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34,093 public-domain books, summarised. Page 566 of 711.

Cover of In exitu Israel

In exitu Israel

S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould

The gathering storm of the French Revolution forces a young woman to trade the quiet of her Normandy home for the lethal chaos of Paris, seeking justice for a victim of the state.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of Index of the Project Gutenberg Works of Benjamin Disraeli

Index of the Project Gutenberg Works of Benjamin Disraeli

Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield

This collection of works by Benjamin Disraeli serves as a vast literary map of nineteenth-century British society, politics, and the restless ambition of the era. These narratives explore the intersections of power, identity, and reform through a lens that is both deeply personal and grandly historical.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference6 min read
Cover of Irish Ecclesiastical Record, Volume 1, May 1865

Irish Ecclesiastical Record, Volume 1, May 1865

Unknown

This collection of ecclesiastical scholarship and administrative record offers a window into the intellectual and theological preoccupations of the mid-nineteenth-century Irish Catholic Church. It serves as both a historical gazetteer and a rigorous defense of traditional doctrine.

History - European7 min read
Cover of John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character, Vol. 3 (of 3): From the Collection of "Mr. Punch"

John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character, Vol. 3 (of 3): From the Collection of "Mr. Punch"

John Leech

These vignettes capture the absurdity of nineteenth-century life, where high society and commoners alike stumble through the changing landscape of Victorian England. A mirror held to a nation in transition, the collection remains a masterclass in observational wit.

Art6 min read
Cover of Life at High Tide

Life at High Tide

Unknown

These collected stories capture the quiet, critical turning points in ordinary lives, revealing the hidden intensity of human character when it is tested by the inevitable pressures of time and circumstance.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of Lill's travels in Santa Claus Land, and other stories

Lill's travels in Santa Claus Land, and other stories

Ellis Towne

This collection of tales explores the hidden moral landscapes of childhood, where imaginary lands, petty rivalries, and sudden transgressions test the boundaries of a young person’s character.

Children & Young Adult Reading7 min read
Cover of Looking forward

Looking forward

Arthur Bird

The United States, having expanded to encompass the entire Western Hemisphere by the year 1999, stands as the unchallenged, technologically advanced arbiter of global peace and civilization.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Mad: A Story of Dust and Ashes

Mad: A Story of Dust and Ashes

George Manville Fenn

The story of Septimus Hardon is a somber, intimate portrait of a man adrift in the unforgiving machinery of Victorian London. It explores the crushing weight of poverty, the fragility of social standing, and the lingering echoes of past secrets.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Maggie Miller: The Story of Old Hagar's Secret

Maggie Miller: The Story of Old Hagar's Secret

Mary Jane Holmes

An orphaned girl raised in a grand New England estate discovers her life is built on a deception, forcing her to confront her true identity and the shattering loss of her perceived social standing.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Mam' Lyddy's Recognition: 1908

Mam' Lyddy's Recognition: 1908

Thomas Nelson Page

A fiercely loyal, aristocratic domestic servant discovers that the "recognition" promised to her by a smooth-talking urban preacher is a trap designed to steal her life’s savings.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Missing Friends: Being the Adventures of a Danish Emigrant in Queensland (1871-1880)

Missing Friends: Being the Adventures of a Danish Emigrant in Queensland (1871-1880)

Thorvald Peter Ludwig Weitemeyer

The immigrant experience is rarely as orderly as official pamphlets suggest; for those arriving in colonial Queensland, it was often a chaotic scramble for survival defined by hunger, resilience, and the thin line between success and ruin.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Mrs. Turner's Cautionary Stories

Mrs. Turner's Cautionary Stories

Mrs. (Elizabeth) Turner

Moral instruction meets rhythmic, no-nonsense verse in this collection of cautionary tales. Designed to steer nineteenth-century children away from accidents, mischief, and gluttony, these stories promise swift consequences for every misstep.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of My Strangest Case

My Strangest Case

Guy Boothby

A detective tracks a man who stole a fortune in rubies and abandoned his partners to a gruesome fate in the Burmese jungle.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of No Hero

No Hero

E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung

A veteran tasked with sabotaging a younger man’s infatuation finds himself trapped in a web of his own making, where the line between duty and desire vanishes in the thin, crystalline air of the Alps.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Notes and Queries, Vol. III, Number 86, June 21, 1851: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc

Notes and Queries, Vol. III, Number 86, June 21, 1851: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc

Various

This collaborative archive serves as a Victorian-era clearinghouse for the curious, transforming individual inquiries into a communal database of historical and literary knowledge. It captures a fleeting moment where intellectual ambition meets the printed page.

