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47,382 public-domain books, summarised. Page 265 of 988.

Cover of Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, October 1899: Vol. LV, May to October, 1899

Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, October 1899: Vol. LV, May to October, 1899

Various

This collection of scientific and social inquiry captures the intellectual pulse of the turn of the century, offering a panoramic view of late-Victorian thought on progress, charity, and the natural world. It stands as a primary record of an era grappling with the transition from traditional knowledge to empirical…

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Bella Donna: A Novel

Bella Donna: A Novel

Robert Hichens

A manipulative woman seeks escape from her failing marriage and social standing, only to find herself ensnared by the dark, alluring mysteries of a stranger in the Egyptian desert.

Novels8 min read
Cover of "Bethink Yourselves!"

"Bethink Yourselves!"

Tolstoy, Leo, graf

A profound, searing indictment of humanity’s capacity for self-destruction, this work challenges the moral legitimacy of war during the Russo-Japanese conflict. It remains a timeless, urgent plea for individual conscience over national obedience.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Bonnie Scotland: Painted by Sutton Palmer

Bonnie Scotland: Painted by Sutton Palmer

A. R. Hope (Ascott Robert Hope) Moncrieff

This fireside tour of the Scottish mainland offers a literary and historical survey of a nation, peeling back surface-level tourist impressions to reveal a complex, multifaceted cultural identity.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of Boys and Girls from Thackeray

Boys and Girls from Thackeray

Kate Dickinson Sweetser

This collection gathers the formative years of celebrated literary figures, peeling back the layers of adult complexity to reveal the spirited, vulnerable, and often defiant children beneath.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Breton Legends: Translated from the French

Breton Legends: Translated from the French

Anonymous

HOOK These tales capture the wild, rugged spirit of a coastal land where ancient stone monoliths stand guard over a world deeply anchored in Christian faith.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of Cinderella Jane

Cinderella Jane

Marjorie Benton Cooke

A quiet, independent woman finds her secret ambitions tested by a marriage built on convenience and a society shifting beneath her feet.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Diary in America, Series Two

Diary in America, Series Two

Frederick Marryat

A skeptical British naval officer tours the young United States and Canada, documenting the volatile social habits, political dangers, and rapid expansion of a nation he views with profound suspicion.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Dr. Sevier

Dr. Sevier

George Washington Cable

The struggle of a young couple to maintain their dignity and love amidst the crushing poverty and shifting tides of Civil War-era New Orleans serves as the backdrop for an unlikely, redemptive friendship.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Essays of Michel de Montaigne

Essays of Michel de Montaigne

Michel de Montaigne

The ultimate guide to the self, these meditations offer a mirror to the human condition, inviting readers to examine their own contradictions through the lens of a mind that is as restless as it is honest.

Classics of Literature7 min read
Cover of From Powder Monkey to Admiral: A Story of Naval Adventure

From Powder Monkey to Admiral: A Story of Naval Adventure

William Henry Giles Kingston

From the grime of the powder magazine to the dignity of the quarterdeck, this tale traces the rise of a common sailor through the crucible of the Napoleonic Wars. It is a classic study of character rewarded by service, written with an earnest focus on duty and the transformative power of integrity.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Great Indian Chief of the West

Great Indian Chief of the West

Benjamin Drake

The Sauk leader Black Hawk defends his ancestral home in a final, doomed struggle against American expansion, navigating a landscape of broken treaties, colonial encroachment, and the slow erasure of his people's way of life.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of History of the State of California: From the Period of the Conquest by Spain to Her Occupation by the United States of America

History of the State of California: From the Period of the Conquest by Spain to Her Occupation by the United States of America

John Frost

This chronicle captures the rapid, often violent transformation of California from a Mexican territory into a cornerstone of the American Union, fueled by the explosive discovery of gold.

History - American6 min read
Cover of Kitty's Picnic, and Other Stories

Kitty's Picnic, and Other Stories

Anonymous

A collection of gentle, moralizing tales from a bygone era, these stories explore the small triumphs and heartaches of childhood. They offer a window into a world where lessons in kindness and responsibility are always close at hand.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of Life's Little Ironies: A set of tales with some colloquial sketches entitled A Few Crusted Characters

Life's Little Ironies: A set of tales with some colloquial sketches entitled A Few Crusted Characters

Thomas Hardy

Life is a series of quiet, devastating collisions where human intentions are consistently dismantled by the indifferent mechanics of fate.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 20, September, 1877

Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 20, September, 1877

Various

A Victorian periodical serves as a cultural time capsule, offering an eclectic blend of travelogues, literary criticism, and serialized fiction that reflects the intellectual curiosities and artistic preoccupations of the late nineteenth century.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Looking Back: An Autobiography

Looking Back: An Autobiography

Merrick Abner Richardson

HOOK This memoir defies easy categorization, weaving together local color, personal history, and a radical, reimagined narrative of Mary Magdalene to argue that the spiritual world is as tangible as the material.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Men, Women, and Boats

Men, Women, and Boats

Stephen Crane

Human existence is a fragile vessel tossed upon an indifferent sea, where the only certainty is the struggle against the elements and one’s own mortality. These stories capture the stark, unvarnished truth of men caught in the grip of forces far greater than themselves.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Mental Evolution in Man: Origin of Human Faculty

Mental Evolution in Man: Origin of Human Faculty

George John Romanes

Human reason is not a sudden, mysterious creation separate from nature, but the gradual flowering of animal intelligence through the evolution of sign-making and language.

