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34,239 public-domain books, summarised. Page 326 of 714.

Cover of The Life and Times of Alfred the Great: Being the Ford lectures for 1901

The Life and Times of Alfred the Great: Being the Ford lectures for 1901

Charles Plummer

A master of ninth-century history sifts through the legends, fragments, and manuscripts to find the man behind the myth. This rigorous investigation recovers the true shape of a king whose legacy has been distorted by centuries of misreading.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Maid-At-Arms: A Novel

The Maid-At-Arms: A Novel

Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers

In the brutal, unforgiving light of the American Revolution’s northern frontier, a young soldier and a resolute woman navigate a fractured world of shifting loyalties and savage warfare.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Ned M'Keown Stories: Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of

The Ned M'Keown Stories: Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of

William Carleton

This collection of tales seeks to dismantle the long-standing caricature of the Irish peasant as a bumbling, grotesque buffoon, offering instead an intimate look at the gravity, intellect, and humanity behind the brogue.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The New Century Standard Letter-Writer: Business, Family and Social Correspondence, Love-Letters, Etiquette, Synonyms, Legal Forms, Etc

The New Century Standard Letter-Writer: Business, Family and Social Correspondence, Love-Letters, Etiquette, Synonyms, Legal Forms, Etc

Alfred B. Chambers

An essential guide to the vanishing art of formal letter-writing, offering templates for every conceivable social, business, and legal necessity of the turn of the century.

How To ...5 min read
Cover of The Norse discoverers of America

The Norse discoverers of America

G. M. (Geoffrey Malcolm) Gathorne-Hardy

The Norse sagas describe journeys across the Atlantic centuries before Columbus, blending oral tradition with the hard realities of navigation. This scholarly work analyzes those accounts to determine where these explorers actually landed.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The Passion for Life

The Passion for Life

Joseph Hocking

A man facing a terminal diagnosis finds unexpected purpose in a quiet Cornish village, where he stumbles upon a dangerous conspiracy that forces him to choose between a fading life and a desperate act of patriotism.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Postmaster

The Postmaster

Joseph Crosby Lincoln

A retired sea captain trades the salt spray of the Atlantic for the quiet life of a rural postmaster, only to find that small-town commerce and local politics are far more treacherous than the open ocean.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of The Rangers

The Rangers

Daniel P. (Daniel Pierce) Thompson

The American Revolution plays out in the rugged heart of Vermont, where loyalties are tested by fire and the fight for independence transforms neighbors into bitter enemies.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Reminiscences of Sir Henry Hawkins (Baron Brampton)

The Reminiscences of Sir Henry Hawkins (Baron Brampton)

Brampton, Henry Hawkins, Baron

A distinguished nineteenth-century jurist looks back on a long career defined by the rigor of the courtroom, the absurdity of human nature, and the heavy burden of dispensing justice.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Skilful Cook: A Practical Manual of Modern Experience

The Skilful Cook: A Practical Manual of Modern Experience

Mary Harrison

A masterclass in Victorian domestic science, this comprehensive guide offers a practical, disciplined approach to the art of cooking for the home. It transforms kitchen labor into a refined and methodical craft.

Cooking & Drinking6 min read
Cover of The Spy: The Story of a Superfluous Man

The Spy: The Story of a Superfluous Man

Maksim Gorky

Yevsey Klimkov is a man of profound insignificance, a small, timid orphan who drifts into the machinery of state oppression. He is a "superfluous man" in the truest sense, a person so devoid of agency that he becomes the perfect, hollow vessel for a regime built on suspicion and fear.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Tank Corps

The Tank Corps

Clough Williams-Ellis

This history chronicles the birth of the Tank Corps, a radical experiment in mechanized warfare that transformed the battlefield and saved countless infantry lives during the First World War.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of The Two Noble Kinsmen

The Two Noble Kinsmen

William Shakespeare

Two noble cousins, bonded by blood and friendship, find their lives shattered when both fall in love with the same woman. Their rivalry transforms from a noble competition into a tragic fight for survival.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of The Two Spies: Nathan Hale and John André

The Two Spies: Nathan Hale and John André

Benson John Lossing

Two men of talent and honor, divided by a revolution, find their lives entwined by the perilous, shadowed art of espionage.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The White Old Maid (From "Twice Told Tales")

The White Old Maid (From "Twice Told Tales")

Nathaniel Hawthorne

A haunting pact made over a corpse binds two women to a lifetime of silence, culminating in a spectral reunion decades later.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 16

The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 16

John Dryden

This account chronicles the life of the sixteenth-century missionary Francis Xavier, tracing his transformation from a European scholar into a tireless architect of the Jesuit mission across India and Japan.

