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47,382 public-domain books, summarised. Page 77 of 988.

Cover of Lectures on the Science of Language

Lectures on the Science of Language

F. Max (Friedrich Max) Müller

Language is a natural, evolving organism rather than a static invention of human artifice. These lectures provide a foundational framework for understanding how words grow, branch, and reveal the history of the human intellect.

Language & Communication6 min read
Cover of The Continental Monthly, Vol. 6, No 4, August, 1864: Devoted To Literature And National Policy

The Continental Monthly, Vol. 6, No 4, August, 1864: Devoted To Literature And National Policy

Various

This mid-nineteenth-century periodical serves as a vibrant, immediate record of a nation in the throes of civil war, blending urgent political commentary with the literary sensibilities of its time. It acts as both a battlefield dispatch and a reflection on the soul of a democracy.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The tale of Grumpy Weasel

The tale of Grumpy Weasel

Arthur Scott Bailey

Grumpy Weasel is a tale of a notoriously ill-tempered, slender rascal whose attempts to bully and outwit his neighbors in Pleasant Valley lead to a series of comedic, often narrow, escapes.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Can Such Things Be?

Can Such Things Be?

Ambrose Bierce

This collection explores the thin, terrifying veil between the rational world and the supernatural, where human obsession often invites the very haunting it seeks to escape.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of Magic, Stage Illusions and Scientific Diversions, Including Trick Photography

Magic, Stage Illusions and Scientific Diversions, Including Trick Photography

Albert A. (Albert Allis) Hopkins

The secrets of the stage are rarely found in the performance itself, but in the gears, mirrors, and hidden mechanisms that manufacture wonder for a captivated audience.

Art7 min read
Cover of The history of steam navigation

The history of steam navigation

John Kennedy

The evolution of the steamship represents one of the most transformative leaps in human industry and global travel. This work tracks the relentless ingenuity that bridged the divide between sail and engine.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of The Secrets of the Self (Asrar-i Khudi)

The Secrets of the Self (Asrar-i Khudi)

Iqbal, Muhammad, Sir

A philosophical manifesto in verse, this work serves as an urgent summons for the individual to cast off passivity and forge a powerful, self-directed identity. By blending theological rigor with a call to worldly action, it argues that true greatness—both for the person and the community—is found in the courageous…

Philosophy & Ethics6 min read
Cover of The Tales of Mother Goose: As First Collected by Charles Perrault in 1696

The Tales of Mother Goose: As First Collected by Charles Perrault in 1696

Charles Perrault

These foundational French fairy tales capture the archetypal struggle between virtue and vice, embedding moral lessons within a landscape of wonder that has captivated readers for over three centuries. They serve as an enduring mirror for the anxieties and aspirations of both children and the adults who guide them.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Shawn of Skarrow

Shawn of Skarrow

James Tandy Ellis

This narrative follows the coming-of-age of a young man in rural Kentucky, tracking his journey from a river-bound childhood to a life defined by professional purpose and the enduring bonds of his home community.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Table Talk: Essays on Men and Manners

Table Talk: Essays on Men and Manners

William Hazlitt

These essays serve as a masterclass in the art of thinking aloud, capturing the fleeting sparks of human observation with the steady, unpretentious hand of a seasoned conversationalist. They turn the mundane details of daily life into profound meditations on the nature of character, ambition, and the quiet dignity…

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 01 to 05

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 01 to 05

Mark Twain

This is the story of a boy caught between the suffocating expectations of "civilized" society and the violent, inescapable gravity of his own past. It is a work of wit, rebellion, and profound unease.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of The gunsmith's manual

The gunsmith's manual

J. Parish (James Parish) Stelle

A technical guide for the nineteenth-century artisan, this compendium offers an exhaustive look at the mechanics, maintenance, and fabrication of the firearms that defined an era of rapid industrial transition.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of News from Nowhere

News from Nowhere

William Morris

A weary man falls asleep in a gray, industrial London and wakes to find his city transformed into an agrarian paradise where labor is a joy, property is a forgotten concept, and fellowship has replaced the law.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Golden Asse

The Golden Asse

Apuleius

A young man’s obsession with the dark arts transforms him into a beast, forcing him to endure a long, humiliating odyssey before he can find redemption through divine intervention.

