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34,239 public-domain books, summarised. Page 304 of 714.

Cover of The Strange Cases of Dr. Stanchon

The Strange Cases of Dr. Stanchon

Josephine Daskam Bacon

A physician observes the fragile, often invisible boundaries between sanity and secret lives, witnessing how the human heart unravels when society’s expectations become an unbearable cage.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The twelve best short stories in the French language

The twelve best short stories in the French language

Unknown

A noble Moor and a proud Spanish noble duel over love and honor, while a captive officer counts his days in the Caucasus. Passion, duty, and quiet tragedy intertwine across a tapestry of classic French short fiction.

Short Stories7 min read
Cover of The Two Gentlemen of Verona

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

William Shakespeare

Two young friends set off into the world, only to find their devotion tested by the sudden arrival of desire, betrayal, and disguise.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The Unknown Sea

The Unknown Sea

Clemence Housman

This haunting, lyrical fable explores the lethal magnetism between a mortal man and a spirit of the deep. It is a stark meditation on the heavy cost of integrity when faced with the irresistible, inhuman allure of the unknown.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The vigilantes of Montana

The vigilantes of Montana

Thos. J. (Thomas Josiah) Dimsdale

A bloody, eyewitness record of the 1860s gold rushes, where lawless outlaws ruled the trail and armed citizens formed secretive committees to hang them.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The West Indies

The West Indies

John Henderson

A vivid journey through turn-of-the-century Caribbean landscapes, this observational travelogue documents the sights, sounds, and societal dynamics of Jamaica and its neighboring islands with curious, unflinching detail.

History - Other5 min read
Cover of The Wheat Princess

The Wheat Princess

Jean Webster

An heiress seeking a life of quiet luxury in Italy finds her idyllic world upended when she discovers that her father's wealth was built on grain speculation that is actively starving the local populace.

American Literature8 min read
Cover of The World As I Have Found It: Sequel to Incidents in the Life of a Blind Girl

The World As I Have Found It: Sequel to Incidents in the Life of a Blind Girl

Mary L. Day

This memoir chronicles the resilient, itinerant life of a blind woman navigating the social landscapes and moral complexities of late 19th-century America. It is a testament to the power of self-reliance and the kindness of strangers.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Told by the death's head

Told by the death's head

Mór Jókai

A skull suspended in a fortress, once a man of many sins, recounts his bizarre journey through a life of impossible adventures. This is the confession of a rogue who has seen it all.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Tragedy in Dedham

Tragedy in Dedham

Francis Russell

A payroll robbery turns into a seven-year legal battle that exposes the fault lines of a nation.

History - American9 min read
Cover of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa

Vasco Nuñez de Balboa

Frederick A. (Frederick Albion) Ober

A penniless debtor escapes his creditors in a wooden cask, only to carve his name into history across the jungle rivers and perilous peaks of Central America.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Webster's Seventh of March Speech and the Secession Movement, 1850

Webster's Seventh of March Speech and the Secession Movement, 1850

Herbert Darling Foster

The American Union stood at the brink of collapse in 1850, saved not by inevitability, but by a single, divisive oratorical gamble that forced a fractured nation to pause.

History - American6 min read
Cover of A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents. Volume 7, part 1: Ulysses S. Grant

A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents. Volume 7, part 1: Ulysses S. Grant

Unknown

A crucial record of executive power, this collection reveals a nation rebuilding its peace and asserting its global standing through official presidential paper.

Essays, Letters & Speeches11 min read
Cover of A Gamble with Life

A Gamble with Life

Silas K. (Silas Kitto) Hocking

A desperate inventor stakes his future on a risky legal bet, only to find that winning his life's work means nothing if he loses his soul—and the woman he loves.

Novels6 min read
Cover of A War-time Journal, Germany 1914 and German Travel Notes

A War-time Journal, Germany 1914 and German Travel Notes

Jephson, Harriet Julia Campbell, Lady

Trapped in a German spa town as World War I breaks out, an Englishwoman observes her former hosts turn overnight into hostile enemies.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Across the Years

Across the Years

Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter

Under heavy coats and wrinkled brows, aging hearts still burn for independence, dignity, and a small taste of joy.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Alfred Russel Wallace: Letters and Reminiscences, Vol. 2

Alfred Russel Wallace: Letters and Reminiscences, Vol. 2

Alfred Russel Wallace

A Victorian co-discoverer of evolutionary theory reflects on a lifetime of bold scientific debate, late-life domestic peace, radical social proposals, and relentless intellectual curiosity.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of An Old Coachman's Chatter, with Some Practical Remarks on Driving

An Old Coachman's Chatter, with Some Practical Remarks on Driving

Edward Corbett

Before steam engines swept across the landscape, four-horse mail coaches ruled the open road. This precise memoir paints an intimate, unvarnished portrait of a vanished era, where split-second timing, physical endurance, and absolute horse mastery meant everything.

