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47,382 public-domain books, summarised. Page 669 of 988.

Cover of "A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress

"A Modern Hercules," the Tale of a Sculptress

Melvin G. Winstock

A daring sculptress, a crusading minister, and a public scandal collide in a melodrama of art, illicit passion, and eventual spiritual redemption.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of A Short History of the Book of Common Prayer

A Short History of the Book of Common Prayer

William Reed Huntington

This exploration of liturgical history examines the enduring power of the Book of Common Prayer, detailing its origins, its evolution, and the complex process of modernizing its rites for contemporary worshippers. It serves as both a historical account and a thoughtful reflection on the balance between tradition…

History - British6 min read
Cover of A Study of the Topography and Municipal History of Praeneste

A Study of the Topography and Municipal History of Praeneste

Ralph Van Deman Magoffin

A scholarly examination of an ancient Italian city, this work reconstructs the physical layout and administrative evolution of Praeneste, revealing how its unique governance survived the tides of Roman conquest.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of A Yankee Flier in Italy

A Yankee Flier in Italy

Rutherford G. (Rutherford George) Montgomery

This is a brisk, high-altitude adventure of the Second World War, capturing the daredevil spirit of Allied fighter pilots in the Mediterranean theater. It moves with the urgency of a cockpit mission, prioritizing tactical maneuvers and narrow escapes over philosophical reflection.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of Adrienne Lecouvreur

Adrienne Lecouvreur

Eugène Scribe

A quiet fire burns behind the velvet curtains of the eighteenth-century French stage, where private passion and public ambition collide.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of After the Storm

After the Storm

T. S. (Timothy Shay) Arthur

A brief midsummer storm gives way to a clear night, foreshadowing a marriage launched with deep affection, wrecked by stubborn pride, and painfully rebuilt over years of lonely self-examination.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of An American

An American

Belle Willey Gue

Faith and moral conviction meet the chaos of the Spanish-American War in this sweeping novel of identity, duty, and spiritual resilience set in late nineteenth-century Cuba.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of An Englishwoman in a Turkish harem

An Englishwoman in a Turkish harem

Grace Ellison

Grace Ellison dismantles Western misconceptions of Ottoman life by slipping behind the veiled lattice to reveal a world of warm domesticity, sharp intellect, and political awakening.

General6 min read
Cover of As We Go

As We Go

Charles Dudley Warner

A witty observer dissects the quirks, contradictions, and accelerating pace of late nineteenth-century American life, exposing the subtle absurdities beneath modern progress.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Astronomical Instruments and Accessories

Astronomical Instruments and Accessories

William Gaertner and Company

Precision brass gears, hand-scraped iron beds, and optical glass form the invisible scaffolding that brings distant stars into human focus.

Engineering & Technology5 min read
Cover of Bernini and other studies in the history of art

Bernini and other studies in the history of art

Richard Norton

Restless intellect meets stone and canvas. Richard Norton treats history not as a ledger of dates, but as a field of living ideas.

General6 min read
Cover of Between Pike's Peak and a pickle

Between Pike's Peak and a pickle

W. C. (Wilbur C.) Tuttle

The boasts of a local cowboy lead to a wager that spirals into a chaotic, slapstick riot. This Western short story captures a town’s absurdity and the inevitable collapse of a man who claims he can ride anything.

Short Stories6 min read
Cover of Bones in London

Bones in London

Edgar Wallace

An eccentric veteran tackles post-war London high finance with theatrical bluster, bumbling his way through dubious schemes only to routinely triumph by sheer, unpredictable romantic optimism.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 439: Volume 17, New Series, May 29, 1852

Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 439: Volume 17, New Series, May 29, 1852

Various

This mid-19th-century periodical invites readers into a diverse world of Victorian intellectual curiosity, blending rigorous moral instruction with lighthearted anecdotes and global scientific observation. It captures a moment of rapid transition, where steam-navigation, colonial expansion, and industrial progress…

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 459: Volume 18, New Series, October 16, 1852

Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 459: Volume 18, New Series, October 16, 1852

Various

This periodical captures the Victorian pulse through a diverse collection of societal observations, travel narratives, and moral reflections. It serves as a time capsule of mid-nineteenth-century interests, ranging from industrial progress to ancient history.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Connecticut Boys in the Western Reserve: A Tale of the Moravian Massacre

Connecticut Boys in the Western Reserve: A Tale of the Moravian Massacre

James A. (James Andrew) Braden

In 1791, two young emigrants defending their Cuyahoga River homestead find themselves entangled with a mysterious wounded Quaker, an elusive renegade Indian, and ruthless outlaws seeking a buried fortune.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Daughters of Belgravia

Daughters of Belgravia

Fraser, Alexander, Mrs.