History - Other5 min read
Cover of ODTAA: A novel

ODTAA: A novel

John Masefield

The world is a web of absurd, perilous, and often fatal coincidences. To survive its indifference, one must decide whether to be the victim of one’s circumstances or the architect of one’s own desperate hope.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of Old Roads and New Roads

Old Roads and New Roads

William Bodham Donne

This guide wanders through the history of human movement, inviting readers to abandon the modern obsession with speed in favor of a slower, more contemplative look at the roads of the past.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of On Being Human

On Being Human

Woodrow Wilson

To navigate the complexities of a modern, hurried world, one must cultivate a spirit of "genuineness"—a balanced, observant, and serene approach to life that favors broad understanding over narrow fanaticism.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Our Friend the Charlatan

Our Friend the Charlatan

George Gissing

The ambitious and perpetually posturing Dyce Lashmar drifts through late-Victorian society, trading in hollow philosophies and the favor of wealthy benefactors to build a life of unearned privilege.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Outlines of Creation

Outlines of Creation

Elisha Noyce

The natural world unfolds as a vast, interconnected tapestry, revealing the intricate mechanics of life, from the microscopic sponge to the towering baobab and the silent, distant majesty of Jupiter.

Religion/Spirituality6 min read
Cover of Percy: A Tragedy

Percy: A Tragedy

Hannah More

A tale of star-crossed love and ruin, this drama explores the devastating consequences of parental authority and the destructive nature of unchecked jealousy. Set against the backdrop of historical border feuds, it remains a poignant study of individual virtue trapped in a cycle of vengeance.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Poor Jack

Poor Jack

Frederick Marryat

The boy who grows up begging on the banks of the Thames finds a life far beyond the copper coins he once collected. This is a story of seafaring adventure, social ambition, and the quiet dignity of earned prosperity.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Pretty Michal

Pretty Michal

Mór Jókai

Pretty Michal is a sweeping, gothic-inflected historical romance set in 17th-century Hungary, where the lives of a sheltered minister’s daughter and a spirited young man are violently upended by social rigidities and the grim shadow of the executioner’s trade.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, June 24, 1914

Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, June 24, 1914

Various

A snapshot of pre-war British life, this collection serves as a satirical time capsule, capturing the anxieties and trivialities of 1914 through sharp wit, political sketches, and theatrical burlesque.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 156, Jan. 1, 1919

Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 156, Jan. 1, 1919

Various

This collection captures the peculiar, weary, and dry-witted atmosphere of London at the dawn of 1919, as a society pivots from the Great War toward an uncertain peace. It offers a candid look at the British spirit during a moment of profound national transition.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 26, September 24, 1870

Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 26, September 24, 1870

Various

This nineteenth-century satirical weekly captures the frantic, biting energy of post-Civil War New York with a mix of sharp political commentary and absurd, performative wit.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of Queen Victoria, her girlhood and womanhood

Queen Victoria, her girlhood and womanhood

Grace Greenwood

This biographical sketch invites readers into the private and public world of a monarch who defined an era, capturing the transition from a sheltered girlhood to the heavy responsibilities of sovereignty. It offers an intimate, fireside perspective on one of history’s most recognizable figures, framed by the…

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Raemaekers' Cartoon History of the War, Volume 1: The First Twelve Months of War

Raemaekers' Cartoon History of the War, Volume 1: The First Twelve Months of War

Unknown

This collection serves as a powerful visual indictment of German military aggression during the first year of the Great War. It captures the transformation of a quiet, neutral Dutch painter into a defiant, global voice against autocratic violence.

Art6 min read
Cover of Ralph on the Overland Express

Ralph on the Overland Express

Allen Chapman

HOOK A young engineer navigates the dangerous world of steam locomotives, industrial sabotage, and shadowy conspiracies while striving to become a master of the rails.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Randvar the songsmith

Randvar the songsmith

Ottilie A. (Ottilia Adelina) Liljencrantz

A Viking singer finds his life entwined with a nobleman’s dark secret in the mysterious, legendary lands of Norumbega.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer

Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer

G. Moxley (Gilbert Moxley) Sorrel

This memoir offers an intimate, firsthand account of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, written by a key staff officer who served directly under James Longstreet.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Reform Cookery Book (4th edition): Up-To-Date Health Cookery for the Twentieth Century

Reform Cookery Book (4th edition): Up-To-Date Health Cookery for the Twentieth Century

Mrs. (Jean Oliver) Mill

A century-old guide to vegetarian living, this manual provides practical, wholesome recipes designed to replace the "spicy sausage" and "sodden beans" of traditional fare with more thoughtful and digestible nutrition.

