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32,123 public-domain books, summarised. Page 406 of 670.

Cover of The Three Brides, Love in a Cottage, and Other Tales

The Three Brides, Love in a Cottage, and Other Tales

Francis A. (Francis Alexander) Durivage

A collection of mid-nineteenth-century tales, this volume explores the fragile boundary between romantic idealism and the harsh, often tragic, realities of life. It serves as a window into the popular literary preoccupations of its era, blending moral instruction with dramatic flair.

Short Stories6 min read
Cover of The Trade Union Woman

The Trade Union Woman

Alice Henry

The struggle for fair labor conditions is a story of human dignity, where the quiet, persistent organization of working women transforms factories from sites of exploitation into bastions of solidarity.

Gender & Sexuality Studies7 min read
Cover of The Whole Armour of God

The Whole Armour of God

John Henry Jowett

This collection of sermons offers a steadying, meditative guide for the weary, framing the challenges of daily life as a spiritual campaign requiring both discipline and divine reliance. It functions as a manual for resilience, grounded in the belief that an inner life well-guarded is the only true defense against…

Religion/Spirituality6 min read
Cover of The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 11

The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 11

John Dryden

A master of late seventeenth-century verse brings his formidable command of language to bear on the weight of mortality, the transformative power of music, and the enduring resonance of ancient tales.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Timothy's Quest: A Story for Anybody, Young or Old, Who Cares to Read It

Timothy's Quest: A Story for Anybody, Young or Old, Who Cares to Read It

Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin

A courageous young boy searches for a home for his baby charge, only to discover that the most unlikely hearts are often the ones most in need of opening.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of Van Eyck

Van Eyck

J. Cyril M. (James Cyril M.) Weale

This concise study traces the lives and technical evolution of two towering figures of early Netherlandish art, exploring the transition from medieval mysticism to the precise, humanistic realism that defined their legacy.

Art6 min read
Cover of Wild Oranges

Wild Oranges

Joseph Hergesheimer

The stillness of a stagnant bay serves as the stage for a haunting collision between a solitary voyager and a woman trapped in the decaying shadow of her father’s past.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Winter Evening Tales

Winter Evening Tales

Amelia E. Barr

The human heart, in its pursuit of love and gold, finds itself constantly tested by the currents of fate and the weight of moral consequence. Through stories of sacrifice and reckoning, these narratives explore the enduring struggle to remain true to one's better self.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of A Study of the Textile Art in Its Relation to the Development of Form and Ornament: Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1884-'85, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1888, (pages 189-252)

A Study of the Textile Art in Its Relation to the Development of Form and Ornament: Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1884-'85, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1888, (pages 189-252)

William Henry Holmes

Textile creation acts as a fundamental blueprint for human artistic expression, where the rigid requirements of construction dictate the geometric language of ornament across diverse cultures and eras.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of An Illustrated Handbook of Mount Vernon, the Home of Washington

An Illustrated Handbook of Mount Vernon, the Home of Washington

Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union

This guidebook serves as a precise, reverent tour of the Virginia estate that once defined the private life of George Washington. It functions as both a historical map and a chronicle of the organized effort required to keep a national landmark standing.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of Better days

Better days

Thomas Fitch

The age of industry meets the dream of a perfected society in this sprawling, idealistic tale of sudden wealth and sweeping reform.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Beyond the Frontier: A Romance of Early Days in the Middle West

Beyond the Frontier: A Romance of Early Days in the Middle West

Randall Parrish

The wilderness holds more than just danger for a young woman forced into a treacherous marriage. Amidst the untamed rivers of the early American frontier, she must outwit her husband and reclaim her future.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - Volume 61, No. 376, February, 1847

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - Volume 61, No. 376, February, 1847

Various

A Victorian literary journal captures the intellectual pulse of 1847 through a diverse collection of professional memoirs, political critiques, and travel narratives. It serves as a window into the era's rigorous social and economic discourse.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 64, No.394, August, 1848

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 64, No.394, August, 1848

Various

This collection of Victorian-era essays and narratives offers a wide-ranging survey of mid-nineteenth-century interests, from the harsh realities of frontier life and colonial survival to the political turbulence of a revolutionary Europe.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Brave and Bold

Brave and Bold

Alger, Horatio, Jr.

