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47,382 public-domain books, summarised. Page 582 of 988.

Cover of Giphantia: Or a View of What Has Passed, What Is Now Passing, and, During the Present Century, What Will Pass, in the World

Giphantia: Or a View of What Has Passed, What Is Now Passing, and, During the Present Century, What Will Pass, in the World

Charles-François Tiphaigne de La Roche

This satirical fantasy captures the Enlightenment's restless spirit, using a surreal journey to strip away the vanity, hypocrisy, and false wisdom of eighteenth-century society.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of Great Cities of the United States: Historical, Descriptive, Commercial, Industrial

Great Cities of the United States: Historical, Descriptive, Commercial, Industrial

Gertrude Van Duyn Southworth

Geography is rarely a dry or static affair when viewed through the lens of human ambition. This volume illustrates that the growth of a nation is best understood by examining the rise of its most influential urban centers.

History - American6 min read
Cover of Gustavus Vasa: and other poems

Gustavus Vasa: and other poems

William Sidney Walker

A young poet reimagines the rise of a Swedish hero, crafting an epic vision of national liberation where celestial forces and earthly tyranny collide in the frozen North.

Historical Novels7 min read
Cover of Heritage

Heritage

V. (Victoria) Sackville-West

The story of a young woman’s untamed nature and the men caught in her orbit unfolds across the English countryside and the distant, sun-drenched ruins of the Near East. It is a haunting exploration of how human heritage—the deep-seated, often irrational pull of one's origins—shapes the choices we make when we…

British Literature6 min read
Cover of History of American Abolitionism: Its four great epochs, embracing narratives of the ordinance of 1787, compromise of 1820, annexation of Texas, Mexican war, Wilmot proviso, negro insurrections, abolition riots, slave rescues, compromise of 1850, Kansas bill of 1854, John Brown insurrection, 1859, valuable statistics, &c., &c., &c., together with a history of the Southern Confederacy

History of American Abolitionism: Its four great epochs, embracing narratives of the ordinance of 1787, compromise of 1820, annexation of Texas, Mexican war, Wilmot proviso, negro insurrections, abolition riots, slave rescues, compromise of 1850, Kansas bill of 1854, John Brown insurrection, 1859, valuable statistics, &c., &c., &c., together with a history of the Southern Confederacy

F. G. (Felix Gregory) De Fontaine

This work serves as a primary-source chronicle of the political fractures that led to the American Civil War, tracing the rise of abolitionist sentiment and the subsequent formation of the Southern Confederacy.

History - American6 min read
Cover of Holidays & Happy-Days

Holidays & Happy-Days

Hamish Hendry

This collection of seasonal lore invites readers on a rhythmic journey through the British calendar, blending historical curiosity with the warmth of traditional observances. It serves as a gentle guide to the rhythm of the year.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Hoof and Claw

Hoof and Claw

Roberts, Charles G. D., Sir

This collection of wilderness tales explores the raw, often brutal intersection of animal instinct and human presence in the North American woods. It is a series of interconnected vignettes that treat the lives of predators, prey, and the men who share their territory with a blend of objective observation and…

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of In the path of the alphabet: an historical account of the ancient beginnings and evolution of the modern alphabet

In the path of the alphabet: an historical account of the ancient beginnings and evolution of the modern alphabet

Frances Delavan Page Jermain

The story of the alphabet is a journey of human ingenuity, tracing how simple pictures evolved into the structured sounds that define modern language. It maps the transition from ancient carvings to the phonetic systems we use today.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Irish History and the Irish Question

Irish History and the Irish Question

Goldwin Smith

Goldwin Smith’s survey of Irish history offers a sober, analytical examination of the centuries-long friction between the English state and the Irish people, seeking to disentangle the deep-seated origins of the "Irish Question.

