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47,382 public-domain books, summarised. Page 583 of 988.

Cover of The 'Phone Booth Mystery

The 'Phone Booth Mystery

John Ironside

A young secretary’s wedding eve is shattered by the murder of his employer’s wife and the theft of state documents, casting him into a web of circumstantial evidence that threatens his freedom and his future.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of The Plébiscite

The Plébiscite

Erckmann-Chatrian

A simple miller finds his peaceful life in Alsace shattered by the political machinations of the French Empire and the encroaching shadow of a Prussian invasion.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of The Purgatory of St. Patrick

The Purgatory of St. Patrick

Pedro Calderón de la Barca

A man confronts the absolute terror of his own soul’s dark legacy, journeying through a legendary cavern to face the reality of eternity. This drama maps the spiritual pilgrimage of a sinner seeking redemption in a world where heaven and hell are pressing, physical thresholds.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of The Puritan Widow

The Puritan Widow

Unknown

A grieving widow and her daughters are ensnared by a clever scholar’s elaborate web of deceit, forcing them to navigate a series of theatrical ruses that expose the vanity of those around them.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Radio Detectives in the Jungle

The Radio Detectives in the Jungle

A. Hyatt (Alpheus Hyatt) Verrill

In a race against time across the Caribbean and the South American interior, a group of investigators hunts a pair of elusive criminals through dangerous jungles. This fast-paced adventure captures the curiosity of a bygone era.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Ranch Girls and Their Heart's Desire

The Ranch Girls and Their Heart's Desire

Margaret Vandercook

The courage of a woman seeking her own path, whether in the rugged expanse of the American West or the turbulent arena of politics, defines this spirited tale of growth and loyalty.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Seer of Slabsides

The Seer of Slabsides

Dallas Lore Sharp

This biographical study offers an intimate, reflective portrait of the renowned American naturalist John Burroughs. Written by his peer and friend, it captures the essence of a man who found profound philosophical meaning in the simple, observable rhythms of the natural world.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Sound of Silence

The Sound of Silence

Barbara Constant

The ultimate loneliness is not being alone in a crowd, but being the only one who can hear the thoughts of those surrounding you.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Systematics of the Frogs of the Hyla Rubra Group in Middle America

The Systematics of the Frogs of the Hyla Rubra Group in Middle America

Juan R. León

This rigorous study delineates the classification and evolutionary history of tree frogs in the Hyla rubra group, providing a foundational taxonomic roadmap for the Neotropical species found within Middle America.

Science - Biology6 min read
Cover of Things to Know About Trade-Marks: A Manual of Trade-Mark Information

Things to Know About Trade-Marks: A Manual of Trade-Mark Information

J. Walter Thompson Company

A practical guide for the early twentieth-century advertiser, this manual demystifies the legal requirements for creating, registering, and protecting a brand identity in a rapidly expanding commercial landscape.

Business/Management6 min read
Cover of This and That and the Other

This and That and the Other

Hilaire Belloc

This collection of essays offers a spirited, opinionated, and highly personal tour of the world, ranging from the rugged landscapes of Europe to the peculiarities of English social life. It serves as a defiant defense of tradition, local observation, and the importance of human motive in historical understanding.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Thomas Reid

Thomas Reid

Alexander Campbell Fraser

An unassuming Scottish thinker confronts the radical skepticism of his age, grounding human knowledge in the bedrock of sanity and the inevitable requirements of daily life.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of To Panama and back

To Panama and back

Henry T. (Henry Turman) Byford

A weary, observant physician chronicles his 1905 journey to the Panama Canal, transforming the frustrations of tropical travel into a sharp, witty meditation on human nature and the complexities of progress.

Travel Writing6 min read
Cover of Traits of American Humour, Vol. 3 of 3

Traits of American Humour, Vol. 3 of 3

Unknown

This collection gathers the boisterous, colloquial, and often absurd voices of the American frontier, preserving a vital, unvarnished record of mid-19th-century regional wit. It captures the spirit of a sprawling, diverse nation through the tall tales, local dialects, and rough-hewn characters that defined the era.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of Tuscan Sculpture of the Fifteenth Century: A Collection of Sixteen Pictures Reproducing Works by Donatello, the Della Robia, Mino da Fiesole, and Others, with Introduction

Tuscan Sculpture of the Fifteenth Century: A Collection of Sixteen Pictures Reproducing Works by Donatello, the Della Robia, Mino da Fiesole, and Others, with Introduction

Estelle M. (Estelle May) Hurll

This collection serves as a focused introduction to the sculptural achievements of fifteenth-century Tuscany, highlighting how Renaissance artists breathed new life into marble and bronze through a fresh, observant study of the human form.

