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3,125 public-domain books, summarised. Page 49 of 66.

Cover of Otherwise Phyllis

Otherwise Phyllis

Meredith Nicholson

Phyllis Kirkwood navigates small-town scandal, fractured families, and local financial schemes in turn-of-the-century Indiana with unflagging wit, resourcefulness, and independence.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The magic of jewels and charms

The magic of jewels and charms

George Frederick Kunz

Collect curious pebbles, and you may find yourself in the company of magpies, kings, and ancient mystics. This sprawling exploration of human fascination with stones reveals how we have long looked to the earth’s treasures for protection, healing, and power.

Archaeology & Anthropology7 min read
Cover of Christopher and the Clockmakers

Christopher and the Clockmakers

Sara Ware Bassett

A young boy finds an unlikely mentor in a quiet clockmaker, turning his father’s imposing jewelry shop into a classroom for the history of timekeeping and the thrill of a genuine mystery.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Masterpieces of Mystery in Four Volumes: Mystic-Humorous Stories

Masterpieces of Mystery in Four Volumes: Mystic-Humorous Stories

Unknown

Where the rational world ends and the inexplicable begins, these tales explore the thin veil between reality and the supernatural. They capture the unsettling, often humorous, moments when human perception falters before the unknown.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of The Twin Cousins

The Twin Cousins

Sophie May

A spirited, impulsive six-year-old navigates the triumphs and perils of childhood, learning that even the most "homely" figures can possess the most beautiful souls.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Bronze Age in Ireland

The Bronze Age in Ireland

George Coffey

The Bronze Age in Ireland traces the evolution of tools, weapons, and ornamentation across a vanished era, mapping the migration of culture from the Mediterranean to the Irish coastline. It offers a meticulous inventory of a prehistoric society through the objects it left behind.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of The Strange Case of Mortimer Fenley

The Strange Case of Mortimer Fenley

Louis Tracy

A quiet morning in the English countryside is shattered by a single gunshot, dragging a drifting artist and two contrasting detectives into a web of familial greed and dark secrets.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Operas Every Child Should Know: Descriptions of the Text and Music of Some of the Most Famous Masterpieces

Operas Every Child Should Know: Descriptions of the Text and Music of Some of the Most Famous Masterpieces

Mary Schell Hoke Bacon

To open the world of opera to a child is to hand them the key to a theater where music and storytelling meet at their most grand and uninhibited.

Children & Young Adult Reading10 min read
Cover of Oberland

Oberland

Dorothy M. (Dorothy Miller) Richardson

HOOK A solitary woman travels to a high-altitude Swiss resort, seeking release from the gray exhaustion of London. Among a shifting cast of expatriates, she discovers that true solitude is as transformative as the mountain air.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Dance of Death

The Dance of Death

Gilles Corrozet

An inescapable partner accompanies every station of life, from the cradle to the crown, teaching that no earthly rank provides shelter from the final, leveling silence of the grave.

Art6 min read
Cover of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy

Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy

Bernard Shaw

A brilliant, provocative examination of the age-old pursuit, this play dissects the relentless pressure of social convention and the biological imperatives that drive humanity toward its ultimate, often inconvenient, destiny.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Masterpieces of Mystery in Four Volumes: Detective Stories

Masterpieces of Mystery in Four Volumes: Detective Stories

Unknown

This collection assembles the foundational voices of detective fiction, charting the evolution of the genre from the cold, analytical brilliance of early masters to the complex investigative methods of modern sleuths.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of Measure for Measure: The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.]

Measure for Measure: The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.]

William Shakespeare

A stern judge falls prey to his own hypocrisy when he encounters a woman of unshakable virtue. This complex drama explores the collision between rigid law and the messy, human impulses that defy it.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of War and the Weird

War and the Weird

Forbes Phillips

The trenches of the Great War become a thin place, where the mundane realities of mud and shrapnel collide with the persistent, haunting whispers of the supernatural.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1907 to 1908

Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1907 to 1908

L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery

These tales capture the quiet intensity of small-town life, where simple acts of rebellion, romance, and duty define the human heart. They remain enduringly readable for their keen observation of how character is tested in the ordinary moments of a day.

Short Stories6 min read
Cover of Chimney-Pot Papers

Chimney-Pot Papers

Charles S. (Charles Stephen) Brooks

The chimney-pot perspective offers a quiet, elevated vantage point from which to observe the human comedy, proving that the most profound adventures often happen within the radius of one's own neighborhood.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Usury

Usury

Calvin Elliott

This critique of the charging of interest argues that the practice is a fundamental moral and economic error that drains the vitality of nations and enslaves the poor. It serves as a fervent manifesto for a return to ancient prohibitions against usury.