Psychiatry/Psychology7 min read
Cover of My Days of Adventure: The Fall of France, 1870-71

My Days of Adventure: The Fall of France, 1870-71

Ernest Alfred Vizetelly

A young man’s coming-of-age collides with the collapse of an empire, offering a vivid, ground-level witness to the birth of modern warfare. This memoir captures the chaotic transition from the pomp of the Second Empire to the desperate, shivering reality of the "People's War.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of My mortal enemy

My mortal enemy

Willa Cather

A woman looks back on the life of a charismatic runaway who traded status for love, only to find that the most profound battle in her life was fought against the person she cherished most.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Paper-Cutting Machines: A Primer of Information about Paper and Card Trimmers, Hand-Lever Cutters, Power Cutters and Other Automatic Machines for Cutting Paper

Paper-Cutting Machines: A Primer of Information about Paper and Card Trimmers, Hand-Lever Cutters, Power Cutters and Other Automatic Machines for Cutting Paper

Gray, Niel, Jr.

This foundational technical manual provides a rare, definitive look at the history and mechanical operation of the industrial paper-cutting machine at the dawn of the twentieth century.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of Pragmatism and idealism

Pragmatism and idealism

William Caldwell

This examination of the interplay between pragmatism and idealism investigates how human thought defines reality through practical action, social connection, and the pursuit of truth.

Philosophy & Ethics6 min read
Cover of Samantha at the World's Fair

Samantha at the World's Fair

Marietta Holley

This observant narrative chronicles a sharp-witted woman’s excursion to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, blending wide-eyed wonder at technological marvels with a fierce, iron-willed defense of human rights and social justice.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of Some Short Stories [by Henry James]

Some Short Stories [by Henry James]

Henry James

The polished surface of high-society life masks a desperate, often invisible, scramble for survival. These tales observe the quiet transactions of those who navigate the world by trade, influence, and the fragile currency of belonging.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of St. Nicholas Magazine for Boys and Girls, Vol. 5, No. 08, June 1878: Scribner's Illustrated

St. Nicholas Magazine for Boys and Girls, Vol. 5, No. 08, June 1878: Scribner's Illustrated

Various

This issue of a Victorian children’s periodical gathers vibrant stories, instructional science, and spirited correspondence, offering a preserved glimpse into the intellectual and moral life of nineteenth-century youth.

Children & Young Adult Reading5 min read
Cover of Tales of the Long Bow

Tales of the Long Bow

G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton

A series of impossible, whimsical, and highly orchestrated pranks serves to challenge the rigid, soul-crushing conventions of modern English life. These stories act as a playful rebellion against the crushing weight of institutional absurdity.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Tales, Traditions and Romance of Border and Revolutionary Times

Tales, Traditions and Romance of Border and Revolutionary Times

Edward Sylvester Ellis

These chronicles capture the raw, perilous spirit of early American survival, blending the grit of frontier life with the high-stakes drama of the Revolutionary War.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Technic and Practice of Chiropractic

Technic and Practice of Chiropractic

Joy Maxwell Loban

This technical manual serves as an early, foundational guide to the mechanics of chiropractic, detailing the diagnostic palpation, nerve tracing, and physical adjustment techniques developed in the early twentieth century. It bridges the gap between abstract theory and clinical application, offering a comprehensive…

Health & Medicine6 min read
Cover of The American Missionary

The American Missionary

Various

This collection chronicles the late 19th-century American missionary effort, documenting a period of intense social, racial, and religious transformation through reports from the field and administrative ledgers. It serves as a primary record of the work undertaken by the American Missionary Association to…

History - American7 min read
Cover of The Armies of Labor: A Chronicle of the Organized Wage-Earners

The Armies of Labor: A Chronicle of the Organized Wage-Earners

Samuel Peter Orth

This chronicle traces the rise of American industrial organization, charting how millions of wage-earners transformed from isolated laborers into the collective power of the modern trade union movement.

History - American7 min read
Cover of The Black Dwarf

The Black Dwarf

Walter Scott

A solitary recluse, feared by locals as a supernatural being, becomes the unexpected architect of justice in a fractured landscape of political conspiracy and personal ruin.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Breeding Birds of Kansas

The Breeding Birds of Kansas

Richard F. Johnston

The breeding avifauna of Kansas is documented here with meticulous scientific rigor, providing a foundational reference for the geographic distribution, habitat preferences, and temporal breeding schedules of the state’s avian population.

