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32,123 public-domain books, summarised. Page 432 of 670.

Cover of Shen of the Sea: A Book for Children

Shen of the Sea: A Book for Children

Arthur Bowie Chrisman

This collection of folk-inspired tales bridges the gap between ancient legend and the whimsy of childhood. It invites readers into a world where everyday objects—tea, kites, and clay plates—are born from the extraordinary, and where cleverness often serves as the best armor against a fickle fate.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume VI, Kansas Narratives

Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume VI, Kansas Narratives

United States. Work Projects Administration

The resilience of the human spirit echoes through these firsthand accounts of survival, defining the transition from the crushing weight of enslavement to the hard-won independence of life in Kansas.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Soldiers' Stories of the War

Soldiers' Stories of the War

Unknown

This collection of firsthand accounts captures the immediate, visceral reality of the British Expeditionary Force during the opening months of the First World War. It preserves the voices of men who lived through the crucible of the early battles in 1914 and 1915.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Tales from "Blackwood," Volume 6

Tales from "Blackwood," Volume 6

Various

This collection of mid-19th-century magazine fiction captures the varied sensibilities of the Victorian era, moving from cynical accounts of high-society gamblers and roguish undergraduates to somber, atmospheric tales of tragic romance and moral conflict.

Short Stories6 min read
Cover of Ten Thousand a-Year. Volume 2

Ten Thousand a-Year. Volume 2

Samuel Warren

The fall of a noble house and the rise of an unworthy interloper frame this sprawling, intricate drama of social ambition, legal maneuvering, and moral decay. It serves as a dense, Victorian exploration of how character is tested by sudden, catastrophic fortune.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The Art of Aubrey Beardsley

The Art of Aubrey Beardsley

Arthur Symons

A life marked by fatal speed and an absolute, uncompromising devotion to the line, this portrait examines the meteoric career of an artist who lived in the shadow of his own impending death.

Art6 min read
Cover of The Beaked Whales of the Family Ziphiidae: An Account of the Beaked Whales of the Family Ziphiidae in the Collection of the United States Museum

The Beaked Whales of the Family Ziphiidae: An Account of the Beaked Whales of the Family Ziphiidae in the Collection of the United States Museum

Frederick W. (Frederick William) True

This monograph provides a meticulous, technical inventory of the beaked whales held by the United States National Museum. It serves as a definitive reference for the skeletal anatomy and classification of the elusive Ziphiidae family.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of The Biography of a Grizzly

The Biography of a Grizzly

Ernest Thompson Seton

The story of a solitary grizzly bear, this account tracks the life of a powerful creature through the rugged wilderness of the American West, from his early days as a cub to his final, quiet end.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part Fourth: Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey to Egypt and the Holy Land

The Boy Travellers in the Far East, Part Fourth: Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey to Egypt and the Holy Land

Thomas Wallace Knox

Two young explorers traverse the historic landscapes of Egypt and the Holy Land, documenting their encounters with ancient wonders and the complex, often challenging, realities of nineteenth-century travel.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of The Buke of the Order of Knyghthood: Translated from the French by Sir Gilbert Hay, Knight

The Buke of the Order of Knyghthood: Translated from the French by Sir Gilbert Hay, Knight

Ramon Llull

A young squire, seeking to prove his worthiness, encounters a retired knight living in a wilderness hermitage who instructs him on the sacred, demanding nature of the chivalric calling.

History - Medieval/Middle Ages6 min read
Cover of The Cambrian Sketch-Book: Tales, Scenes, and Legends of Wild Wales

The Cambrian Sketch-Book: Tales, Scenes, and Legends of Wild Wales

R. Rice Davies

The hills and valleys of Wales hold centuries of hidden history, where ancient legends and personal struggles intertwine beneath the shadow of the mountains.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore7 min read
Cover of The Christian Foundation, Or, Scientific and Religious Journal, February, 1880

The Christian Foundation, Or, Scientific and Religious Journal, February, 1880

Various

This journal presents a collection of late nineteenth-century essays that fiercely defend biblical orthodoxy against the encroaching tide of Darwinism, atheism, and secular philosophy. It serves as a time capsule of the intellectual skirmishes that defined religious discourse in 1880.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The collected works of Henrik Ibsen, Vol. 03 (of 11)

The collected works of Henrik Ibsen, Vol. 03 (of 11)

Henrik Ibsen

A relentless priest demands absolute purity of will, tearing apart his own life and those of his loved ones to satisfy a God who demands everything or nothing at all.

Plays/Films/Dramas6 min read
Cover of The Divine Comedy by Dante, Illustrated, Hell, Volume 03

The Divine Comedy by Dante, Illustrated, Hell, Volume 03

Dante Alighieri

A poet descends through the layers of the afterlife, witnessing the eternal consequences of earthly choices. This journey reveals that human frailty, when surrendered to, becomes a permanent state of being.