Economics6 min read
Cover of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. With a Proem by Austin Dobson

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. With a Proem by Austin Dobson

Lewis Carroll

A young girl follows a frantic rabbit into a world where logic dissolves and the impossible becomes routine. This journey remains a cornerstone of literature for its enduring ability to capture the surreal, shifting landscape of a child's imagination.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Margaret of Anjou: Makers of History

Margaret of Anjou: Makers of History

Jacob Abbott

A resilient queen faces the collapse of her kingdom and the loss of everyone she loves in this somber account of the Wars of the Roses. It is a portrait of a woman defined by her extraordinary tenacity amidst the ruins of a crown.

History - British5 min read
Cover of The Dead Command: From the Spanish Los Muertos Mandan

The Dead Command: From the Spanish Los Muertos Mandan

Vicente Blasco Ibáñez

The weight of history is a suffocating inheritance, yet liberation remains possible for those who dare to defy the ghosts of their ancestry. This narrative explores the tension between tradition and the urgent, living present.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Chips from a German Workshop, Volume 3: Essays on Literature, Biography, and Antiquities

Chips from a German Workshop, Volume 3: Essays on Literature, Biography, and Antiquities

F. Max (Friedrich Max) Müller

HOOK This collection of essays explores the deep intellectual and cultural currents linking Germany and England, bridging the gap between ancient folklore and modern critical inquiry.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of Macaria

Macaria

Augusta J. (Augusta Jane) Evans

A story of duty, heartbreak, and the quiet resilience of the human spirit amidst the crumbling foundations of a world at war.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work

Hilaire Belloc, the man and his work

C. Creighton Mandell

HOOK A critical exploration of a prolific twentieth-century intellectual, examining how his singular, forceful prose transformed military analysis, history, and political polemic into a coherent, if controversial, worldview.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Mary Queen of Scots: Makers of History

Mary Queen of Scots: Makers of History

Jacob Abbott

A life caught between the grandeur of crowns and the fragility of human impulse, this narrative traces the ascent and tragic descent of a queen whose ambition survived even her own execution.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of A Little Girl in Old New York

A Little Girl in Old New York

Amanda M. Douglas

This chronicle of a sheltered childhood in mid-19th-century New York captures the quiet, rhythmic transformation of a young girl’s world. It serves as a gentle, domestic mirror to a city shedding its provincial skin for the bustle of modern life.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Cab and Caboose: The Story of a Railroad Boy

Cab and Caboose: The Story of a Railroad Boy

Kirk Munroe

A young man, wrongly accused of wrongdoing at home, leaves his comfortable life behind to seek his fortune and prove his character among the grit and danger of the railroad.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of "De Bello Gallico" and Other Commentaries

"De Bello Gallico" and Other Commentaries

Julius Caesar

These records offer a stark, unvarnished look at the expansion of Roman power, written by the man who commanded the legions. They remain essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the mechanics of ancient empire and the singular personality of a world-shaping leader.

History - Ancient7 min read
Cover of The life of Friedrich Nietzsche

The life of Friedrich Nietzsche

Daniel Halévy

This narrative traces the trajectory of a mind that sought to shatter all established laws, only to be dismantled by the very intensity of its own isolation. It follows the transformation of a brilliant young philologist into a solitary prophet of the "Superman," charting his rise, his rupture with his idols, and…

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Poems

Poems

Victor Hugo

This collection gathers the lyrical and narrative voice of a titan of letters, offering a panoramic view of a life spent wrestling with history, god, and the intimate agonies of the human heart. It is a vast, polyphonic bridge spanning the arc of a century’s most turbulent imagination.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of Jude the Obscure

Jude the Obscure

Thomas Hardy

The life of a gifted, impoverished stonemason is dismantled by social rigidities and the cruel collision of intellectual aspiration with unforgiving human passion.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of A Handful of Stars: Texts That Have Moved Great Minds

A Handful of Stars: Texts That Have Moved Great Minds

Frank Boreham

A collection of meditations on the power of Scripture, this work traces how specific verses have acted as spiritual anchors for historical figures and characters of literature alike. It suggests that the most profound human experiences are often crystallized by a single, recurring line of text.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The Adventures of Buster Bear

The Adventures of Buster Bear

Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess

A displaced forest giant finds himself the subject of intense gossip, unexpected fear, and a comical battle of wits with a curious boy.

