical diversity at the close of the nineteenth century.

History - American6 min read
Cover of Incwadi Yami

Incwadi Yami

J. W. (Josiah Wright) Matthews

This memoir captures the raw, frenetic energy of colonial South Africa during the discovery of the Kimberley diamond mines, blending professional medical observation with the sharp-elbowed politics of a frontier boomtown.

Archaeology & Anthropology8 min read
Cover of The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 20, No. 117, July, 1867: A Magazine of Literature, Science, Art, and Politics

The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 20, No. 117, July, 1867: A Magazine of Literature, Science, Art, and Politics

Various

This curated collection of essays, fiction, and cultural commentary captures the intellectual pulse of the United States at a volatile moment in the mid-nineteenth century. It serves as a sophisticated time capsule of the post-Civil War American mind.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Business of Life

The Business of Life

Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers

Wealth, independence, and the quiet weight of old mistakes collide in this lush Gilded Age romance.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of The Minus Woman

The Minus Woman

R. R. (Russell Robert) Winterbotham

A lonely asteroid becomes the stage for a cosmic collision between two realities, where the laws of physics dissolve into the arrival of an impossible visitor.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Timar's Two Worlds

Timar's Two Worlds

Mór Jókai

The Danube creates a divide between two lives for a man who carries the weight of a stolen fortune. He navigates a treacherous, double existence that tests the limits of his conscience and his capacity for peace.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of Jukes-Edwards: A Study in Education and Heredity

Jukes-Edwards: A Study in Education and Heredity

Albert E. (Albert Edward) Winship

This study juxtaposes the ancestral lines of a celebrated theologian and an infamous criminal family to argue that heredity and purposeful training shape the trajectory of human lives.

History - American7 min read
Cover of My Life at Sea: being a "yarn" loosely spun for the purpose of holding together certain reminiscences of the transition period from sail to steam in the British mercantile marine (1863-1894)

My Life at Sea: being a "yarn" loosely spun for the purpose of holding together certain reminiscences of the transition period from sail to steam in the British mercantile marine (1863-1894)

William Caius Crutchley

A veteran captain recounts his transition from the era of wooden sailing ships to the rise of steam, capturing the vanishing artistry of the nineteenth-century British merchant marine.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume XII, Ohio Narratives

Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume XII, Ohio Narratives

United States. Work Projects Administration

These collected interviews capture the fading echoes of an American era, preserving the raw, unfiltered memories of individuals who transitioned from the bondage of slavery to the complexities of freedom.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Ten Reasons Proposed to His Adversaries for Disputation in the Name: of the Faith and Presented to the Illustrious Members of Our Universities

Ten Reasons Proposed to His Adversaries for Disputation in the Name: of the Faith and Presented to the Illustrious Members of Our Universities

Campion, Edmund, Saint

HOOK A brilliant scholar turns from a life of academic prestige to a clandestine mission of faith, challenging the intellectual foundations of the Elizabethan religious settlement in a desperate, final act of defiance.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The Cathedral Church of Peterborough: A Description Of Its Fabric And A Brief History Of The Episcopal See

The Cathedral Church of Peterborough: A Description Of Its Fabric And A Brief History Of The Episcopal See

W. D. (Walter Debenham) Sweeting

This detailed architectural and historical survey offers an intimate tour of one of England’s most significant cathedrals, charting its physical evolution from Saxon origins to the turn of the twentieth century.

Architecture7 min read
Cover of The Deputy of Arcis

The Deputy of Arcis

Honoré de Balzac

The machinery of a provincial election turns on secrets, ambition, and the quiet manipulation of public opinion by those who prefer to remain behind the curtain.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of The Great Captain: A Story of the Days of Sir Walter Raleigh

The Great Captain: A Story of the Days of Sir Walter Raleigh

Katharine Tynan

A loyal orphan finds his purpose—and his own lost identity—in the shadow of a legendary Elizabethan explorer. This is a quiet, meditative account of a life spent in the service of greatness.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Sunny South: An Autumn in Spain and Majorca

The Sunny South: An Autumn in Spain and Majorca

John William Clayton

A seasoned traveler navigates the dusty, sun-drenched landscapes of nineteenth-century Spain and Majorca, armed with a sharp wit, a demand for clean water, and a skeptical eye for local customs.