Classics of Literature6 min read
Cover of The Expert Maid-Servant

The Expert Maid-Servant

Christine Terhune Herrick

This manual serves as a comprehensive guide for the early 20th-century mistress, outlining the professional standards expected of domestic staff and the social conduct required to manage them effectively. It provides a structured look at the mechanics of maintaining a well-ordered home through the clear delegation…

How To ...6 min read
Cover of The Fantasy Fan, March 1934: The Fans' Own Magazine

The Fantasy Fan, March 1934: The Fans' Own Magazine

Various

A monthly bulletin for the early science fiction and fantasy community, this magazine serves as a vibrant, grassroots forum for readers and writers of the weird and fantastic during the Great Depression.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The Funny Philosophers, or Wags and Sweethearts. A Novel

The Funny Philosophers, or Wags and Sweethearts. A Novel

George Yellott

A group of eccentric, pseudo-intellectual young men embarks on a rambling, high-spirited quest for fortune and romance, only to find that life—and their own absurd ambitions—rarely conform to their theories.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Future of the Women's Movement

The Future of the Women's Movement

Helena M. (Helena Maria) Swanwick

The struggle for equality is not merely a political grievance but a necessary evolution toward a more humane and cooperative society. This work offers a clear-eyed vision of how women’s liberation serves the advancement of all.

Gender & Sexuality Studies6 min read
Cover of The Garden of the Plynck

The Garden of the Plynck

Karle Wilson Baker

When a young girl’s mother repeatedly tells her to go "inside her head" to play, she finally accepts the challenge, discovering a whimsical, logic-defying realm of infinite imagination.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Happy Warrior

The Happy Warrior

A. S. M. (Arthur Stuart-Menteth) Hutchinson

The life of a young man is defined by his struggle to reconcile his hidden noble heritage with a burning, selfless desire for those he loves.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Heart of Mid-Lothian, Volume 2

The Heart of Mid-Lothian, Volume 2

Walter Scott

A devoted sister journeys across a kingdom to save her kin from the gallows, navigating a landscape of shifting loyalties, hidden identities, and the heavy, lingering weight of past transgressions.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Holly-Tree

The Holly-Tree

Charles Dickens

A bashful traveler finds himself snowbound at a remote inn, where the quiet solitude forces him to confront the ghosts of his past and the unexpected warmth of human connection.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Little Book of the Flag

The Little Book of the Flag

Eva March Tappan

This historical account traces the evolution of American identity through the shifting designs and symbolic weight of its national flag. It provides a chronological record of how a collection of colonial banners transformed into a singular, unified emblem of the United States.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The Little Colonel's Hero

The Little Colonel's Hero

Annie F. (Annie Fellows) Johnston

A young girl’s summer travels through Europe culminate in a profound lesson on service and the quiet, enduring power of character. This story invites readers to look beyond the surface of life’s adventures to find the nobility in everyday devotion.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of The story of the universe. Volume 2 (of 4)

The story of the universe. Volume 2 (of 4)

Unknown

This collection of scientific observations traces the history of our planet from its earliest geological foundations to the complex, shifting atmospheric phenomena that govern life on the surface today. It serves as a comprehensive survey of the natural world, documenting the earth not as a static backdrop, but as…

History6 min read
Cover of The Stowaway Girl

The Stowaway Girl

Louis Tracy

A young woman escapes a stifling, unwanted marriage by slipping aboard a ship, only to find herself embroiled in a perilous South American revolution when her vessel is sunk by mistake.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Strand Magazine, Vol. 01, No. 05, May 1891: An Illustrated Monthly

The Strand Magazine, Vol. 01, No. 05, May 1891: An Illustrated Monthly

Various

This volume preserves a vibrant cross-section of late-Victorian intellectual life, blending sensational fiction, investigative journalism, and historical curiosity into a single, eclectic package. It offers a window into the varied tastes and cultural preoccupations of 1891.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Thistle and the Cedar of Lebanon

The Thistle and the Cedar of Lebanon

Habeeb Risk Allah

This memoir offers a vivid, firsthand look at nineteenth-century Syria through the eyes of a traveler navigating the shifting tides of religion, politics, and culture. It serves as a bridge between the East and the West, written to foster mutual understanding during a time of immense transition.

Travel Writing7 min read
Cover of The Unpublished Legends of Virgil

The Unpublished Legends of Virgil

Charles Godfrey Leland

This collection of Italian folklore offers a window into a hidden, oral tradition where the Roman poet Virgil is reimagined not as an epic author, but as a benevolent, humorous, and powerful magician. It serves as a bridge between the formal, written history of antiquity and the living, breathing myths preserved by…

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of The Wild Elephant and the Method of Capturing and Taming it in Ceylon

The Wild Elephant and the Method of Capturing and Taming it in Ceylon

Tennent, James Emerson, Sir

This chronicle of colonial-era natural history and animal management explores the behavior of the Asian elephant and the intricate, high-stakes methods used to capture and train them in the forests of Ceylon.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of The works of Thomas Middleton, Volume 4 (of 5)

The works of Thomas Middleton, Volume 4 (of 5)

Thomas Dekker

These plays capture the frantic, cynical, and often brutal energy of seventeenth-century London, peeling back the polished veneer of society to reveal the desperate appetites beneath.

