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34,239 public-domain books, summarised. Page 42 of 714.

Cover of The Hindu-Arabic Numerals

The Hindu-Arabic Numerals

David Eugene Smith

How did a simple set of ten symbols become the universal language of global commerce, and why did it take a millennium for the world to adopt them?

History - Other7 min read
Cover of Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche

Georg Brandes

This introduction to a transformative thinker maps the development of a brilliant, isolated mind, tracing his intellectual evolution from a devotee of Wagner to a radical critic of Western morality and the culture of his time.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of A Chronicle of London from 1089 to 1483: Written in the Fifteenth Century, and for the First Time Printed from MSS. in the British Museum

A Chronicle of London from 1089 to 1483: Written in the Fifteenth Century, and for the First Time Printed from MSS. in the British Museum

Anonymous

A city’s heartbeat resonates through centuries in this stark, unadorned ledger of royal reigns, civic shifts, and the relentless churn of life in medieval London. It is a record where the grandeur of coronations meets the visceral reality of public hangings, capturing the fragile thread of history as it was lived.

History - British6 min read
Cover of A Color Notation: A measured color system, based on the three qualities Hue, Value and Chroma

A Color Notation: A measured color system, based on the three qualities Hue, Value and Chroma

A. H. (Albert Henry) Munsell

A COLOR NOTATION serves as a foundational guide for understanding color not as a collection of subjective opinions, but as a measurable, three-dimensional science. It transforms how we perceive and organize the visual world.

Art6 min read
Cover of Peggy

Peggy

Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards

Pentland School is a house of secrets, midnight feasts, and shifting loyalties, where a newcomer must learn to navigate the fragile boundary between adolescent mischief and true integrity. It is a story of how a single honest girl can quietly alter the moral landscape of a boarding school.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Sunny Boy in the Country

Sunny Boy in the Country

Ramy Allison White

A young boy leaves his city life behind for a transformative summer at his grandfather’s farm, discovering the delights and dangers of the rural world.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Country of the Blind, and Other Stories

The Country of the Blind, and Other Stories

H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

This collection captures the fertile imagination of a writer who found wonder in the sudden, sharp disruptions of ordinary life. It serves as a definitive gathering of short stories that explore the uncanny, the scientific, and the miraculous.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Sentimental Education

Sentimental Education

Gustave Flaubert

A sweeping chronicle of a young man’s aimless passage through the mid-nineteenth century, this work captures the paralyzing nature of unfulfilled desire. It is a profound study of how personal ambition and revolutionary fervor often collide with the crushing weight of ordinary life.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of The Life of George Washington, Vol. 5: Commander in Chief of the American Forces During the War

The Life of George Washington, Vol. 5: Commander in Chief of the American Forces During the War

John Marshall

George Washington’s presidency is tested by the fires of international conflict, internal faction, and the emergence of partisan politics in the fragile American republic. This volume captures the strain of leadership under the weight of an unforgiving public.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Biography of a Grizzly

The Biography of a Grizzly

Ernest Thompson Seton

The life of a legendary grizzly bear unfolds in the rugged wilderness, where he transforms from a terrified cub into a lonely monarch of the mountains, only to face the inevitable decline of age and displacement.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Loyalist: A Story of the American Revolution

The Loyalist: A Story of the American Revolution

James Francis Barrett

The American Revolution is not merely a clash of armies, but a crucible for the soul, where personal loyalties and religious conviction ultimately determine the fate of a fledgling nation.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Make or Break

Make or Break

Oliver Optic

The resolute spirit of a young mechanic defines this story of upward mobility, where mechanical ingenuity and unwavering moral integrity serve as the primary currency in a world of rigid class distinctions and shifting fortunes.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Cat in Grandfather's House

The Cat in Grandfather's House

Carl Henry Grabo

A young girl discovers that her grandfather’s house is a living, breathing realm where antique furniture comes to life and moonlight reveals hidden worlds. This imaginative adventure follows her campaign against a sinister cat.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Lilac Lady

The Lilac Lady

Ruth Brown MacArthur

A vibrant, talkative orphan girl finds unexpected purpose when she befriends a reclusive invalid, bridging the gap between a lonely, high-walled garden and the wider world.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Robert Burns

Robert Burns

John Campbell Shairp

HOOK This study examines the turbulent life of a national poet whose genius for song emerged from a landscape of crushing poverty, irrepressible passion, and profound personal failure.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of Bibliomania in the Middle Ages

Bibliomania in the Middle Ages

F. Somner (Frederick Somner) Merryweather

The love of books is a timeless pursuit, finding its most devoted champions in the quiet cloisters and scriptoriums of a world long vanished. This narrative revives the forgotten history of medieval bibliophiles, illuminating the delicate manuscripts and dedicated scholars that bridged the chasm between the fall of…

History - Medieval/Middle Ages7 min read
Cover of Theism or Atheism: The Great Alternative

Theism or Atheism: The Great Alternative

Chapman Cohen

This work dissects the logical foundations of theism and argues that belief in a deity is an obsolete remnant of primitive ancestor worship. It presents a rigorous case for secular humanism as the inevitable successor to religious superstition.