History - British6 min read
Cover of It's Your Fairy Tale, You Know

It's Your Fairy Tale, You Know

Elizabeth Rhodes Jackson

A boy discovers that the logic of storybooks can be applied to his everyday life in Boston, turning mundane chores and schoolwork into a series of supernatural tests.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Jiglets: A series of sidesplitting gyrations reeled off—

Jiglets: A series of sidesplitting gyrations reeled off—

Walter Jones

A relentless vaudevillian narrator shares a series of disreputable, rapid-fire anecdotes about hard luck, bad actors, and the absurdities of early 20th-century American life.

Humour6 min read
Cover of Kentucky Rug Yarns Vol. 5: Rugs: Easy to follow instructions and diagrams for colorful rugs, hats, pillows and other items

Kentucky Rug Yarns Vol. 5: Rugs: Easy to follow instructions and diagrams for colorful rugs, hats, pillows and other items

Ky.) January & Wood Company (Maysville

Color and texture transform a room, and with the right set of instructions, these elements become accessible to anyone with a crochet hook and a skein of yarn.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of Limehouse Nights

Limehouse Nights

Thomas Burke

Amid the fog-choked, narrow lanes of early twentieth-century London, the desperate inhabitants of the docks collide in a fever dream of violence, illicit romance, and unrelenting sorrow.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Linda Carlton's Island Adventure

Linda Carlton's Island Adventure

Edith Lavell

A celebrated young aviatrix finds her passion for flight transformed into a harrowing struggle for survival when her plane is stolen by criminals in the depths of a Southern swamp.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Meg of Mystery Mountain

Meg of Mystery Mountain

Grace May North

HOOK A spoiled young woman finds her humanity in the rugged silence of the Rocky Mountains, where long-lost family secrets and hard-won friendships await in the shadows of a defunct gold mine.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Molly Brown's Sophomore Days

Molly Brown's Sophomore Days

Nell Speed

This collegiate chronicle follows a spirited young woman navigating the social currents, financial anxieties, and shifting alliances of her sophomore year at Wellington College.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Narrative of the Battle of Cowan's Ford, February 1st, 1781: and Narrative of the Battle of Kings Mountain

Narrative of the Battle of Cowan's Ford, February 1st, 1781: and Narrative of the Battle of Kings Mountain

Robert Henry

These eyewitness accounts capture the grit of the American Revolution in the Carolinas, documenting the harrowing realities of the Battle of Cowan’s Ford and the decisive victory at King’s Mountain.

History - American6 min read
Cover of Old Ninety-Nine's Cave

Old Ninety-Nine's Cave

Elizabeth H. Gray

HOOK Set against the backdrop of the New York mountains, this novel weaves together local folklore, industrial ambition, and a journey toward healing after a mysterious, life-altering illness.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of Oregon, the Picturesque: A Book of Rambles in the Oregon Country and in the Wilds of Northern California

Oregon, the Picturesque: A Book of Rambles in the Oregon Country and in the Wilds of Northern California

Thos. D. (Thomas Dowler) Murphy

This account of early automotive exploration captures the wild, untamed beauty of the American West as it stood on the brink of modern accessibility. It serves as both a scenic travelogue and a historical testament to the rugged beginnings of cross-country touring.

Travel Writing6 min read
Cover of Peggy Raymond's Way

Peggy Raymond's Way

Harriet L. (Harriet Lummis) Smith

This story follows four inseparable young women as they navigate the transition from school life to adulthood, balancing the demands of romance, social etiquette, and their own emerging identities.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Perseus

Perseus

H. F. Scott (Henry Folliott Scott) Stokes

The dragon is not a relic of antiquity, but a living creature of modern habit that thrives on the human fear of truth. This investigation exposes the monster for what it truly is.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Post-Mediæval Preachers: Some Account of the Most Celebrated Preachers of the 15th, 16th, & 17th Centuries

Post-Mediæval Preachers: Some Account of the Most Celebrated Preachers of the 15th, 16th, & 17th Centuries

S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould

These forgotten masters of the pulpit transformed the art of sacred oratory, turning complex theology into vivid, human experiences. They remind us that the most profound spiritual truths often hide within the simplest metaphors.