A spirited, resourceful boy finds his path to success blocked by a cruel rival and a series of professional setbacks, leading him on a desperate, worldwide quest to reclaim his family's lost fortune and honor.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Bridge

Bridge

J. B. (Joseph Bowne) Elwell

Bridge is a game of shifting alliances and calculated risks where the outcome is decided not by luck, but by the cold, precise application of logic. Mastery requires a profound intimacy with the score, a firm command of defensive conventions, and the discipline to suppress one’s own personality in favor of the…

How To ...6 min read
Cover of Brothers of Pity and Other Tales of Beasts and Men

Brothers of Pity and Other Tales of Beasts and Men

Juliana Horatia Ewing

This collection offers a series of intimate, observant portraits of the animal kingdom, framed by the gentle, inquisitive perspectives of those who share their lives. It captures the quiet dignity of the wild and the domestic alike.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue in the Sunny South

Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue in the Sunny South

Laura Lee Hope

A pair of spirited siblings wanders from their parents’ care, finding themselves caught in a series of improbable mishaps during a winter journey to the American South.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of Captain Jinks, Hero

Captain Jinks, Hero

Ernest Crosby

The life of a celebrated war hero is less a matter of personal merit than a puppet show choreographed by the press, the state, and the drumbeat of public fervor.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Christmas Eve on Lonesome and Other Stories

Christmas Eve on Lonesome and Other Stories

Fox, John, Jr.

This collection of short stories captures the rugged, isolated spirit of the Cumberland Mountains and the complex humanity found within the Kentucky hills. It serves as a poignant window into a vanished era of rural American life.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of Dead Man's Land: Being the Voyage to Zimbambangwe of certain and uncertain blacks and whites

Dead Man's Land: Being the Voyage to Zimbambangwe of certain and uncertain blacks and whites

George Manville Fenn

A group of English explorers seeking ancient treasures in the African interior discovers that survival is far more challenging—and perilous—than the thrill of archaeological discovery.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Division of Words: Rules for the Division of Words at the Ends of Lines, with Remarks on Spelling, Syllabication and Pronunciation

Division of Words: Rules for the Division of Words at the Ends of Lines, with Remarks on Spelling, Syllabication and Pronunciation

Frederick W. (Frederick William) Hamilton

Precision in language often begins with the humble hyphen, the gatekeeper of legibility at the edge of the printed page. This guide serves as a foundational manual for those tasked with the mechanical craft of typesetting.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of Evolution: Its nature, its evidence, and its relation to religious thought

Evolution: Its nature, its evidence, and its relation to religious thought

Joseph LeConte

The natural world is not a static stage, but a unfolding drama of continuous growth; understanding this process reveals that the divine is not apart from nature, but the very force driving its development.

Philosophy & Ethics6 min read
Cover of Facts and Arguments for Darwin

Facts and Arguments for Darwin

Fritz Müller

HOOK This field study transforms the observation of minute, tide-swept crustaceans into a powerful, empirical defense of natural selection.

Science - Biology6 min read
Cover of Free, and other stories

Free, and other stories

Theodore Dreiser

These stories explore the quiet, crushing weight of human desire against the indifferent machinery of society. They capture the precise moment when a life’s long-held illusions finally break under the pressure of reality.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Great Britain and Her Queen

Great Britain and Her Queen

Anne E. Keeling

The Victorian era was a time of unprecedented transformation, defined by the steady hand of a sovereign who reigned over a century of profound global, industrial, and social change.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Henry of Monmouth, Volume 2

Henry of Monmouth, Volume 2

James Endell Tyler

This historical study re-examines the character of a legendary monarch, peeling back centuries of myth to reveal a deeply religious, conscientious, and pragmatic ruler governing through a turbulent era.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Historical Lectures and Essays

Historical Lectures and Essays

Charles Kingsley

Great history is not merely the recitation of dry facts, but the courageous exploration of human character and the relentless pursuit of truth across the centuries. These pages offer a series of portraits—scholars, monarchs, and visionaries—whose lives exemplify the eternal struggle between individual conscience…

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Illustrations of political economy, Volume 1 (of 9)

Illustrations of political economy, Volume 1 (of 9)

Harriet Martineau

This volume collects three distinct tales designed to explain the foundational principles of political economy through the relatable struggles of ordinary people. It bridges the gap between abstract theory and daily life, showing how individual choices—from harvesting ostrich eggs to managing a small farm—reflect…

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Jasper Lyle

Jasper Lyle

Mrs. Ward

Amid the wild, untamed landscapes of the Cape of Good Hope, a young woman flees a disastrous marriage, caught in the violent collision between colonial expansion, indigenous resistance, and the relentless demands of the past.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of Lectures on the Origin and Growth of Religion as Illustrated by the Native Religions of Mexico and Peru

Lectures on the Origin and Growth of Religion as Illustrated by the Native Religions of Mexico and Peru

Albert Réville

This examination of ancient American spirituality argues that the religious instincts of Mexico and Peru reveal a consistent, natural evolution of human belief, independent of the Old World’s traditions.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of Leonard Lindsay

Leonard Lindsay

Angus B. (Angus Bethune) Reach

HOOK A young man is swept from his ordinary life into the brutal, lawless world of the seventeenth-century Caribbean, where survival depends on wit, steel, and a willingness to defy the Spanish empire.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of Life and Death, and Other Legends and Stories

Life and Death, and Other Legends and Stories

Henryk Sienkiewicz

This collection of allegories and tales weaves together the mystical and the mundane, exploring the weight of human suffering and the enduring power of memory.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Life in South Africa

Life in South Africa

Lady (Mary Anne) Barker

The vast, sun-drenched landscapes of 1870s South Africa come alive through the eyes of an observant traveler navigating the complexities of colonial domesticity and nature’s unpredictable temperament.