Art6 min read
Cover of Twenty-five years in the Black Belt

Twenty-five years in the Black Belt

William James Edwards

Born into the aftermath of slavery, a young man overcomes profound poverty and physical hardship to build a cornerstone of education and uplift for his community in the rural Black Belt.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Verse and Worse

Verse and Worse

Harry Graham

A journey through the absurdity of the human condition, where the only thing more reliable than a bad reputation is the certainty that the righteous are doomed to be bored.

Humour6 min read
Cover of What Is Your Culture to Me?

What Is Your Culture to Me?

Charles Dudley Warner

The world does not owe the scholar a living, nor does it necessarily care for the wisdom packed into a graduate’s "neat little parcels." True culture must prove its worth by stepping out of the library and into the lives of the people.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of With Ring of Shield

With Ring of Shield

Knox Magee

In a shifting landscape of treachery and steel, two young knights navigate the dark, final days of the House of York while clinging to the hope of returning to their beloveds. This tale of chivalry and intrigue maps a perilous path through the shadows of the Tower and onto the blood-soaked field of Bosworth.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Zoological Illustrations, Volume 3

Zoological Illustrations, Volume 3

William Swainson

This collection serves as a visual and descriptive bridge between the early nineteenth-century explorer and the burgeoning field of systematic zoology. It provides a detailed, plate-by-plate account of rare biological specimens, framing each creature within the rigorous, if evolving, classification systems of the era.

Art7 min read
Cover of A Bundle of Letters from over the Sea

A Bundle of Letters from over the Sea

Louise B. Robinson

A record of a late nineteenth-century journey, this volume serves as a personal travelogue for those who cherish the romantic and often humorous perspective of an American abroad. It captures the essence of a bygone era in European tourism through the observant, frank eyes of a traveler discovering the Old World.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of A Catalogue of Books Published by Chapman & Hall, Limited, August, 1888

A Catalogue of Books Published by Chapman & Hall, Limited, August, 1888

Chapman and Hall

This volume serves as a meticulous record of Victorian literary and scientific commerce, offering a window into the intellectual currents of late nineteenth-century London through the offerings of a prominent publishing house.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference6 min read
Cover of A discourse concerning ridicule and irony in writing (1729)

A discourse concerning ridicule and irony in writing (1729)

Anthony Collins

Wit is not a polite social ornament but a vital, often dangerous, instrument of truth. Using irony to dismantle pretense, this defense of laughter argues that mockery is the ultimate check against institutional corruption.

Essays, Letters & Speeches5 min read
Cover of A Journey in Southeastern Mexico

A Journey in Southeastern Mexico

Henry Howard Harper

This narrative strips away the romantic veneer of tropical exploration, offering a cautionary account of American agricultural speculation in the rugged, unforgiving wilderness of southeastern Mexico.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of A Popular History of England, From the Earliest Times to the Reign of Queen Victoria

A Popular History of England, From the Earliest Times to the Reign of Queen Victoria

François Guizot

England’s seventeenth century is a landscape of profound upheaval, where the collision between divine right and parliamentary authority shatters the established order. This narrative traces the tumultuous path from the death of Elizabeth I to the flight of James II.

History - British7 min read
Cover of Addresses by Henry Drummond

Addresses by Henry Drummond

Henry Drummond

HOOK This collection of spiritual talks argues that love, rather than dogma, is the essential force of a meaningful life. It invites the reader to move beyond abstract theology into a practical, daily application of kindness.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Africana

Africana

Duff Macdonald

This detailed ethnography offers a rare, firsthand window into the social structures, religious beliefs, and daily life of East African tribes during the late nineteenth century.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Air Service Boys Over the Rhine

Air Service Boys Over the Rhine

Charles Amory Beach

The sky over the Great War’s battlefields is the stage for a pair of young American aviators whose courage matches their high-flying ambitions. Their story is a brisk, earnest adventure that captures the spirit of wartime duty and the camaraderie born of life-or-death missions.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Battles of Destiny

Battles of Destiny

Isabel Shepperson

Seventeen defining military engagements serve as the focal points for examining how a single day’s outcome can rewrite the trajectory of human civilization.

History - Ancient6 min read
Cover of Birds and Nature, Vol 10 No. 2 [September 1901]

Birds and Nature, Vol 10 No. 2 [September 1901]

Various

This collection captures the fleeting beauty of the natural world through a blend of scientific observation, personal anecdote, and reflective poetry. It invites readers to pause and observe the intricate lives of creatures often overlooked in the rush of daily existence.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of Bypaths in Dixie: Folk Tales of the South

Bypaths in Dixie: Folk Tales of the South

Sarah Johnson Cocke

This collection of folk tales preserves a vanishing world of Southern oral tradition, centered on the gentle, authoritative voice of a black nurse sharing stories with the children in her care. It is a portrait of a specific time and place, captured through the imaginative lens of a storyteller who sees the natural…

American Literature6 min read
Cover of California Missions: A Guide to the Historic Trails of the Padres