Children & Young Adult Reading5 min read
Cover of The Story of Leather

The Story of Leather

Sara Ware Bassett

The industrial landscape of the early twentieth century serves as the crucible for a privileged, failing student who finds his character through the manual labor of a family tannery.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Eyebright: A Story

Eyebright: A Story

Susan Coolidge

A young girl’s vivid imagination serves as both an escape and a lifeline as she faces the stark, quiet hardships of life in rural Maine.

Children & Young Adult Reading5 min read
Cover of The Love Affairs of an Old Maid

The Love Affairs of an Old Maid

Lilian Bell

A sharp-witted observer of social manners navigates the romantic entanglements and fragile illusions of her peers, finding that the status of an "old maid" provides the perfect vantage point for witnessing the truths of others.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of Walking

Walking

Henry David Thoreau

To saunter is to reclaim one's status as a part of the natural world, transforming a simple walk into a sacred journey that defies the stifling constraints of modern civilization.

Environmental Issues6 min read
Cover of From a Terrace in Prague

From a Terrace in Prague

B. Granville (Bernard Granville) Baker

The ancient spires of Prague hold centuries of triumph and tragedy, waiting for a patient observer to read their story from a quiet vantage point above the Vltava.

History - European6 min read
Cover of A Lecture on the Study of History

A Lecture on the Study of History

Acton, John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, Baron

History is the continuous, unfolding record of human progress toward freedom, demanding that we judge the past not by our own shifting prejudices, but by the exacting, objective standards of critical inquiry.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Outdoor Sketching: Four Talks Given before the Art Institute of Chicago

Outdoor Sketching: Four Talks Given before the Art Institute of Chicago

Francis Hopkinson Smith

The pursuit of the outdoor sketch requires more than mere technical skill; it demands a vital, fleeting connection with nature that must be captured with the urgency of a secret shared between old friends.

Art7 min read
Cover of Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, Volume 1 (of 2): Comprising Their Life and Work as Recorded in Their Diaries, from 1812 to 1883

Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, Volume 1 (of 2): Comprising Their Life and Work as Recorded in Their Diaries, from 1812 to 1883

Montefiore, Judith Cohen, Lady

A life defined by faith and public service unfolds through the meticulous records of a Victorian couple, whose private devotions and global humanitarian missions reveal a world of shifting political landscapes and profound religious conviction.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Venus in Furs

Venus in Furs

Sacher-Masoch, Leopold, Ritter von

The desire to be conquered by a beautiful, cold, and despotic woman is the central obsession that drives this narrative toward its unsettling and transformative conclusion.

German Literature6 min read
Cover of The Story of a Cannoneer Under Stonewall Jackson: In Which is Told the Part Taken by the Rockbridge Artillery in the Army of Northern Virginia

The Story of a Cannoneer Under Stonewall Jackson: In Which is Told the Part Taken by the Rockbridge Artillery in the Army of Northern Virginia

Edward Alexander Moore

A witness to the chaos of war, an artilleryman chronicles the daily grit, sudden violence, and enduring brotherhood found within the ranks of a storied Confederate battery.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Yellow Horde

The Yellow Horde

Hal G. (Hal George) Evarts

A singular wolf, born of coyote blood, leads a growing pack in a relentless struggle to survive the encroaching expansion of humanity.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Story of Russia

The Story of Russia

R. (Robert) Van Bergen

This historical survey traces Russia’s development from its mythic beginnings to its early twentieth-century struggles, examining how autocracy and expansionism shaped a vast, complex nation.

History - European6 min read
Cover of Tom Slade on a Transport

Tom Slade on a Transport

Percy Keese Fitzhugh

A determined scout seeking to serve his country finds himself entangled in a web of wartime espionage and a shocking family betrayal aboard an American troop transport.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Classic French Course in English

Classic French Course in English

William Cleaver Wilkinson

This instructional guide navigates the vast landscape of French literary history, serving as a structured compass for readers who wish to understand the evolution of a language and culture through its most significant voices. It provides a curated tour of representative texts, balancing historical context with…

Classics of Literature6 min read
Cover of The House of the Wolfings: A Tale of the House of the Wolfings and All the Kindreds of the Mark Written in Prose and in Verse

The House of the Wolfings: A Tale of the House of the Wolfings and All the Kindreds of the Mark Written in Prose and in Verse

William Morris

The Markmen of the woodland, a free and iron-forging folk, stand against the encroaching shadow of a disciplined, imperial Roman army. It is a tale of ancient, heroic loyalty, where love and duty collide on the eve of a war that will define the survival of a people.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Fairy Book

Fairy Book

Sophie May

A collection of moral tales woven with the ethereal threads of folklore, this book explores the trials of the heart, the weight of conscience, and the redemptive power of forgiveness.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
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