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47,382 public-domain books, summarised. Page 266 of 988.

Cover of The Philosopher's Joke

The Philosopher's Joke

Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome

The possibility of knowing one’s own future is a seductive, if terrifying, prospect. This narrative explores the consequences of such knowledge, examining how the inevitable changes in human character shape the lives we lead.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Prince and the Pauper, Part 1

The Prince and the Pauper, Part 1

Mark Twain

A chance meeting between two boys born on the same day—one a prince, the other a pauper—leads to a sudden, accidental exchange of lives that leaves them both trapped in the wrong world.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Rural Magazine, and Literary Evening Fire-Side, Vol. 1 No. 01 (1820)

The Rural Magazine, and Literary Evening Fire-Side, Vol. 1 No. 01 (1820)

Various

The nineteenth-century American landscape comes alive through this collection of practical advice, scientific observation, and moral reflection, painting a vivid portrait of a society deeply rooted in the rhythms of the earth.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The Slim Princess

The Slim Princess

George Ade

A young woman’s struggle against the stifling traditions of her homeland takes a turn for the absurd when she discovers that the very trait she is mocked for—her slimness—is the key to her ultimate liberation. A spirited comedy of errors, this tale pits the rigid customs of a fictionalized East against the…

Humour6 min read
Cover of The Space Pioneers

The Space Pioneers

Carey Rockwell

Three young space cadets find themselves trapped in a web of interplanetary conspiracy when their mission to a remote colony turns into a desperate fight against a corrupt, power-hungry governor.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Story of the American Merchant Marine

The Story of the American Merchant Marine

John Randolph Spears

The American merchant marine rose from colonial necessity to global dominance, only to be reshaped by the relentless tide of steam and the rise of railroads. This account traces the transformation of an industry born in the Age of Sail.

History - American7 min read
Cover of The True George Washington [10th Ed.]

The True George Washington [10th Ed.]

Paul Leicester Ford

The man behind the monument emerges here as a flawed, hardworking, and intensely private figure whose life was defined by duty rather than myth. This biography peels away the layers of legendary perfection to reveal a human being navigating the complexities of an evolving nation.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Wrong Twin

The Wrong Twin

Harry Leon Wilson

Two boys from different worlds grow up in a changing town, only to find their destinies shaped by social expectations, global war, and the quiet, stubborn choices of the heart.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Through the Wall

Through the Wall

Cleveland Moffett

A disgraced detective fights to reclaim his reputation by solving a seemingly impossible murder. He navigates a web of high-society secrets, shadowy criminals, and a city that feels as dangerous as it is grand.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers

Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers

Victor Appleton

An intrepid young inventor stakes his reputation and his aircraft on a journey into the Rocky Mountains to uncover the secret of a mysterious syndicate that produces perfect diamonds from raw, natural forces.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Twenty-Three Stories by Twenty and Three Authors

Twenty-Three Stories by Twenty and Three Authors

Unknown

This anthology brings together twenty-three distinct voices, each spinning a self-contained web of atmosphere, dread, and the quiet desperation of the human condition. It is a mosaic of early twentieth-century fiction that explores the thin membranes separating sanity from mania, and civilization from the wild,…

Short Stories6 min read
Cover of Ultima Thule

Ultima Thule

Mack Reynolds

HOOK A young recruit enters a clandestine agency to hunt a legendary interstellar revolutionary, only to discover the unsettling truth about the organization he has sworn to serve.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Zigzag Journeys in Europe: Vacation Rambles in Historic Lands

Zigzag Journeys in Europe: Vacation Rambles in Historic Lands

Hezekiah Butterworth

This travel narrative follows a teacher and his diverse group of students as they embark on a summer excursion through England and France, blending contemporary sightseeing with historical discovery.

Children & Young Adult Reading7 min read
Cover of A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade: Addressed to the freeholders and other inhabitants of Yorkshire

A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade: Addressed to the freeholders and other inhabitants of Yorkshire

William Wilberforce

A moral plea to end the slave trade, this work argues that national righteousness and economic stability are inextricably linked to the cessation of human trafficking.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of A Modern Instance

A Modern Instance

William Dean Howells

A young man’s ambition and a woman’s devotion collide in this searching portrait of a marriage, a story that peels back the layers of Victorian social propriety to reveal the raw, unvarnished truth of human character.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of A Virginia Scout

A Virginia Scout

Hugh Pendexter

HOOK A seasoned Virginia scout navigates the brutal, shifting alliances of the 1774 frontier, where the promise of settlement is carved into the wilderness with rifle fire and blood.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Aunt Charlotte's Stories of Greek History