Travel Writing7 min read
Cover of Motor Camping

Motor Camping

J. C. (John Cuthbert) Long

The open road is more than a destination; it is a portable lifestyle, inviting the modern motorist to trade the confines of the city for the stillness of the stars and the freedom of the wilderness.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of Mystics of the Renaissance and their relation to modern thought, including Meister Eckhart, Tauler, Paracelsus, Jacob Boehme, Giordano Bruno, and others

Mystics of the Renaissance and their relation to modern thought, including Meister Eckhart, Tauler, Paracelsus, Jacob Boehme, Giordano Bruno, and others

Rudolf Steiner

Human consciousness is not a byproduct of biology but a gateway to a universal reality; through self-knowledge, the individual can transcend the division between the inner self and the external world.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)6 min read
Cover of Noémi

Noémi

S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould

In the rugged cliff-dwellings of medieval France, a young woman’s quest for identity clashes with the brutal cycle of vengeance fueled by local warlords. This historical drama explores the weight of blood ties and the possibility of redemption.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of On Guard: Mark Mallory's Celebration

On Guard: Mark Mallory's Celebration

Upton Sinclair

This is a sharp, spirited look at the high-stakes rivalries of West Point, where a band of underdog cadets fights to preserve their dignity against the cruel hazing of their upperclassmen. It captures the relentless, imaginative, and often hilarious war of attrition fought between the "plebes" and the "yearlings.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of One Man in His Time

One Man in His Time

Ellen Anderson Gholson Glasgow

The old world of Virginia is not merely shifting; it is being unmade by a new, democratic tide that refuses to respect the hushed elegance of the past.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Our Little Swiss Cousin

Our Little Swiss Cousin

Mary Hazelton Blanchard Wade

A young boy learns the value of his heritage while tending cattle on the high slopes of the Swiss Alps. This gentle narrative invites readers into the daily rhythm of mountain life at the turn of the twentieth century.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of Outa Karel's Stories: South African Folk-Lore Tales

Outa Karel's Stories: South African Folk-Lore Tales

Sanni Metelerkamp

An elderly storyteller gathers children around the fire to share ancient, rhythmic myths of the South African veld, where clever jackals and powerful lions roam.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Outlines of English history from B.C. 55 to A.D. 1895

Outlines of English history from B.C. 55 to A.D. 1895

John Charles Curtis

This concise volume serves as a comprehensive reference guide to the key events, figures, and legislative milestones of English history, spanning from the Roman era to the late nineteenth century. It is a strictly factual, chronologically organized summary designed for clarity and rapid retrieval of information.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Personal Recollections of Early Melbourne and Victoria

Personal Recollections of Early Melbourne and Victoria

William Westgarth

HOOK A seasoned pioneer reflects on the rapid transformation of the Australian wilderness into a bustling metropolis, tracing the metamorphosis of a colonial settlement into a thriving society.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Playing With Fire

Playing With Fire

Amelia E. Barr

The heavy, gray atmosphere of mid-nineteenth-century Glasgow provides the setting for a personal spiritual transformation. A proud, rigid minister finds his world—and his inflexible theology—shattered by the intrusion of human love and existential doubt.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Prince Eugene, the Noble Knight

Prince Eugene, the Noble Knight

L. (Ludwig) Würdig

A young, frail outcast defies the expectations of a king to become Europe’s most formidable military commander. This biography traces the meteoric rise of a man who turned personal rejection into a lifelong pursuit of martial excellence.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Rashi

Rashi

Maurice Liber

The life of a medieval scholar unfolds in these pages, revealing how one man’s quiet devotion to text and teaching anchored a culture through centuries of displacement.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Religious Life of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century: The Faith of Our Fathers

Religious Life of Virginia in the Seventeenth Century: The Faith of Our Fathers

G. MacLaren (George MacLaren) Brydon

The story of early Virginia is often told through its politics and trade, but this account reveals the vital, underlying architecture of its faith. It tracks the struggle to transplant the Church of England into a raw, untamed landscape, detailing a century of persistence by laypeople and clergy alike to build a…

History - American6 min read
Cover of Representative Women of Deseret: A Book of Biographical Sketches

Representative Women of Deseret: A Book of Biographical Sketches

Augusta Joyce Crocheron

This collection of biographical sketches offers an intimate, inward-looking portrait of nineteenth-century Latter-day Saint women, framing their lives as acts of religious devotion and pioneer endurance.

Biographies6 min read
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