Philosophy & Ethics7 min read
Cover of A Dictionary of the First or Oldest Words in the English Language: From the Semi-Saxon Period of A.D. 1250 to 1300

A Dictionary of the First or Oldest Words in the English Language: From the Semi-Saxon Period of A.D. 1250 to 1300

Herbert Coleridge

A foundational cornerstone of linguistic history, this work offers a meticulous inventory of the English language as it stood during the transformative period between 1250 and 1300. It serves as an essential bridge between the era of Semi-Saxon and the emergence of a recognizable modern English vocabulary.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference6 min read
Cover of Chatterbox Stories of Natural History

Chatterbox Stories of Natural History

Anonymous

These short, episodic accounts of animal life offer a window into the natural world, emphasizing the instinct, bravery, and intelligence of creatures great and small.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of A Campfire Girl's Test of Friendship

A Campfire Girl's Test of Friendship

Jane L. Stewart

A group of young women find their summer camping trip transformed into a daring rescue mission when they must outwit sinister pursuers to save their friends.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Rider of Waroona

The Rider of Waroona

G. Firth Scott

The quiet of an Australian backwater is shattered when a series of daring, inexplicable robberies leads a determined investigator into a web of vengeance, hidden identities, and long-buried family grudges.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Four Years in Rebel Capitals: An Inside View of Life in the Southern Confederacy from Birth to Death

Four Years in Rebel Capitals: An Inside View of Life in the Southern Confederacy from Birth to Death

T. C. (Thomas Cooper) De Leon

This memoir offers a vivid, ground-level perspective on the Confederate experience, capturing the daily atmosphere and shifting fortunes of a society under siege from its inception to its final collapse.

History - American7 min read
Cover of The Book of Business Etiquette

The Book of Business Etiquette

Nella Braddy

The business world is not merely a theater of commerce, but a social arena where character, poise, and consideration determine one’s ultimate success and professional longevity.

Business/Management6 min read
Cover of Rollo in Paris

Rollo in Paris

Jacob Abbott

A young boy’s educational tour of Paris reveals the complexities of a new culture, testing his discipline, his curiosity, and his understanding of right and wrong.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. 4 (of 5)

The Tales of the Heptameron, Vol. 4 (of 5)

Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of Navarre

A collection of sharp, courtly vignettes reveals the hidden vices of the nobility and the clergy, where every pursuit of pleasure is met with a reckoning of equal gravity.

Classics of Literature6 min read
Cover of A Son of the Immortals

A Son of the Immortals

Louis Tracy

The son of a gold miner finds himself cast as a Balkan prince, only to discover that the truest kingdom lies beyond the reach of crowns and conspiracies.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of Chapters in Rural Progress

Chapters in Rural Progress

Kenyon L. (Kenyon Leech) Butterfield

Improving the quality of rural life requires more than just better crops; it demands a deliberate, coordinated effort to elevate the social, intellectual, and institutional standards of the American farming class.

Essays, Letters & Speeches5 min read
Cover of Seen and Unseen

Seen and Unseen

E. Katherine (Emily Katherine) Bates

A woman traverses the globe to document the inexplicable, bridging the divide between the physical world and a persistent, unseen realm. This account serves as a firsthand chronicle of a life defined by spiritual investigation.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The International Magazine, Volume 2, No. 3, February, 1851

The International Magazine, Volume 2, No. 3, February, 1851

Various

This mid-century periodical captures the intellectual fervor and social anxieties of 1851, offering a vibrant mosaic of literature, global politics, and the relentless march of human progress.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of The Children of Wilton Chase

The Children of Wilton Chase

L. T. Meade

Beneath the polished surface of a grand English estate, a web of impulsive secrets and small rebellions tests the bonds of a fractured family.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Lion's Mouse

The Lion's Mouse

C. N. (Charles Norris) Williamson

A chance encounter on a train leads to a high-stakes web of jewel theft, political conspiracy, and hidden identities. This fast-moving story blurs the line between protector and criminal in a breathless race across New York.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Young Treasure Hunter

The Young Treasure Hunter

Frank V. Webster

A determined young man ventures into the frozen Alaskan wilderness to recover a legendary buried fortune and secure his crippled father’s future.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Thirty-Seventh Annual Report: Wooster, Ohio, September 3, 4, 5, 1946

Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Thirty-Seventh Annual Report: Wooster, Ohio, September 3, 4, 5, 1946

Unknown

The Northern Nut Growers Association’s 1946 proceedings offer a practical, time-capsule glimpse into the mid-century push to transform nut cultivation from a rustic hobby into a disciplined, science-backed agricultural industry.