Aunt Charlotte's Stories of Greek History

Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary) Yonge

A foundational survey of Greek history, this work bridges the gap between ancient myth and the modern era for young readers. It combines legendary tales with centuries of political evolution, offering a clear, moralizing perspective on the rise and fall of civilizations.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Charles Gounod: Autobiographical Reminiscences with Family Letters and Notes on Music

Charles Gounod: Autobiographical Reminiscences with Family Letters and Notes on Music

Charles Gounod

This collection of memories offers an intimate, reflective portrait of a nineteenth-century composer navigating the tension between artistic calling and the demands of a changing world. It serves as both a personal history and a meditation on the nature of creative life.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 18 (of 20)

Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 18 (of 20)

Charles Sumner

The promise of the American experiment is measured here against the harsh realities of post-Civil War governance. These pages document a persistent fight to align the nation’s laws with the mandate of human equality.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of Christmas-Tide

Christmas-Tide

Charles Dickens

This collection offers a blend of pedagogical philosophy and classic holiday narratives, serving as a guide for parents and teachers who seek to imbue the Christmas season with lasting moral depth.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Christopher Carson, Familiarly Known as Kit Carson

Christopher Carson, Familiarly Known as Kit Carson

John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot) Abbott

This biographical narrative chronicles the life of an American folk icon, painting a portrait of a man who bridged the gap between untamed wilderness and the encroaching influence of civilization. It captures the rugged essence of the mid-nineteenth-century frontier through the eyes of a legendary scout.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of Dio's Rome, Volume 6: An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek During the Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English Form

Dio's Rome, Volume 6: An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek During the Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English Form

Cassius Dio Cocceianus

The record of a vanishing world, this history chronicles the brutal unraveling of the Roman Empire through the eyes of a statesman who watched its foundations crack under the weight of tyranny and caprice. It serves as both a witness to the decline of imperial virtue and a testament to the inescapable cycles of…

History - Ancient6 min read
Cover of English Lands, Letters and Kings, vol. 3: Queen Anne and the Georges

English Lands, Letters and Kings, vol. 3: Queen Anne and the Georges

Donald Grant Mitchell

The march of English letters moves from the elegant polish of the Augustan age to the raw, romantic fervor of the poets who redefined the soul of nature.

History - British7 min read
Cover of Gardening without irrigation

Gardening without irrigation

Steve Solomon

Gardening without irrigation turns the challenge of a rainless summer into a masterclass on soil science and plant biology. It provides a practical, temperate-climate manual for cultivating food using the moisture already stored in the earth.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of Greek Sculpture: A collection of sixteen pictures of Greek marbles with introduction and interpretation

Greek Sculpture: A collection of sixteen pictures of Greek marbles with introduction and interpretation

Estelle M. (Estelle May) Hurll

This guide offers an approachable, illustrated introduction to the beauty of classical marble, connecting the silent stone of ancient Greece to the enduring narratives of its mythology and history.

Art6 min read
Cover of Home Amusements

Home Amusements

M. E. W. (Mary Elizabeth Wilson) Sherwood

A guide for the Victorian parlor, this manual curates the domestic arts and social diversions that turn a private residence into a vibrant center of activity and familial connection.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of In Time of Emergency: A Citizen's Handbook on Nuclear Attack, Natural Disasters (1968)

In Time of Emergency: A Citizen's Handbook on Nuclear Attack, Natural Disasters (1968)

United States. Office of Civil Defense

This official civilian guide outlines practical, concrete preparations for surviving the immediate aftermath of a nuclear detonation or severe natural disaster.

Health & Medicine6 min read
Cover of Jewish History

Jewish History

Simon Dubnow

This survey offers a sweeping, philosophical look at the Jewish experience, arguing that the true essence of a people lies not in territory or power, but in an unbroken, resilient life of the spirit.

History - Other7 min read
Cover of Lectures and biographical sketches

Lectures and biographical sketches

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The search for a moral compass in an age of skepticism defines these reflections, where the inward life of the spirit is held as the ultimate standard for human conduct.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of Lightning Conductors: Their History, Nature, and Mode of Application

Lightning Conductors: Their History, Nature, and Mode of Application

Anderson, Richard, F.C.S.

A practical guide to the science of atmospheric electricity, this work provides both a historical account of lightning protection and a technical manual for safeguarding buildings against the destructive force of nature’s most erratic element.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of Louis XIV and La Grande Mademoiselle, 1652-1693

Louis XIV and La Grande Mademoiselle, 1652-1693

Arvède Barine

The Bourbon dynasty’s most powerful monarch meets his match in a cousin who expects a grand romance, only to find herself trapped in a world of stifling ceremony and heartbreak.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Moral Poison in Modern Fiction

Moral Poison in Modern Fiction

R. Brimley (Reginald Brimley) Johnson

This critical study examines how the changing moral landscape of early 20th-century literature—specifically the rise of "sex-revolt" themes—threatens the stability of social values, family life, and the emotional development of post-war youth.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of Old Gorgon Graham: More Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son