Plays/Films/Dramas7 min read
Cover of The World's Greatest Military Spies and Secret Service Agents

The World's Greatest Military Spies and Secret Service Agents

George Barton

The history of warfare is often decided not by the clash of armies on the field, but by the quiet, dangerous work of those who operate in the shadows to subvert the plans of kings and generals.

History - Modern (1750+)6 min read
Cover of The Young Voyageurs: Boy Hunters in the North

The Young Voyageurs: Boy Hunters in the North

Mayne Reid

This is a classic tale of endurance and discovery, where four young men test their mettle against the vast, unforgiving landscape of the Canadian wilderness. It serves as both an exciting survival story and a detailed primer on the natural history of the North.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Through South Africa: His Visit to Rhodesia, the Transvaal, Cape Colony, Natal

Through South Africa: His Visit to Rhodesia, the Transvaal, Cape Colony, Natal

Henry M. (Henry Morton) Stanley

This account captures the shifting political and economic landscape of turn-of-the-century South Africa, offering a stark perspective on the collision between colonial ambition and regional resistance. It serves as both a travelogue of industrial expansion and a sharp, partisan critique of the strained relations…

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Ticket No. "9672"

Ticket No. "9672"

Jules Verne

A young woman’s romantic hopes become entangled with the cold calculations of a predatory lender when a message in a bottle surfaces from a shipwrecked lover. This story explores how fortune—both financial and existential—can hinge on the most improbable threads of coincidence.

Novels7 min read
Cover of Uncle Wiggily in the Woods

Uncle Wiggily in the Woods

Howard Roger Garis

A kindly, elderly rabbit with a penchant for adventure and a signature red, white, and blue crutch navigates the woods, using his wit to assist animal friends and solve the small, pressing dilemmas of his neighbors.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of Valperga Volume 1 (of 3)

Valperga Volume 1 (of 3)

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

A young exile’s ascent to power clashes with the ideals of the woman he loves amidst the brutal factional wars of fourteenth-century Italy.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Van Bibber and Others

Van Bibber and Others

Richard Harding Davis

The world of the late nineteenth-century gentleman is a stage, and those who inhabit it are often merely players performing for an audience of their peers.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of Vaughan's Vegetable Cook Book (4th edition): How to Cook and Use Rarer Vegetables and Herbs

Vaughan's Vegetable Cook Book (4th edition): How to Cook and Use Rarer Vegetables and Herbs

Anonymous

This practical guide offers a glimpse into the diverse, creative, and often labor-intensive world of early 20th-century home vegetable cookery. It serves as both a manual for the aspiring gardener-cook and a time capsule of culinary traditions that have largely faded from the modern kitchen.

Cooking & Drinking6 min read
Cover of Vixen, Volume I

Vixen, Volume I

M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon

A spirited young woman struggles to find her footing in a changing world after the sudden death of her father and the unexpected shifting of her closest childhood ties.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Voices for the Speechless: Selections for Schools and Private Reading

Voices for the Speechless: Selections for Schools and Private Reading

Unknown

This collection offers a profound invitation to recognize the moral worth of animals, serving as a gentle yet firm plea for the compassion we owe to creatures who cannot speak for themselves.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of With The Eyes Shut: 1898

With The Eyes Shut: 1898

Edward Bellamy

A weary traveler falls asleep on a train, only to wake in a future where the printed word has been entirely supplanted by the phonograph. This dream-like satire explores a society that has traded literacy for convenience.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Woman

Woman

Magdeleine Marx

A woman’s search for identity unfolds against the backdrop of war, challenging the inherited traditions of marriage, motherhood, and the stifling domestic expectations placed upon her gender.

Novels6 min read
Cover of A Christmas Sermon

A Christmas Sermon

Robert Louis Stevenson

Life is a long, difficult struggle, yet grace lies in the quiet persistence of the everyday. Through the lens of a weary soldier, one finds that true success is not found in grand achievements, but in humble, imperfect service.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of A Dark Night's Work

A Dark Night's Work

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

A lawyer’s daughter hides a terrible secret that shadows her life for decades, testing the limits of loyalty, memory, and the possibility of redemption. This somber, psychological study of guilt follows the quiet aftermath of an impulsive crime.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of A Gamekeeper's Note-book

A Gamekeeper's Note-book

Owen (Gamekeeper) Jones

The life of a British gamekeeper is a quiet, rhythmic existence governed by the seasons, the behavior of wildlife, and the eternal, invisible war against those who would poach upon his master's preserves.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of A House Party with the Tucker Twins

A House Party with the Tucker Twins

Nell Speed

The Tucker Twins and their spirited circle of friends escape to an old country estate for an unforgettable fortnight of laughter, mischief, and gentle romance. This story captures a vanishing world of youthful high jinks and the enduring bonds of friendship.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of A Living Lie

A Living Lie

Paul Bourget

The human heart is a theatre of shadows where sincerity is often the first casualty of desire. This clinical, relentless examination of love and deception unmasks the fragile boundaries between our public masks and our private ruins.

French Literature6 min read
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