Biographies8 min read
Cover of The Young Buglers

The Young Buglers

G. A. (George Alfred) Henty

Two brothers run away to join the British army, embarking on a series of daring military exploits across the Peninsular War that lead them from the ranks to the officer corps.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo

Algernon Charles Swinburne

A titan of the nineteenth century emerges here not merely as a master of verse and prose, but as a moral force who channeled the collective grief and aspirations of a nation. This deep, reflective study serves as a literary biography and an impassioned defense of a visionary genius whose life’s work—spanning…

Biographies6 min read
Cover of West Lawn, and The rector of St. Mark's

West Lawn, and The rector of St. Mark's

Mary Jane Holmes

A woman’s diary becomes the map of her heart as she navigates the quiet, stifling expectations of 19th-century domestic life. Through tangled engagements and hidden histories, the truth finally comes to light.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of With Clive in India

With Clive in India

G. A. (George Alfred) Henty

A young Englishman navigates the treacherous, high-stakes power struggles of 18th-century India, rising from a clerk to a seasoned military commander under the mentorship of Lord Clive. This chronicle of British imperial expansion captures the brutal volatility of the era through a series of relentless sieges,…

Adventure7 min read
Cover of Your United States: Impressions of a first visit

Your United States: Impressions of a first visit

Arnold Bennett

An observant visitor captures the pulse of a nation in the midst of a restless, rapid transformation, documenting the dizzying scale and relentless energy of early twentieth-century American life.

Travel Writing6 min read
Cover of A Bit of Sunshine

A Bit of Sunshine

Unknown

A young girl enjoys a spirited carriage ride through the countryside, observing the simple, vibrant activities of rural life as the sun emerges after a heavy rain.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of A booke called the Foundacion of Rhetorike: because all other partes of Rhetorike are grounded thereupon, euery parte sette forthe in an Oracion vpon questions, verie profitable to bee knowen and redde

A booke called the Foundacion of Rhetorike: because all other partes of Rhetorike are grounded thereupon, euery parte sette forthe in an Oracion vpon questions, verie profitable to bee knowen and redde

Richard Rainolde

A foundational manual from 1563, this text transforms the abstract art of classical persuasion into a practical, step-by-step engine for building a compelling argument.

Language & Communication6 min read
Cover of A History of Wood-Engraving

A History of Wood-Engraving

George Edward Woodberry

A survey of wood-engraving that traces the craft from its medieval origins to its modern revival, positioning it not merely as a technical skill but as a vital mirror of human civilization.

Art6 min read
Cover of A journey round my room

A journey round my room

Xavier de Maistre

A housebound traveler finds that the true scale of the world is not measured in leagues, but in the infinite landscapes of the human mind.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of A Mechanical Account of Poisons in Several Essays

A Mechanical Account of Poisons in Several Essays

Richard Mead

A rigorous, early-eighteenth-century attempt to explain the mechanics of toxins through physical law rather than occult mystery, shifting the study of venom into the realm of observable, observable anatomy.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of A Terrible Tomboy

A Terrible Tomboy

Angela Brazil

A spirited, tree-climbing girl fights to save her family’s ancestral home from debt, finding her true strength not in defying convention, but in the steadfast love she shows her father.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of A Tramp Abroad

A Tramp Abroad

Mark Twain

A wanderer’s grand expectations for a continental walking tour collide with the absurdities of travel, resulting in a journey less about the destination and more about the hilarious friction of being a stranger in a strange land.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of A Traveler from Altruria: Romance

A Traveler from Altruria: Romance

William Dean Howells

A visitor from a distant land arrives in America, his gentle innocence serving as a mirror to the contradictions and social inequities of the Gilded Age. Through polite, persistent questioning, he forces his hosts to confront the reality of their own ideals.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of A true & exact history of the island of Barbados

A true & exact history of the island of Barbados

Richard Ligon

This seventeenth-century account documents the rapid transformation of a Caribbean landscape into a highly organized, brutal engine of sugar production. It serves as a stark testament to the colonial ambition and human cost defining the era.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)6 min read
Cover of A Woman-Hater

A Woman-Hater

Charles Reade

A woman’s search for her past intersects with a singer’s ascent and a gentleman’s skepticism in this expansive, spirited Victorian novel. It explores the social and professional limitations placed upon women while weaving a complex tapestry of romantic longing and personal redemption.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of An Elementary Text-book of the Microscope: including a description of the methods of preparing and mounting objects, etc

An Elementary Text-book of the Microscope: including a description of the methods of preparing and mounting objects, etc

J. W. (John William) Griffith

This practical handbook serves as a foundational guide for the amateur naturalist, demystifying the mechanical and scientific complexities of microscopy. It provides a clear, methodical path for anyone seeking to explore the hidden structural intricacies of the natural world.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich

Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich

Stephen Leacock

This satirical cycle of interconnected stories portrays the absurd, insulated world of the ultra-wealthy, where the pursuit of profit transforms every human endeavor into a business transaction. It serves as a sharp, enduring critique of how concentrated capital shapes the social and moral fabric of a modern city.