Classics of Literature5 min read
Cover of The Peterkin Papers

The Peterkin Papers

Lucretia P. (Lucretia Peabody) Hale

The Peterkins are a well-meaning family who possess every virtue except a grain of common sense, turning the most trivial daily tasks into monumental, hilarious disasters. They are the ultimate masters of the complicated solution to the simple problem.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast

Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont

A young woman’s unwavering kindness transforms a monstrous recluse into a prince, proving that inner character far outweighs surface beauty. This enduring fairy tale explores the moral triumph of generosity over vanity.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of The Divine Comedy by Dante, Illustrated, Purgatory, Complete

The Divine Comedy by Dante, Illustrated, Purgatory, Complete

Dante Alighieri

Emerging from the shadows of hell, a traveler begins the arduous climb up a mountain of repentance, seeking to wash away his sins and find his way back to the light.

Classics of Literature6 min read
Cover of Love, and Other Stories

Love, and Other Stories

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

A collection of brief, resonant sketches, these stories capture the quiet absurdity of human existence, where profound longings and petty social anxieties collide under the vast, uncaring Russian sky.

Russian Literature6 min read
Cover of The Writings of Thomas Paine

The Writings of Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine

A foundational defense of republican governance, this work argues that sovereignty resides inherently in the people rather than in hereditary institutions. It remains a cornerstone of political philosophy for its clarity, moral urgency, and vision of a society organized by reason.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of Songs Of The Road

Songs Of The Road

Arthur Conan Doyle

The hillocks define the hills and the rills define the rivers, just as small verses give shape to the larger themes of a life.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis

A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis

Melvin Powers

Hypnosis is a skill rather than a magic spell, offering a practical, accessible bridge between the conscious mind and the hidden potential of the subconscious.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of Cobwebs from a Library Corner

Cobwebs from a Library Corner

John Kendrick Bangs

The life of the mind is often a messy, humorous business, best navigated with a sharp wit and a healthy dose of self-deprecation. This collection of verse serves as a gentle, satirical map of the literary landscape at the turn of the twentieth century.

Humour6 min read
Cover of Colonial facts and fictions: Humorous sketches

Colonial facts and fictions: Humorous sketches

John Milne

The wandering observer finds more truth in a half-remembered anecdote than a dry ledger of facts. This lighthearted collection of travel sketches captures the idiosyncrasies of colonial life with wit, skepticism, and a sharp eye for the absurd.

Humour5 min read
Cover of The Boy Patriot

The Boy Patriot

Edward Sylvester Ellis

Blair Robertson, a young patriot in a coastal Maine town, finds his devotion to country tested when he is abducted by a British man-of-war and forced to confront the harsh realities of war and morality.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Continental Monthly, Vol. 3, No. 1 January 1863: Devoted To Literature And National Policy

The Continental Monthly, Vol. 3, No. 1 January 1863: Devoted To Literature And National Policy

Various

This collection serves as a vital historical window into the mid-Civil War era, blending urgent political advocacy with the cultural preoccupations of 1863. It offers a unique synthesis of journalism, fiction, and scholarly analysis that defines the intellectual climate of the Union during its greatest test.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of Looking Backward, 2000 to 1887

Looking Backward, 2000 to 1887

Edward Bellamy

A man wakes from a century-long slumber to find his native city transformed into a socialist paradise. He must reconcile his memories of a competitive, unequal past with a present defined by total collective harmony.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Categories

