The whole shelf
All free summaries — page 523
32,123 public-domain books, summarised. Page 523 of 670.
The Spy
Richard Harding Davis
A man’s accidental arrival in a volatile foreign port leads him into the path of a desperate, boastful young spy. This encounter ends in a violent confrontation that forces a final, tragic truth from the boy's lips.
The Tenants of Malory, Volume 2
Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
A web of debt, long-hidden secrets, and the social ambitions of the English aristocracy entangle the inhabitants of a small Welsh town. This intricate mystery chronicles the quiet desperation of those waiting for their pasts to catch up with them.
The Wanderer
Fanny Burney
A refugee from the French Revolution attempts to build a life in England while burdened by a secret, a mysterious husband, and the relentless suspicion of a society that views her independence as a moral failing.
Three Heroines of New England Romance: Their true stories herein set forth by Mrs Harriet Spoffard, Miss Louise Imogen Guiney, and Miss Alice Brown
Alice Brown
This collection of true histories excavates the lives of three legendary women, blending folklore with historical research to reveal the human stories beneath the polished myths of New England’s past.
Through the school: The experiences of a mill boy in securing an education
Frederic Kenyon Brown
A nineteen-year-old mill worker arrives at a university with little more than three dollars and an unwavering resolve to educate himself. This account traces his journey from a manual laborer to a college graduate, revealing the profound personal costs and triumphs of such an ascent.
Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. LXVIII, Sept. 1910: The New York Tunnel Extension of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Alfred Noble
This volume provides an authoritative, technical record of the monumental engineering effort required to extend the Pennsylvania Railroad into the heart of New York City through sub-aqueous tunnels. It is a work of immense structural ambition, tracing the transformation of Manhattan’s subterranean geography through…
Two Thousand Miles Below
Charles Willard Diffin
HOOK When a remote volcanic crater reveals a subterranean civilization armed with lethal fire-projectors, two men must plunge into the earth’s core to avert a global catastrophe.
Two Years Ago, Volume I
Charles Kingsley
The heavy air of a stifling summer day, the quiet desperation of a village locked in social stagnation, and the arrival of a man who refuses to look away from the rot beneath the surface.
Up the Hill and Over
Isabel Ecclestone Mackay
A weary, wandering physician and a spirited schoolteacher find their lives inextricably bound by the secrets and fragile hopes of a quiet Canadian town.
Ways of War and Peace
Delia Austrian
This account captures the sudden, disorienting transition from peacetime travel to the outbreak of the Great War. It offers a rare, firsthand view of the chaos faced by stranded civilians as they navigate a collapsing European order.
Westways: A Village Chronicle
S. Weir (Silas Weir) Mitchell
A village in Pennsylvania becomes a microcosm of a nation divided, as the lives of its inhabitants are irrevocably altered by the gathering storm of the American Civil War.
Where the World is Quiet
Henry Kuttner
This story follows an anthropologist who wanders into a hidden Andean valley, where a temporal rupture has trapped an alien flower-being, her robot, and a parasitic entity that feeds on human minds.
Who Was She?: From "The Atlantic Monthly" for September, 1874
Bayard Taylor
A man receives a series of mysterious letters from an anonymous woman, leading him on a long, introspective quest to identify her among his social acquaintances.
Wilt Thou Torchy
Sewell Ford
The fast-talking, irrepressible private secretary to a New York business tycoon finds himself unexpectedly caught up in a high-seas adventure. This breezy, lighthearted tale follows a young man navigating the complex social circles of his boss, his own burgeoning romance, and the improbable discovery of pirate gold.
With Manchesters in the East
Hurst, Gerald B. (Gerald Berkeley), Sir
The Territorial soldier of the Great War was often a man of humble civilian origins whose quiet devotion to duty, rather than professional martial training, defined his contribution to the global conflict. This account preserves the memory of those citizen-soldiers who served in the East, capturing the mixture of…
A Hand-book of Precious Stones
Meyer D. Rothschild
This guide demystifies the world of gems, blending scientific rigor with the practical wisdom of a merchant to teach readers how to identify, evaluate, and appreciate precious stones.
A Mere Chance: A Novel. Vol. 2
Ada Cambridge
A young woman finds herself trapped in a suffocating engagement to an older, controlling man, only to have her life irrevocably altered by a forbidden, magnetic encounter with a mysterious stranger.
A Soldier of the Legion: An Englishman's Adventures Under the French Flag in Algeria and Tonquin
George Manington
A young Englishman exchanges civilian life for the harsh discipline and jungle skirmishes of the French Foreign Legion.
Abroad with Mark Twain and Eugene Field
Henry W. (Henry William) Fischer
This collection of reminiscences captures the candid, off-the-cuff brilliance of two legendary American humorists during their restless, wandering years abroad.
Andersonville: A Story of Rebel Military Prisons
John McElroy
A harrowing, firsthand account of life and death within the Confederacy's most notorious prison, this record chronicles the endurance of Union soldiers facing starvation, disease, and the collapse of humanity behind a wooden stockade.
Bamboo Tales
Ira L. (Ira Louis) Reeves
These sketches of military life capture the frantic, brutal, and often absurd reality of the American occupation of the Philippines at the turn of the twentieth century.
Barbara Lynn: A Tale of the Dales and Fells
Emily J. Jenkinson
The rugged landscapes of the Westmorland dales provide the backdrop for a quiet, atmospheric meditation on duty, intellectual longing, and the weight of ancestral history.
Beneficiary Features of American Trade Unions
James Boyd Kennedy
A foundational study of how American trade unions evolved from simple labor collectives into complex social safety nets through the development of mutual insurance and benefit programs.
Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican)
W. I. (William I.) Hood
A cautionary tale of rural hardship in the 1890s, this work blends domestic fiction with a polemical defense of Populist economic theories, centering on a couple caught in the tightening grip of a national financial crisis.
Bowser the Hound
Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo) Burgess
A lost and weary hound finds his way home through the winter woods, guided not by his own nose, but by the clever, meddling, and surprisingly empathetic interventions of a local crow.
Brenda, Her School and Her Club
Helen Leah Reed
A spirited young Bostonian must navigate the shifting dynamics of her social circle when an unexpected arrival challenges her status as the leader of her close-knit group of friends.
Brother Against Brother
John R. (John Roy) Musick
The tragedy of a family divided by the American Civil War serves as the backdrop for a tale of reconciliation, proving that even the deepest political fissures can be bridged by human affection and shared history.
Bully and Bawly No-Tail (the Jumping Frogs)
Howard Roger Garis
Young frog brothers navigate a series of perils, clever escapes, and domestic mishaps in these whimsical, episodic tales of woodland life. They rely on quick thinking and surprising tricks to outsmart their natural foes.
Captured by the Navajos
Charles A. (Charles Albert) Curtis
Across the rugged, sun-drenched landscapes of the American Southwest during the Civil War, a small detachment of soldiers and two courageous brothers navigate the perils of frontier life. This classic adventure follows their struggle for survival, rescue, and growth amidst the harsh realities of a changing borderland.
Comic Insects
F. A. S. (Francis Andrew Spilsbury) Reid
These rhyming fables invite readers into an imaginary classroom where tiny creatures shed their silence to impart moral lessons. Through verse and illustration, the natural world transforms into a series of cautionary tales and cheerful observations.
Craters of the Moon: A Guide to Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho
United States. National Park Service. Division of Publications
This practical guide offers a deep, multifaceted examination of the volcanic landscapes of Idaho’s Craters of the Moon, blending geological history with visitor logistics and natural observation.
Crusaders of New France: A Chronicle of the Fleur-de-Lis in the Wilderness
William Bennett Munro
New France once stood as the center of a grand Bourbon vision, a wilderness empire that stretched from the icy Gulf of St. Lawrence to the warm, distant waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Cycling art, energy, and locomotion
Robert P. (Robert Pittis) Scott
A pioneering examination of human kinetics and mechanical design, this work explores the transition from the high-wheeled "Ordinary" to the modern "Safety" bicycle through the lens of physics, engineering, and the enthusiast’s experience.
Dandy Dick: A Play in Three Acts
Arthur Wing Pinero
A dignified clergyman finds his carefully curated life unraveling when he is inadvertently drawn into the disreputable world of horse racing. His struggle to maintain professional decorum amidst mounting chaos forms the heart of this enduring farce.
Dave Dawson with the R.A.F
Robert Sidney Bowen
A young American pilot and his British comrade go behind enemy lines to secure intelligence that could halt a Nazi invasion. Their daring mission tests the limits of courage and the strength of their bond.
Dennison Grant: A Novel of To-day
Robert J. C. Stead
HOOK A man rejects his father’s hollow wealth to forge a life in the Canadian foothills, only to find that personal integrity and romantic longing are harder to master than the rugged wilderness.
Dig Here!
Gladys Allen
A summer holiday in a quiet New England town turns into a frantic treasure hunt when two girls discover a cryptic note and a locked house.
Divorce versus Democracy
G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton
The preservation of the family bond is not merely a private affair, but a vital democratic bulwark against the encroachment of the wealthy and powerful.
Dorothy Dix—her book
Dorothy Dix
This collection of observations offers a candid, sharp-tongued guide to the complexities of domestic life, written by a columnist who viewed marriage as a demanding, often baffling, yet essential trade.
Dotty Dimple's Flyaway
Sophie May
HOOK A breezy, imaginative toddler navigates the big, confusing world of adults, seeking heaven in the woods and finding lessons in honesty, all while her family watches with both exasperation and doting affection.
Drawn at a Venture: A Collection of Drawings
Fougasse
The sharp, observational humor of a post-war sensibility captures the small, absurd frustrations of daily life. These sketches transform mundane social encounters into moments of gentle, enduring recognition.
Dyke Darrel the Railroad Detective
A. Frank Pinkerton
The exploits of a celebrated railway detective unfold in this vintage thriller, a breathless race against time featuring train robberies, underground prisons, and a calculated quest for vengeance.
El Diablo
Brayton Norton
A young entrepreneur faces a ruthless labor cartel and a deadly secret while struggling to keep his fishing business afloat in the treacherous waters off Southern California.
English Pharisees, French Crocodiles, and Other Anglo-French Typical Characters
Max O'Rell
This collection of social commentary offers a sharp, witty, and deeply subjective comparison of the English and French characters, written by an author who spent a lifetime observing both.
Ethel Morton at Sweetbrier Lodge
Mabell S. C. (Mabell Shippie Clarke) Smith
A young girl finds her courage tested as she prepares to leave the only home she has ever known for a life with a father she hardly remembers.
Evelyn Byrd
George Cary Eggleston
A portrait of resilience during the final, desperate years of the Civil War, this narrative centers on the quiet courage of those who held their ground when victory had become an impossibility.
False Dawn (The 'Forties)
Edith Wharton
A young man stakes his future on a collection of radical art, only to be disowned by a father who cannot see the genius hidden beneath the dust. This is a story of vision, inheritance, and the tragic irony of timing.
Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi
George H. Devol
A professional riverboat gambler recounts four decades of high-stakes deception, narrow escapes, and violent brawls across the Mississippi, offering a rare, unvarnished look at the lawless frontier of the American South.