History - Modern (1750+)5 min read
Cover of Astronomy in a nutshell

Astronomy in a nutshell

Garrett Putman Serviss

An accessible, lucidly written introduction to the night sky, Garrett Putman Serviss’s 1912 handbook strips away dry technical jargon to reveal the elegance of celestial mechanics for curious non-specialist readers.

Science - Physics6 min read
Cover of Atlantis

Atlantis

Gerhart Hauptmann

A ocean crossing shatters a man’s precarious world, forcing him through shipwreck, obsession, and ghost-haunted recovery toward a grounded rebirth.

German Literature6 min read
Cover of Billiards

Billiards

William Broadfoot

Precision, practice, and geometric mastery transform table play from a casual pastime into an exact science.

How To ...8 min read
Cover of Black no more

Black no more

George S. (George Samuel) Schuyler

A satirical masterpiece of identity and absurd racial politics, this biting fable exposes the folly of bigotry when a scientific miracle erases the color line overnight.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 70, No. 434, December, 1851

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 70, No. 434, December, 1851

Various

A collection of nineteenth-century political commentaries, serial fiction, and foreign travelogues exposes the anxieties of a rapidly industrializing empire.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Bygone Cumberland and Westmorland

Bygone Cumberland and Westmorland

Daniel Scott

A landscape of remote fells, fortified steeples, and ancient manors holds a rich history of human endurance, eccentric customs, and self-governed mountain communities.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Carry On: Letters in War-Time

Carry On: Letters in War-Time

Coningsby Dawson

A sensitive writer leaves his peaceful life behind to serve on the Western Front, discovering that the brutal test of war yields an unexpected and profound spiritual strength.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Celebration in Baltimore of the Triumph of Liberty in France

Celebration in Baltimore of the Triumph of Liberty in France

William Wirt

A grand street parade in Maryland transforms into a sweeping, philosophical defense of constitutional liberty across the Atlantic Ocean.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 716: September 15, 1877

Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 716: September 15, 1877

Various

Early brilliance, high-stakes sea mutinies, lost avian giants, and aristocratic duties converge in this vibrant 1877 compendium. It delivers a rich, varied tapestry of Victorian inquiry, storytelling, and cultural reflection across fiction and non-fiction alike.

Journals6 min read
Cover of Colonial Homes and Their Furnishings

Colonial Homes and Their Furnishings

Mary Harrod Northend

An intimate tour through New England’s grandest early estates reveals the craftsmanship, forgotten habits, and personal legacies preserved inside the region's historic homes.

Architecture5 min read
Cover of Company B, 307th Infantry: Its history, honor roll, company roster, Sept., 1917, May, 1919

Company B, 307th Infantry: Its history, honor roll, company roster, Sept., 1917, May, 1919

Julius Klausner

A raw, unvarnished record of American civilians transformed into a frontline infantry unit captures the relentless machinery of World War I, tracing a journey from Long Island training grounds to the deadly thickets of the Argonne.

History - American7 min read
Cover of Comrade Kropotkin

Comrade Kropotkin

Victor Robinson

An aristocrat abandons his high position to join a underground network fighting a brutal autocratic state, enduring imprisonment, harrowing escape, and exile to carry his message across continents.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Dangers of the Trail in 1865: A Narrative of Actual Events

Dangers of the Trail in 1865: A Narrative of Actual Events

Charles E. (Charles Edward) Young

Crossing the violent 1865 frontier, a young man faces stampedes, Indian attacks, and ruthlessness while freighting supplies across the plains to Denver.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of Deephaven and Selected Stories & Sketches

Deephaven and Selected Stories & Sketches

Sarah Orne Jewett

Two city women spend a summer in a sleepy New England haven, discovering that the quietest places hold the richest human stories.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of Essays Upon Some Controverted Questions

Essays Upon Some Controverted Questions

Thomas Henry Huxley

A champion of empirical inquiry confronts clerical authority, dismantling literal interpretations of ancient texts with rigorous scientific evidence and logical precision.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of Favorite Nursery Rhymes

Favorite Nursery Rhymes

Anonymous

A whimsical collection of classic rhymes captures the playful rhythm, absurd humor, and gentle comfort of childhood tradition.