Old Gorgon Graham: More Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son

George Horace Lorimer

The seasoned merchant writes from a position of hard-won authority, mentoring his son through the complexities of professional advancement, courtship, and the responsibilities of leadership in a rapidly modernizing industrial world.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Once a week

Once a week

A. A. (Alan Alexander) Milne

This collection captures the lighthearted, witty spirit of Edwardian-era England, offering a series of humorous sketches that find absurdity in the mundane routines of comfortable, middle-class life.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Out-of-Doors in the Holy Land: Impressions of Travel in Body and Spirit

Out-of-Doors in the Holy Land: Impressions of Travel in Body and Spirit

Henry Van Dyke

HOOK Seeking to reconcile faith with the physical reality of the Holy Land, a traveler embarks on a journey that finds the sacred not in stone, but in the wide, open air.

Religion/Spirituality6 min read
Cover of Over the Border: A Novel

Over the Border: A Novel

Herman Whitaker

Three seasoned outlaws living in the Mexican wilderness find their lawless existence transformed when they adopt a young American woman caught in the chaotic grip of the Mexican Revolution.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Personae

Personae

Ezra Pound

HOOK Through the voices of ancient ghosts and forgotten wanderers, these verses reclaim the raw, untamed spirit of poetry from the stifling grip of modern lethargy.

Classics of Literature6 min read
Cover of Records of Later Life

Records of Later Life

Fanny Kemble

An aristocratic British actress marries into American society, only to find herself torn between two continents, caught in the crossfire of anti-slavery agitation, and forced back onto the stage to secure her own financial independence.

Biographies10 min read
Cover of Rembrandt and His Etchings: A Compact Record of the Artist's Life, His Work and his Time. With the complete Chronological List of his Etchings

Rembrandt and His Etchings: A Compact Record of the Artist's Life, His Work and his Time. With the complete Chronological List of his Etchings

Louis A. (Louis Arthur) Holman

A master etcher’s life is captured through the lens of his most intimate work, mapping his journey from a young man in Leyden to the forgotten figure who died in poverty but achieved immortality.

Art6 min read
Cover of Robert Kimberly

Robert Kimberly

Frank H. (Frank Hamilton) Spearman

A wealthy, powerful man finds his life’s trajectory irrevocably altered when he falls for a woman trapped in an unhappy marriage. This intimate study of conscience and consequence spans the quiet tensions of high-society life.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Rung Ho! A Novel

Rung Ho! A Novel

Talbot Mundy

HOOK In the high-stakes intrigue of colonial India, a young officer and a brave missionary navigate a web of princely treachery, religious fervor, and shifting loyalties to survive a collapsing political order.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Sons and Fathers

Sons and Fathers

Harry Stillwell Edwards

A young man seeks to uncover the truth of his parentage, only to find himself caught in a web of scandal, betrayal, and high-stakes mystery in the post-Civil War South.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of South Wind

South Wind

Norman Douglas

The south wind—the sirocco—has a habit of unhinging the orderly minds of those who visit the island of Nepenthe, where morality is treated more as a suggestion than a rule.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Special Days and Their Observance: September 1919

Special Days and Their Observance: September 1919

Anonymous

This instructional manual serves as a comprehensive guide for teachers to instill patriotism and civic virtue through the structured observance of holidays and daily classroom exercises. It transforms the schoolroom into a space for shaping the moral character and national identity of American youth.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The Adventure of Two Dutch Dolls and a 'Golliwogg'

The Adventure of Two Dutch Dolls and a 'Golliwogg'

Bertha Upton

In the quiet of a frosty Christmas Eve, the wooden inhabitants of a toy shop awaken to claim their one night of liberty. This whimsical chronicle follows two Dutch dolls and their newfound companion as they trade the confines of the counter for a series of high-stakes escapades, from reckless rides on wooden steeds…

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The age of the crusades

The age of the crusades

James M. (James Meeker) Ludlow

The Crusades emerge not merely as a series of battles, but as the turbulent adolescence of European civilization. This study maps how a fractured, superstitious continent found a violent, transformative unity by looking eastward.

History - Medieval/Middle Ages6 min read
Cover of The Black Douglas

The Black Douglas

S. R. (Samuel Rutherford) Crockett

A young knight finds his loyalties tested in a dark, sprawling tale of Scottish political intrigue and a terrifying, occult nightmare across the sea in fifteenth-century France.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Blue Raider: A Tale of Adventure in the Southern Seas

The Blue Raider: A Tale of Adventure in the Southern Seas

Herbert Strang

Stranded on a hostile coast, a group of survivors must outwit a ruthless band of German pirates to secure their freedom and escape the island.

Adventure5 min read