History - European6 min read
Cover of A catechism of Christian doctrine, no. 1

A catechism of Christian doctrine, no. 1

J. (Januarius) De Concilio

This foundational text serves as a structured, pedagogical guide to the core tenets, prayers, and devotional practices of 19th-century Catholicism. It acts as an essential manual for those seeking to understand the formal religious instruction of the era.

Religion/Spirituality7 min read
Cover of America, Volume 4 (of 6)

America, Volume 4 (of 6)

Joel Cook

This travelogue serves as a comprehensive Victorian-era survey of the landscapes and historic sites spanning the northeastern United States and Canada. It functions as a scenic and historical guidebook for the curious nineteenth-century traveler.

History - American6 min read
Cover of Catherine: A Story

Catherine: A Story

William Makepeace Thackeray

The tragedy of a life surrendered to vice serves as a stark, uncompromising warning against the romanticization of criminals. This narrative meticulously strips away the veneer of heroism from those who inhabit the fringes of society.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Critical Studies

Critical Studies

Ouida

A fierce, sweeping collection of essays, this work serves as an uncompromising indictment of modern societal decay, intellectual complacency, and the systematic destruction of artistic and natural beauty at the turn of the twentieth century.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Equatorial America: Descriptive of a Visit to St. Thomas, Martinique, Barbadoes, and the Principal Capitals of South America

Equatorial America: Descriptive of a Visit to St. Thomas, Martinique, Barbadoes, and the Principal Capitals of South America

Maturin M. (Maturin Murray) Ballou

HOOK This travelogue offers a Victorian-era glimpse into the ports of the Caribbean and the capitals of South America, capturing the climate, commerce, and colonial history of the late 19th-century equatorial world.

Travel Writing6 min read
Cover of Essays of Michel de Montaigne

Essays of Michel de Montaigne

Michel de Montaigne

These reflections offer a wandering, deeply personal inquiry into the nature of humanity, power, and the art of conversation. They serve as an intimate portrait of a mind observing its own limitations while questioning the customs of the world.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of How It Flies

How It Flies

Richard Ferris

The sky is no longer a void, but a frontier. This chronicle captures the precise moment when humanity finally mastered the mechanics of flight, transforming a centuries-old dream into a tangible, soaring reality.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of Indian Unrest

Indian Unrest

Chirol, Valentine, Sir

This survey offers a stark, contemporary look at the political and social tensions defining the British Raj in the early twentieth century. It examines the fractures between colonial authority, traditional religion, and emerging nationalist aspirations.

History - British6 min read
Cover of More William

More William

Richmal Crompton

A perpetually unimpressed eleven-year-old boy navigates the absurdities of the adult world with a mix of fierce independence and accidental chaos. This collection of escapades highlights the timeless collision between childhood imagination and middle-class propriety.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Palace and Mosque at Ukhaidir: A Study in Early Mohammadan Architecture

Palace and Mosque at Ukhaidir: A Study in Early Mohammadan Architecture

Gertrude Lowthian Bell

The desert yields its secrets slowly, revealing in the crumbling stone of an isolated palace the hidden lineage of Islamic art. This architectural study traces the evolution of form from the nomads of the sands to the masters of the mosque.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria

E. Gordon (Edgar Gordon) Browne

The Victorian age stands as a transformative bridge between an older, insular Britain and the modern global power that followed. This chronicle captures the evolution of a nation through the long, influential reign of its most iconic sovereign.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Amazing Interlude

The Amazing Interlude

Mary Roberts Rinehart

The stage of life is rarely as permanent as it seems, and for one quiet woman, the upheaval of a global conflict reveals that her true purpose lies not in the safety of home, but in the heart of the storm.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Asteroids

The Asteroids

Daniel Kirkwood

The heavens contain a hidden, fractured architecture between Mars and Jupiter, where thousands of tiny, wandering worlds trace intricate, overlapping paths through the dark.

Science - Earth/Agricultural/Farming6 min read
Cover of The blood of the vampire

The blood of the vampire

Florence Marryat

A young woman arrives in Europe, unaware that her presence slowly drains the vitality of those around her. She carries an ancestral curse, a biological hunger that marks her as a creature of shadow.

British Literature6 min read
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