Nature/Gardening/Animals5 min read
Cover of The Desert Mounted Corps: An Account of the Cavalry Operations in Palestine and Syria 1917-1918

The Desert Mounted Corps: An Account of the Cavalry Operations in Palestine and Syria 1917-1918

R. M. P. (Richard Martin Peter) Preston

This record chronicles the pivotal cavalry maneuvers in the Middle East during the Great War, detailing how mounted forces broke the deadlock in Palestine and Syria. It stands as a definitive, firsthand tactical history.

History - Modern (1750+)7 min read
Cover of The Devil's Disciple

The Devil's Disciple

Bernard Shaw

A rebellious outcast and a seemingly conventional minister find their fates intertwined when a case of mistaken identity forces a confrontation with the British military during the American Revolution.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Fall of the Moghul Empire of Hindustan

The Fall of the Moghul Empire of Hindustan

H. G. (Henry George) Keene

The collapse of the Moghul Empire in the late eighteenth century created a vacuum of power, precipitating a chaotic transition into the era of British colonial rule in India.

History - European6 min read
Cover of The French powder mystery

The French powder mystery

Ellery Queen

A high-society murder inside a department store showroom turns into a labyrinthine puzzle of missing keys, illicit drug rings, and a final, desperate bluff.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of The Gary Schools

The Gary Schools

Randolph Silliman Bourne

The Gary schools represent an ambitious, radical restructuring of the American classroom, designed to transform a congested industrial city’s education system into a vibrant, productive community center.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The Gentle Reader

The Gentle Reader

Samuel McChord Crothers

The Gentle Reader is a meditative, companionable guide through the pleasures of literature, reminding us that reading is a personal encounter rather than an academic chore. It celebrates the quirks of the mind and the joy of finding oneself in a book.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The Guardians of the Columbia: Mount Hood, Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens

The Guardians of the Columbia: Mount Hood, Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens

John H. (John Harvey) Williams

The Guardians of the Columbia is a descriptive exploration of the volcanic peaks that dominate the Pacific Northwest. It serves as both a rugged travelogue and an appreciative study of the geological forces shaping the Columbia River landscape.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The History of John Bull

The History of John Bull

John Arbuthnot

An honest tradesman finds his life and fortune nearly destroyed by endless, ruinous litigation. This classic satire transforms the high-stakes European power struggles of the early eighteenth century into a relatable, domestic tragedy.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Infant System: For Developing the Intellectual and Moral Powers of all Children, from One to Seven years of Age

The Infant System: For Developing the Intellectual and Moral Powers of all Children, from One to Seven years of Age

Samuel Wilderspin

This guide outlines a foundational approach to early childhood pedagogy, arguing that the first seven years of life are a "golden period" that determines a human being's moral and intellectual trajectory.

Teaching & Education6 min read
Cover of The Innocents Abroad

The Innocents Abroad

Mark Twain

A group of earnest, often baffled Americans departs on a steamship for a grand tour of the Old World, armed with nothing but their own prejudices and a relentless sense of humor.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. 1 (of 2)

The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. 1 (of 2)

Charles Lever

A proud Irish household confronts the collapse of their ancestral estate and the political upheaval of the 1801 Act of Union. This sweeping narrative captures a vanishing world through the eyes of those forced to navigate its ruin.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The Luck of Thirteen: Wanderings and Flight through Montenegro and Serbia

The Luck of Thirteen: Wanderings and Flight through Montenegro and Serbia

Jan Gordon

Two outsiders witness the collapse of a nation under the weight of war, documenting a desperate exodus through the rugged, unforgiving terrain of the Balkans.

Travel Writing6 min read
Cover of The New England Cook Book, or Young Housekeeper's Guide: Being a Collection of the Most Valuable Receipts

The New England Cook Book, or Young Housekeeper's Guide: Being a Collection of the Most Valuable Receipts

Anonymous

This manual serves as a meticulous bridge between the raw bounty of the New England kitchen and the refined requirements of a well-ordered home. It offers a window into the domestic landscape of the mid-1830s, where culinary skill was inextricably linked to the broader mastery of household maintenance.

Cooking & Drinking6 min read
Cover of The Ontario Readers: Fourth Book

The Ontario Readers: Fourth Book

Ontario. Department of Education

This anthology serves as a curated bridge between the foundational literatures of the English-speaking world and the rugged, formative experience of early twentieth-century Canada. It brings together canonical classics, historical accounts, and regional nature writing to cultivate both intellectual breadth and…

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Pathless Trail

The Pathless Trail

Arthur O. (Arthur Olney) Friel

The dense, unforgiving Brazilian wilderness serves as the stage for a desperate rescue mission, where three American adventurers confront both the primal terrors of the jungle and the treachery of their own kind. A gripping tale of grit and survival, this story pits steady discipline against the chaotic, lethal…

Adventure6 min read