A gilded cage in 1880s London frames the fortunes of three high-born sisters forced onto the marital auction block to salvage their family's dwindling estate.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Dave Porter in the Far North

Dave Porter in the Far North

Edward Stratemeyer

High-energy schoolboy antics quickly give way to a perilous wilderness expedition when an earnest American youth ventures into the snowy Norwegian mountains to locate his missing father.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Death, the Knight, and the Lady: A Ghost Story

Death, the Knight, and the Lady: A Ghost Story

H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole

A destitute narrator is dragged into an aristocratic estate where ancestral memory, altered identity, and an ancient family curse converge in a tragic sequence of events.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery5 min read
Cover of Degeneration: A Chapter in Darwinism

Degeneration: A Chapter in Darwinism

Lankester, E. Ray (Edwin Ray), Sir

Natural selection creates intricate adaptations, yet evolutionary progress is never a guaranteed one-way street; organisms frequently simplify, shedding complex organs when environmental pressures make reduced structures advantageous for survival.

Science - Biology6 min read
Cover of Devlin the Barber

Devlin the Barber

B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) Farjeon

A sinister stranger moves into a London lodging house, weaving psychological webs over everyone he meets while helping a desperate uncle solve a murder.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of Dickey Downy: The Autobiography of a Bird

Dickey Downy: The Autobiography of a Bird

Virginia Sharpe Patterson

A young bird looks down from the branch of an orchard tree, watching a gentle girl weep for a robin killed by the house cat, only to learn from his mother that a far more terrifying enemy walks the earth: fashion-conscious women.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Did Betsey Ross Design the Flag of the United States of America?: Publication of the Scottsville Literary Society

Did Betsey Ross Design the Flag of the United States of America?: Publication of the Scottsville Literary Society

Franklin Hanford

A calm, methodical investigation into national myth-making reveals how family folklore transformed into accepted historical fact without a shred of contemporary evidence to support it.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Dorothy Dale's Queer Holidays

Dorothy Dale's Queer Holidays

Margaret Penrose

A winter break in the country turns into a tangled web of shoplifting accusations, hidden financial mistakes, a charity theatrical play, and a screeching ghost in a frozen mansion.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Early autumn

Early autumn

Louis Bromfield

A family whose proud legacy has curdled into a cage must face the quiet, suffocating truth of its own decay.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Prependix of Volume 7 [Constantine Pavlovich to Demidov]: Volume 7, Slice 1

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Prependix of Volume 7 [Constantine Pavlovich to Demidov]: Volume 7, Slice 1

Various

A monument of Edwardian ambition, this volume captures the breadth of human knowledge at the height of the British Empire. It serves as a definitive snapshot of a world before the cataclysms of the twentieth century rearranged the map.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference6 min read
Cover of Endurance Test

Endurance Test

Douglas, Alan, Captain

A campout along the Sweetwater River turns into a test of character when a group of young scouts must handle poison ivy, runaway livestock, an accidental skunk encounter, and a farm fire linked to a pair of escaped fugitives.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of English Poems, Volume 02 (of 2)

English Poems, Volume 02 (of 2)

Fernando Pessoa

Anxious bride, impatient groom, and a village swept up in the raw, unvarnished pulse of human desire on a wedding day.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of Feudal tyrants

Feudal tyrants

Benedikte Naubert

<Image alt="A medieval Swiss castle perched on a rugged cliff" caption="Feudal castles and Alpine valleys frame the romance." src="imageagenttag1"/ Feudal tyranny, secret convents, and tragic romance collide across the high Swiss Alps in this sweeping narrative of broken vows, false identities, and enduring love.

German Literature6 min read
Cover of Forge and furnace: A novel

Forge and furnace: A novel

Florence Warden

Heavy smoke hangs over the roaring Sheffield ironworks, where a ambitious, self-made young clerk finds his steadfast devotion tested by a frail, elusive girl and the destructive machinations of her bankrupt father.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of Four Little Blossoms at Brookside Farm

Four Little Blossoms at Brookside Farm

Mabel C. Hawley

Four young siblings turn everyday farm life into a series of cheerful, chaotic adventures under their aunt's permissive care.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of Frank Allen at Old Moose Lake

Frank Allen at Old Moose Lake

Graham B. Forbes

A group of high school friends ventures into the snowy wilderness for a winter camping trip, only to find themselves entangled with local ruffians and a legendary forest beast.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of From Jest to Earnest

From Jest to Earnest

Edward Payson Roe

What begins as a practical joke played by a beautiful, cynical city belle upon an earnest young minister turns into a deep spiritual transformation and an enduring love.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Gems of Poetry, for Girls and Boys

Gems of Poetry, for Girls and Boys

Unknown

A young mind discovers the quiet wonders of nature, the steady comfort of home, and the gentle boundaries of a moral life through verse.