Reports & Conference Proceedings6 min read
Cover of The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness: Being a Complete Guide for a Gentleman's Conduct in All His Relations Towards Society

The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness: Being a Complete Guide for a Gentleman's Conduct in All His Relations Towards Society

Cecil B. Hartley

This guide serves as a comprehensive manual for the nineteenth-century gentleman, navigating the complex social codes, personal conduct, and moral expectations of an era defined by strict formality and an emerging American middle-class identity.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of The Brighton Boys in the Radio Service

The Brighton Boys in the Radio Service

James R. Driscoll

Three young telegraphers leave their quiet lives in Brighton to join the Signal Corps, finding themselves at the center of espionage and combat during the First World War.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of 2 B R 0 2 B

2 B R 0 2 B

Kurt Vonnegut

The future is a perfect garden where death is a voluntary, administrative convenience. In a world with no poverty, war, or aging, the only way to make room for a new life is to offer up an old one.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of It's like this, cat

It's like this, cat

Emily Neville

HOOK A boy in Manhattan navigates the quiet complexities of family and friendship, anchored by the unpredictable spirit of his cat.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of The Son of Monte-Cristo, Volume II

The Son of Monte-Cristo, Volume II

Jules Lermina

A sprawling, high-stakes sequel, this adventure traces the desperate struggles of a new generation living in the shadow of a legendary father’s immense, complicated legacy.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Bibliotaph, and Other People

The Bibliotaph, and Other People

Leon H. (Leon Henry) Vincent

A collection of observant literary sketches that explores the lives of writers and the quiet, obsessive habits of those who love books most dearly.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of The Last Twelve Verses of the Gospel According to S. Mark

The Last Twelve Verses of the Gospel According to S. Mark

John William Burgon

The authenticity of the final passage of the second Gospel remains a cornerstone of textual inquiry, challenging the very foundations of how we approach the sacred record.

History - Religious6 min read
Cover of Tutors' Lane

Tutors' Lane

W. S. (Wilmarth Sheldon) Lewis

This quiet portrait of early twentieth-century academic life captures the subtle friction between professional ambition and the messy, unpredictable business of falling in love. It is a gentle, observational study of people navigating the rigid social expectations of a traditional New England college.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The cult of incompetence

The cult of incompetence

Émile Faguet

Modern democracy is a fragile, self-defeating system that naturally trends toward the worship of the mediocre. By prioritizing equality over excellence, it systematically excludes the competent from the very offices that require their expertise.

Philosophy & Ethics7 min read
Cover of Nights With Uncle Remus

Nights With Uncle Remus

Joel Chandler Harris

In these Georgia plantation tales, an elderly storyteller guides a young boy through a rich, mythic world where clever animals outwit their larger, more powerful neighbors.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Curlytops and Their Playmates

The Curlytops and Their Playmates

Howard Roger Garis

A group of spirited children and their eccentric uncle find themselves swept up in a series of winter adventures that lead from the excitement of the first snowfall to a joyful Christmas homecoming.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Narrative of a Blockade-Runner

The Narrative of a Blockade-Runner

J. (John) Wilkinson

A seasoned Confederate naval officer recounts the high-stakes gamble of slipping through Federal blockades, revealing the grit and strategic complexity of maritime operations during the American Civil War.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Which? Or, Between Two Women

Which? Or, Between Two Women

Ernest Daudet

This historical romance weaves together the turbulent political upheaval of the French Revolution with the quiet, agonizing dilemmas of a domestic love triangle. It explores how personal virtue and private loyalty endure when the foundations of society collapse.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Christmas: Its Origin and Associations: Together with Its Historical Events and Festive Celebrations During Nineteen Centuries

Christmas: Its Origin and Associations: Together with Its Historical Events and Festive Celebrations During Nineteen Centuries

W. F. (William Francis) Dawson

This expansive chronicle traces nineteen centuries of Christmas, documenting how the festival evolved from early Christian observance into a cornerstone of global tradition, royal pageantry, and domestic life. It serves as an exhaustive historical ledger, gathering the scattered remnants of how the holiday was…

History - Other7 min read
Cover of Lyrics from the Song-Books of the Elizabethan Age

Lyrics from the Song-Books of the Elizabethan Age

Unknown

These verses represent the delicate, artful heart of the Elizabethan song-book tradition, capturing the fleeting joys and enduring sorrows of love in the language of a bygone era. They serve as a lyrical bridge between the courtly refinement and the rustic simplicity of the early seventeenth century.

British Literature6 min read
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