History - Religious6 min read
Cover of Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 153, October 24, 1917

Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 153, October 24, 1917

Various

This issue of a venerable satirical magazine captures the peculiar, strained rhythm of London life during the fourth year of the Great War, blending biting political commentary with the frantic need for domestic normalcy. It is a snapshot of a nation attempting to laugh while the world burns.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Rainbow Hill

Rainbow Hill

Josephine Lawrence

The Willis sisters discover that the true treasure of a summer in the country is not found in golden pots, but in the quiet, transformative power of kindness.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Rootabaga pigeons

Rootabaga pigeons

Carl Sandburg

In the landscape of American letters, this collection stands as a singular, shimmering mirage. It is a work of pure invention where logic bends to the rhythm of a nursery rhyme and the ordinary world dissolves into a dreamscape of Rootabaga Country.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Said the Observer

Said the Observer

Louis J. (Louis John) Stellman

An inveterate critic of modern life, the Observer offers a wry, smoke-filled commentary on the absurdities of the early 1900s, turning the lens of humor onto everything from the telephone to the criminal justice system.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Scientific American Supplement, No. 312, December 24, 1881

Scientific American Supplement, No. 312, December 24, 1881

Various

This archive captures the frantic innovation of the Gilded Age, mapping a world where steam, electricity, and engineering were rapidly rewriting the boundaries of human possibility.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of Scientific American Supplement, No. 648, June 2, 1888

Scientific American Supplement, No. 648, June 2, 1888

Various

This journal offers a vivid, snapshot-style window into the late Victorian obsession with mechanical ingenuity, capturing a moment when the boundaries of physical science and industrial application were being aggressively pushed.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of Sestrina: A romance of the South Seas

Sestrina: A romance of the South Seas

A. (Arnold) Safroni-Middleton

A young wanderer’s search for meaning ends in the profound solitude of a Pacific island, where the boundaries between romantic obsession, religious fervor, and tragic reality dissolve.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Shadows and sunbeams: Being a second series of Fern leaves from Fanny's portfolio

Shadows and sunbeams: Being a second series of Fern leaves from Fanny's portfolio

Fanny Fern

This collection of mid-19th-century essays offers a sharp, witty, and deeply empathetic look at the domestic and social tensions of American life. It is a portrait of a society caught between rigid expectations and the persistent, often humorous, reality of human nature.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day

Richard Brinsley Sheridan

A hot-headed justice meets his match in a persistent soldier who uses disguises, fake poisons, and comic trickery to win the hand of the daughter forbidden to him.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Symmes's Theory of Concentric Spheres: Demonstrating that the Earth is hollow, habitable within, and widely open about the poles

Symmes's Theory of Concentric Spheres: Demonstrating that the Earth is hollow, habitable within, and widely open about the poles

James McBride

A world within a world awaits the brave, as this bold argument insists our planet is hollow and accessible through openings at the poles.

Science - Earth/Agricultural/Farming6 min read
Cover of Taquisara

Taquisara

F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford

The bonds of blood and the ghosts of the past collide in a crumbling Neapolitan house, where a young heiress finds her inheritance—and her life—threatened by the calculated malice of her own kin.