Children & Young Adult Reading7 min read
Cover of Ghosts I Have Met and Some Others

Ghosts I Have Met and Some Others

John Kendrick Bangs

A man in a sweltering New York bedroom begins to shiver uncontrollably, only to discover that the sudden chill in the air marks the arrival of an uninvited specter.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of Graham's Magazine, Vol. XX, No. 1, January 1842

Graham's Magazine, Vol. XX, No. 1, January 1842

Various

High-toned romance, wilderness misadventures, and sharp-eyed editorial feuds collide in a single monthly volume of antebellum magazine culture.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of Graham's Magazine, Vol. XX, No. 2, February 1842

Graham's Magazine, Vol. XX, No. 2, February 1842

Various

A vibrant snapshot of mid-nineteenth-century American literary culture, this magazine issue captures a moment when romantic serial fiction, fiery critical essays, and formal poetry shared equal space.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Hepsey Burke

Hepsey Burke

Frank N. (Frank Nash) Westcott

HOOK In a small, tradition-bound village, a spirited sixty-year-old widow becomes the unofficial guardian of the local clergy, maneuvering behind the scenes to mend broken spirits and challenge the town’s rigid social hierarchies.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Holinshed's Chronicles, vol. 3 of 6, slice 2 of 9: England, 1413-1423, Henry V

Holinshed's Chronicles, vol. 3 of 6, slice 2 of 9: England, 1413-1423, Henry V

Raphael Holinshed

A monarch claims a foreign throne by legal right and marches across a rainy continent to enforce it.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Home Manufacture and Use of Unfermented Grape Juice

Home Manufacture and Use of Unfermented Grape Juice

George C. (George Charles) Husmann

Preventing harvest waste on the farm requires only basic household tools, careful thermal management, and an understanding of microscopic ferments.

Cooking & Drinking5 min read
Cover of Hymns, Songs, and Fables, for Young People

Hymns, Songs, and Fables, for Young People

Eliza Lee Cabot Follen

This collection of verse and prose offers a gentle, earnest guide for the moral development of nineteenth-century children, blending spiritual devotion with a sincere appreciation for the natural world.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of In search of fortune: A tale of the old land and the new

In search of fortune: A tale of the old land and the new

Gordon Stables

A spirited Northumbrian boy leaves his ancestral farm to carve out a fortune in the Australian bush, braving urban poverty, wild cattle, and frontier dangers before returning home triumphant.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Instructions for the Management of Harvey's Sea Torpedo

Instructions for the Management of Harvey's Sea Torpedo

Frederick Harvey

A specialized mid-nineteenth-century naval manual details the assembly, mechanical firing mechanisms, deck handling, and night-attack tactics for towing towed explosive charges against heavily armored warships.

Engineering & Technology5 min read
Cover of Is Slavery Sanctioned by the Bible?

Is Slavery Sanctioned by the Bible?

Isaac Allen

A rigorous textual dismantling of the pro-slavery biblical argument reveals how scripture, properly translated and contextualized, systematically rejects chattelism in favor of human dignity and universal liberty.

History - American5 min read
Cover of Jack Straw: A Farce in Three Acts

Jack Straw: A Farce in Three Acts

W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham

A penniless waiter takes up a dare to impersonate royalty, throwing a family of ambitious social climbers into chaos and finding true love in the process.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of Jack the runaway

Jack the runaway

Frank V. Webster

When an orphaned youth is falsely accused of theft by his domineering guardian, he flees into the night, seeking refuge and an honest living among the colorful performers of a traveling circus.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Jethro Wood, Inventor of the Modern Plow.: A Brief Account of His Life, Services, and Trials

Jethro Wood, Inventor of the Modern Plow.: A Brief Account of His Life, Services, and Trials

Frank Gilbert

A Quaker inventor transforms global agriculture with a cast-iron tool of mathematical perfection, only to see his family ruined by rampant patent infringement, corrupt courts, and political betrayal.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Journal of William H. Richardson, a private soldier in the campaign of New and Old Mexico, under the command of Colonel Doniphan of Missouri

Journal of William H. Richardson, a private soldier in the campaign of New and Old Mexico, under the command of Colonel Doniphan of Missouri

William H. Richardson

An ordinary volunteer's unsentimental, day-by-day record of an extraordinary 6,000-mile march across the deserts and mountains of the 1840s American Southwest.

Biographies6 min read