Humour6 min read
Cover of Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 455: Volume 18, New Series, September 18, 1852

Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 455: Volume 18, New Series, September 18, 1852

Various

This collection of nineteenth-century journalism captures a world in the throes of rapid transition, where the steam engine and scientific inquiry meet enduring social and moral questions. It serves as a curated window into the intellectual and cultural landscape of 1852.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of Charlotte's Inheritance

Charlotte's Inheritance

M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon

A woman’s survival becomes a race against a calculated, murderous conspiracy. This Victorian drama weaves a chilling web of inheritance, poisoning, and the desperate search for redemption.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Cornwall

Cornwall

S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould

The rugged Cornish peninsula, defined by its granite moors, treacherous coastlines, and ancient tin-mining heritage, offers a distinct, isolated identity within the fabric of England. This survey of the county’s geography, history, and industry captures a land shaped by the Atlantic.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Deaconesses in Europe and their Lessons for America

Deaconesses in Europe and their Lessons for America

Jane M. (Jane Marie) Bancroft

This historical study advocates for the revival of a formal female diaconate within the American church, drawing inspiration from European models of organized, compassionate service to the urban poor.

Gender & Sexuality Studies6 min read
Cover of Essays of Michel de Montaigne

Essays of Michel de Montaigne

Michel de Montaigne

HOOK A candid exploration of the human condition, this work navigates the messy, contradictory reality of aging, desire, and the art of living with oneself.

Classics of Literature7 min read
Cover of Fantasy: A Novel

Fantasy: A Novel

Matilde Serao

A masterful study of obsession and the performative nature of suffering, this portrait of a toxic friendship dissects the psychological wreckage left by a woman who weaponizes her own melancholy.

Novels7 min read
Cover of Faro Nell and Her Friends: Wolfville Stories

Faro Nell and Her Friends: Wolfville Stories

Alfred Henry Lewis

This collection of stories captures the rowdy, vernacular spirit of an Arizona frontier town through the eyes of its most colorful residents. It is a portrait of a place where social customs are as rigid as the law is loose.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Fathers of Men

Fathers of Men

E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung

HOOK A raw, defiant boy from a rough background struggles to survive the rigid social hierarchy of an English boarding school, where his solitary nature clashes with the expectations of his masters and peers.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of First Impressions on a Tour upon the Continent: In the summer of 1818 through parts of France, Italy, Switzerland, the borders of Germany, and a part of French Flanders

First Impressions on a Tour upon the Continent: In the summer of 1818 through parts of France, Italy, Switzerland, the borders of Germany, and a part of French Flanders

Marianne Baillie

A keen-eyed observer captures the sights, sounds, and social textures of post-Napoleonic Europe, balancing a sharp wit against the romantic awe of a continent newly opened to travelers.

Travel Writing7 min read
Cover of Frank Merriwell's Chums

Frank Merriwell's Chums

Burt L. Standish

The young cadet at Fardale Military Academy finds himself caught in a web of gambling schemes, dangerous feuds, and mysterious riddles. He must prove his integrity while navigating the treacherous social landscape of boarding school life.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Fugitive Slaves (1619-1865)

Fugitive Slaves (1619-1865)

Marion Gleason McDougall

The persistent struggle of the enslaved to reclaim their humanity from the machinery of state law is a defining, often overlooked, thread of American history.

History - American5 min read
Cover of History of the transmission of ancient books to modern times: together with the process of historical proof

History of the transmission of ancient books to modern times: together with the process of historical proof

Isaac Taylor

A bridge across time, this work examines the physical and logical realities that allow human history to survive the centuries. It provides a methodical guide for evaluating the reliability of the ancient written record.

History - Ancient6 min read
Cover of History Plays for the Grammar Grades

History Plays for the Grammar Grades

Mary Ella Lyng

This collection of short dramas offers a window into the pedagogical methods of early twentieth-century American classrooms. Designed for students in the grammar grades, these plays transform significant historical milestones—from the arrival of Columbus to the suffrage movement—into participatory classroom…

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of In the Riding-School

In the Riding-School

Hamlin, G., Miss

Guided by a patient, demanding instructor, a young woman learns the rigorous art of horsemanship through a series of disciplined lessons. She discovers that riding is not merely a social outing, but a technical study requiring physical awareness, mental focus, and absolute obedience to the horse’s language.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of Introduction of the Locomotive Safety Truck: Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology: Paper 24

Introduction of the Locomotive Safety Truck: Contributions from the Museum of History and Technology: Paper 24

John H. White

Early American railroads were dangerous, chaotic experiments until engineers invented the "safety truck," a crucial mechanical innovation that allowed locomotives to navigate rough, winding tracks without derailing.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
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