Children & Young Adult Reading5 min read
Cover of Fishes, Flowers, & Fire as Elements and Deities in the Phallic Faiths & Worship of the Ancient Religions of Greece, Babylon, Rome, India, &c

Fishes, Flowers, & Fire as Elements and Deities in the Phallic Faiths & Worship of the Ancient Religions of Greece, Babylon, Rome, India, &c

Anonymous

A subterranean stream of ancient symbolism runs through modern human culture, where everyday natural forms mask forgotten rites of generative power and solar reverence.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Great Catherine (Whom Glory Still Adores)

Great Catherine (Whom Glory Still Adores)

Bernard Shaw

A young English officer stumbles into the Russian imperial court, where a tyrannical, wine-soaked prince and a formidable empress treat geopolitical influence, diplomatic flirtation, and human dignity as mere playthings for their amusement.

Humour6 min read
Cover of Harper's Outdoor Book for Boys

Harper's Outdoor Book for Boys

Joseph H. (Joseph Henry) Adams

Hands-on ingenuity turns everyday scrap wood, wire, and cloth into functional outdoor gear for adventurous young builders.

Children & Young Adult Reading5 min read
Cover of I and My Chimney

I and My Chimney

Herman Melville

A quiet rural domesticity turns into a battlefield when an aging husband vows to protect his massive central chimney against his relentless wife's modern renovations.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Icarus

Icarus

Bertrand Russell

A stark warning against technological optimism, exploring how human rivalry and organized power threaten to convert scientific breakthroughs into tools of self-destruction.

Philosophy & Ethics10 min read
Cover of In the Sixties

In the Sixties

Harold Frederic

A boy watches his home town fracture as the American Civil War tears through upstate New York, turning neighbors into enemies and quiet farms into battlegrounds for the human soul.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Is 5

Is 5

E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings

A streetwise, brilliantly erratic, and deeply tender defense of pure invention over mechanical routine.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of Jack: 1877

Jack: 1877

Alphonse Daudet

Abandoned to the care of indifference and artistic vanity, a neglected boy navigates the cold realities of nineteenth-century France, searching desperately for the warmth of a mother’s love that remains forever out of reach.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of Lectures on Modern history

Lectures on Modern history

Acton, John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, Baron

History is not a static collection of isolated events, but a continuous stream of human development. Understanding the modern world requires tracing the ideological and political forces that have shaped society across centuries.

History - Modern (1750+)5 min read
Cover of Man's Place in the Universe: A Study of the Results of Scientific Research in Relation to the Unity or Plurality of Worlds, 3rd Edition

Man's Place in the Universe: A Study of the Results of Scientific Research in Relation to the Unity or Plurality of Worlds, 3rd Edition

Alfred Russel Wallace

A bold, meticulous inquiry into whether the cosmos harbours other living worlds yields a startlingly precise conclusion: our planet stands entirely alone.

Science - Biology6 min read
Cover of Memoir of Mary L. Ware, Wife of Henry Ware, Jr

Memoir of Mary L. Ware, Wife of Henry Ware, Jr

Edward B. (Edward Brooks) Hall

A steadfast nineteenth-century New England woman transforms everyday domestic duty, quiet self-sacrifice, and intense personal grief into a life of profound religious grace and heroic devotion to others.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Moral Principles and Medical Practice: The Basis of Medical Jurisprudence

Moral Principles and Medical Practice: The Basis of Medical Jurisprudence

Charles Coppens

In an age of rapid scientific progress, a Catholic professor delivers a stark warning to future doctors about the fragile boundary separating legitimate medicine from moral lawlessness.

Health & Medicine8 min read
Cover of My First Picture Book: With Thirty-six Pages of Pictures Printed in Colours by Kronheim

My First Picture Book: With Thirty-six Pages of Pictures Printed in Colours by Kronheim

Joseph Martin Kronheim

A large shoe becomes a forest home, a princess-owl reveals her true form, and pigs meet varied fates in six classic tales.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of My Musical Life

My Musical Life

Walter Damrosch

A life spent building the musical architecture of a young nation brings standard orchestral scores to life through tireless devotion, fierce rivalries, and unyielding discipline.

American Literature5 min read
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