Cooking & Drinking7 min read
Cover of Richard Strauss

Richard Strauss

Herbert F. (Herbert Francis) Peyser

This concise biography offers an intimate look at the life and creative evolution of one of music’s most technically brilliant and often polarizing figures. It traces the trajectory of a composer who navigated fame, scandal, and shifting artistic tides with remarkable composure.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Schwatka's Search: Sledging in the Arctic in Quest of the Franklin Records

Schwatka's Search: Sledging in the Arctic in Quest of the Franklin Records

William H. (William Henry) Gilder

A harrowing, firsthand account of a desperate overland expedition, this narrative documents the final, successful search for the lost records of the ill-fated Franklin explorers.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Short story classics (Foreign), Vol. 3, German

Short story classics (Foreign), Vol. 3, German

Unknown

These stories capture the landscape of the German soul at the turn of the twentieth century, balancing profound melancholy with moments of sudden, piercing clarity. They move between the rigid hierarchies of old traditions and the quiet, desperate struggles of individuals trapped by circumstance, poverty, or the…

German Literature6 min read
Cover of Sir Tom

Sir Tom

Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant

A quiet domestic stability is shattered when a husband’s hidden past arrives on his doorstep, forcing his unsuspecting wife to navigate a treacherous web of secrets, social ambition, and the fragility of their young son’s life.

British Literature8 min read
Cover of Some Medical Aspects of Old Age: Being the Linacre lecture, 1922, St. John's college, Cambridge

Some Medical Aspects of Old Age: Being the Linacre lecture, 1922, St. John's college, Cambridge

Rolleston, Humphry Davy, Sir

This scholarly exploration of the twilight of human life examines the intersection of biology, medicine, and history to distinguish between the natural processes of aging and the onset of disease.

Health & Medicine6 min read
Cover of Some Summer Days in Iowa

Some Summer Days in Iowa

Frederick John Lazell

In the quiet beauty of the Iowa landscape, a simple walk through the woods becomes a profound meditation on the enduring rhythms of the natural world.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of State of the Union Addresses

State of the Union Addresses

Richard M. (Richard Milhous) Nixon

The arc of these addresses spans the defining years of a presidency, tracing the transition from global conflict to a sought-after domestic reform, ultimately confronted by the encroachment of political crisis.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Stories by American Authors, Volume 10

Stories by American Authors, Volume 10

Various

This collection captures the American spirit at the close of the nineteenth century, blending regional folklore, romantic intrigue, and the moral gravity of human ambition. It offers a multifaceted portrait of a nation in transition, moving from the quiet, timeless traditions of the frontier to the modern, often…

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Strange Stories from the Lodge of Leisures

Strange Stories from the Lodge of Leisures

Songling Pu

These tales explore a world where the boundary between the living and the dead is as permeable as a garden gate, revealing the profound influence of the supernatural on the Chinese imagination.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Success and How He Won It

Success and How He Won It

E. Werner

The cold, impenetrable walls of a loveless marriage dissolve into an unlikely partnership when the brutal realities of the industrial mine, not the salon, force a husband and wife to truly see one another.

Novels7 min read
Cover of Summer

Summer

Romain Rolland

The quiet intensity of a woman’s inner life collides with the relentless demands of a changing world. This is a portrait of a soul refusing to be broken by the weight of modern existence.

French Literature7 min read
Cover of Textile Fabrics

Textile Fabrics

Daniel Rock

This guide, originally written as an introduction to the South Kensington Museum’s expansive collection, offers a scholarly yet accessible entry into the history and artistry of woven and embroidered materials. It bridges the gap between the mundane cloth of antiquity and the ornate liturgical vestments of the…

Art6 min read
Cover of The Advocate: A Novel

The Advocate: A Novel

Charles Heavysege

A volatile Montreal barrister’s refusal to marry his long-time companion triggers a chain of vengeance and abduction, culminating in a tragic collision between generations. This dark tale exposes the thin line between legal authority and moral ruin.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 84, October, 1864: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics

The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 84, October, 1864: A Magazine of Literature, Art, and Politics

Various

This volume captures the mid-Civil War American imagination, weaving together field dispatches, intimate memoir, and sharp political analysis from a country in the throes of self-definition. It serves as a vital bridge between the battlefront and the parlor.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Awakening of Helena Richie

The Awakening of Helena Richie

Margaret Wade Campbell Deland

A woman hiding a secret life in a quiet, judgmental town finds her carefully constructed world collapsing when she attempts to claim a child as her own. This study of social morality and personal redemption remains a poignant window into the late Victorian struggle between rigid convention and the desperate human…

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Bay State Monthly, Volume 3, No. 4

The Bay State Monthly, Volume 3, No. 4

Various

This collection serves as a historical repository of Massachusetts life in the late nineteenth century, blending biographical tributes, military chronicles, and regional lore into a singular portrait of New England character.

History - American6 min read
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