California Missions: A Guide to the Historic Trails of the Padres

Karl F. (Karl Frederick) Brown

This guide traces the historical path of the California missions, offering a descriptive survey of the twenty-one sites that once served as the spiritual and architectural pillars of the Spanish colonial frontier.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of Carpets

Carpets

R. S. (Reginald Seymour) Brinton

The intricate world of floor coverings finds its chronicler in this technical yet accessible survey, which demystifies the evolution of an industry born of humble hand-looms and shaped by the industrial spirit of the early twentieth century.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of Comical People

Comical People

Unknown

A whimsical collection of tales set in a humanized animal kingdom, this work offers a satirical lens on the social anxieties and class hierarchies of mid-Victorian England. It captures the absurdity of status-seeking through the eyes of its anthropomorphic cast.

Humour6 min read
Cover of Cora and The Doctor

Cora and The Doctor

Madeline Leslie

The domestic life of a physician in 1830s Massachusetts serves as the backdrop for this intimate journal of faith, duty, and the quiet struggles of a growing household. It explores the sanctity of marriage and the heavy burdens of moral responsibility in a changing society.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Cormorant Crag: A Tale of the Smuggling Days

Cormorant Crag: A Tale of the Smuggling Days

George Manville Fenn

A secluded island off the English coast holds a dark secret within its shifting tides and crumbling cliffs, where two curious boys stumble into a world of illicit trade and perilous adventure.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Eben Holden's Last Day A-Fishing

Eben Holden's Last Day A-Fishing

Irving Bacheller

The golden light of a summer afternoon in the New York hills reveals the quiet, profound end of a long life lived in harmony with nature and simple faith.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Green Stockings: A Comedy in Three Acts

Green Stockings: A Comedy in Three Acts

A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason

The Faraday household is a tinderbox of social expectation, where a desperate, playful lie about a non-existent fiancé threatens to upend the rigid, gossip-fueled life of an unmarried woman.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of His Little World: The Story of Hunch Badeau

His Little World: The Story of Hunch Badeau

Samuel Merwin

A rugged ship captain navigates the turbulent waters of the Great Lakes while struggling to reconcile his deep, unspoken devotion to a married woman with the harsh realities of his shifting life.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of How John Became a Man: Life Story of a Motherless Boy

How John Became a Man: Life Story of a Motherless Boy

Isabel C. (Isabel Coston) Byrum

This narrative follows a neglected boy’s search for identity as he matures in the American West, ultimately trading a life of aimless vice for a committed path of religious service. It is a classic example of early twentieth-century didactic literature, capturing the moral anxieties of its era while offering a…

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of In the Cause of Freedom

In the Cause of Freedom

Arthur W. Marchmont

The stage is set in the tense, shadowed streets of Russian-occupied Poland, where a chance encounter at a rural inn forces a British traveler into a high-stakes game of espionage and sudden romance.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Infiltration

Infiltration

Algis Budrys

An ancient, cosmic war between two factions of stranded travelers plays out through the proxy of human history, as one weary operative finally prepares to end his long, violent watch.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Ingres

Ingres

A. J. (Alexander Joseph) Finberg

A meticulous examination of a master painter, this narrative traces the life of a man whose uncompromising pursuit of artistic perfection placed him at the uneasy intersection of classicism and romanticism.

Art6 min read
Cover of Isopel Berners: The History of certain doings in a Staffordshire Dingle, July, 1825

Isopel Berners: The History of certain doings in a Staffordshire Dingle, July, 1825

George Borrow

A restless wanderer finds unexpected sanctuary in a Staffordshire hollow, where a fierce, independent woman challenges his solitude and his sanity. This account captures a fleeting, singular encounter on the fringes of nineteenth-century society.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Just Gerry

Just Gerry

Christine Chaundler

The arrival of a shy newcomer at a strict English boarding school sparks a tale of resilience, tested loyalties, and the slow, hard-won path to belonging.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of K. K. K. sketches, humorous and didactic

K. K. K. sketches, humorous and didactic

James Melville Beard

The Ku Klux Klan of the Reconstruction era is examined here not as a dry academic subject, but through a series of "pen-pictures" meant to capture the chaotic political climate of the American South during the 1870s.

History - American6 min read
Cover of London Sonnets

London Sonnets

Humbert Wolfe

London is a city of ghosts, and this collection captures the fleeting, haunting beauty of lives lived in the shadows of the Great War. It is a quiet, piercing examination of what remains when love, youth, and the city itself are stripped of their illusions.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Lulu, Alice and Jimmie Wibblewobble

Lulu, Alice and Jimmie Wibblewobble

Howard Roger Garis

A trio of adventurous ducklings navigate the perils and joys of their pond-side home in this charming collection of tales, where everyday chores often transform into unexpected, whimsical escapades.

Adventure6 min read