Novels7 min read
Cover of The Actress' Daughter: A Novel

The Actress' Daughter: A Novel

May Agnes Fleming

The stormy, untamed child of a fading actress finds her life irrevocably entwined with the fortunes of a proud, aristocratic family, setting the stage for a long, arduous journey toward maturity and grace.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Art or Crafte of Rhetoryke

The Art or Crafte of Rhetoryke

Leonard Cox

Effective speech is a skill born of careful preparation, where the speaker balances the weight of their argument with the needs of the listener. This foundational guide provides a structured approach to the power of persuasion.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of The Autobiography of a Journalist, Volume II

The Autobiography of a Journalist, Volume II

William James Stillman

A seasoned correspondent navigates the volatile landscapes of 19th-century geopolitics, offering an intimate, ground-level perspective on the crumbling empires and revolutionary fervor that defined a turbulent era.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Boss of the Lazy Y

The Boss of the Lazy Y

Charles Alden Seltzer

A man returns home to a broken legacy, only to find his path toward redemption guarded by a woman who refuses to let him succumb to his own destructive nature.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Camp Fire Girls at School

The Camp Fire Girls at School

Hildegard G. Frey

This is a story of spirited young women finding agency, companionship, and moral grounding through their commitment to the Camp Fire Girls organization. It captures the transition from childhood to young adulthood within a structured, community-focused social circle.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Deseado Formation of Patagonia

The Deseado Formation of Patagonia

Frederic Brewster Loomis

This technical record of prehistoric life reveals the evolution of strange, isolated mammals that once roamed the southern reaches of the Americas. It stands as a meticulous survey of a lost, ancient world.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of The Discoveries of John Lederer: In three several Marches from Virginia to the East of Carolina, and other parts of the Continent

The Discoveries of John Lederer: In three several Marches from Virginia to the East of Carolina, and other parts of the Continent

John Lederer

A restless explorer pushes into the untamed American interior, mapping the vast, mountainous unknown while documenting the complex lives and rituals of the Indigenous nations he encounters.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of The Forest Habitat of the University of Kansas Natural History Reservation

The Forest Habitat of the University of Kansas Natural History Reservation

Henry S. (Henry Sheldon) Fitch

A precise, scientific survey of how a specific patch of Kansas woodland has shifted in composition, species, and density since the arrival of nineteenth-century settlers. It offers an intimate look at the transition from prairie to forest.

Environmental Issues6 min read
Cover of The Girls of Central High Aiding the Red Cross

The Girls of Central High Aiding the Red Cross

Gertrude W. Morrison

A jewelry store ledger, a mysterious hit-and-run, and a school play collide to drive a spirited group of students toward a noble goal.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Jester

The Jester

LM (Leslie Moore)

A wanderer seeks peace in a world of illusion, tracing a path from the gilded cages of nobility to the dark mysteries of the occult. This journey of the heart tests the boundaries between obsession and grace.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of The literature of witchcraft

The literature of witchcraft

George Lincoln Burr

The study of witchcraft is not a study of magic, but a chronicle of human fear and the dark evolution of religious doctrine. It reveals how an idea, once dismissed as a foolish superstition, became a lethal obsession for the early modern world.

General6 min read
Cover of The Making of an American

The Making of an American

Jacob A. (Jacob August) Riis

A Danish immigrant navigates the harsh realities of late 19th-century New York to become a crusading journalist, eventually finding his true identity through a lifetime of public service and a steadfast devotion to his adopted country.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Melting of Molly

The Melting of Molly

Maria Thompson Daviess

A young widow decides to shed her mourning—and her excess weight—to reclaim her life. In doing so, she finds herself caught in a whirlwind of romantic dilemmas and the watchful, judgmental eyes of her small Southern town.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Mentor: The Conquest of the Poles, Serial No. 37

The Mentor: The Conquest of the Poles, Serial No. 37

Robert E. (Robert Edwin) Peary

This brief but authoritative overview chronicles the final, breathless race to discover the Earth’s Poles, tracing the transition from centuries of speculative exploration to the hard-won scientific triumphs of the early twentieth century. It serves as both a historical record of human endurance and a snapshot of a…

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Old Bell of Independence

The Old Bell of Independence

Henry C. (Henry Clay) Watson

This collection of Revolutionary War anecdotes serves as a bridge between the heroic generation of the founding era and the mid-19th-century American public, preserving the oral history of those who fought for independence.

History - American6 min read