The Categories

Aristotle

Logic is the study of how we organize our thoughts, and this foundational text serves as the primary map for categorizing the very nature of existence. It proposes a fundamental system for classifying everything that can be said about the world, creating a framework that has informed Western philosophy for over two…

History - Ancient6 min read
Cover of How it Works: Dealing in simple language with steam, electricity, light, heat, sound, hydraulics, optics, etc., and with their applications to apparatus in common use

How it Works: Dealing in simple language with steam, electricity, light, heat, sound, hydraulics, optics, etc., and with their applications to apparatus in common use

Archibald Williams

This practical guide demystifies the mechanical wonders of the early twentieth century, translating complex engineering principles into clear, accessible language for the curious layperson. It serves as a foundational survey of the inventions that shaped the modern world.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of The Stones of Venice, Volume 1 (of 3)

The Stones of Venice, Volume 1 (of 3)

John Ruskin

A passionate argument for the moral significance of architecture, this foundational work asserts that the stones of a city are the living record of the character, faith, and vitality of the people who shaped them.

Architecture7 min read
Cover of Asser's Life of King Alfred

Asser's Life of King Alfred

John Asser

This foundational biography offers an intimate portrait of a ninth-century monarch, documenting his struggle to defend his realm against invading forces while cultivating a legacy of scholarship, religious reform, and enlightened governance.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Nero: Makers of History Series

Nero: Makers of History Series

Jacob Abbott

A fragile boy becomes the most powerful man on earth, only to find that absolute authority provides no shield against his own unraveling paranoia and the cycles of blood that defined his family.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Progress and Poverty, Volumes I and II: An Inquiry into the Cause of Industrial Depressions and of Increase of Want with Increase of Wealth

Progress and Poverty, Volumes I and II: An Inquiry into the Cause of Industrial Depressions and of Increase of Want with Increase of Wealth

Henry George

The enigma of persistent poverty amidst unprecedented industrial advancement finds a provocative, singular answer in this foundational work of nineteenth-century political economy. By challenging the orthodox belief that wages are drawn from capital, the text proposes a radical restructuring of society centered on…

Economics8 min read
Cover of Separation and Service

Separation and Service

James Hudson Taylor

A profound reflection on the biblical laws of consecration, transforming dry liturgical ritual into an intimate, living experience of divine love and personal devotion.

Religion/Spirituality6 min read
Cover of The Bet, and other stories

The Bet, and other stories

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

The human spirit is a fragile vessel, often cracking under the weight of its own unspoken desires, intellectual pride, and the relentless, creeping indifference of time. These stories map the geography of that internal collapse.

Russian Literature6 min read
Cover of The immoralist

The immoralist

André Gide

The journey toward self-discovery often demands the destruction of everything one holds dear. In this stark narrative, a man’s recovery from a brush with death triggers an insatiable, reckless hunger to experience life in its most primal, unfiltered state.

Novels6 min read
Cover of True Stories of Wonderful Deeds: Pictures and Stories for Little Folk

True Stories of Wonderful Deeds: Pictures and Stories for Little Folk

Anonymous

Great deeds of history and legend come to life in these brisk accounts of heroes, queens, and pioneers who shaped the past through courage and sacrifice.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of VC — A Chronicle of Castle Barfield and of the Crimea

VC — A Chronicle of Castle Barfield and of the Crimea

David Christie Murray

A young man’s quest for redemption on the battlefields of the Crimea forces a reckoning with his father’s dark secrets and the shifting nature of honor. This sweeping narrative captures the collision between personal integrity and the harsh realities of Victorian-era warfare.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The London pleasure gardens of the eighteenth century

The London pleasure gardens of the eighteenth century

Warwick William Wroth

London once hummed with the music of open-air orchestras and the clatter of teacups, as thousands flocked to pleasure gardens that have since vanished into the city’s brick and mortar. These once-vibrant retreats, now largely forgotten, offer a window into the leisure and social habits of a bygone era.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Double jeopardy

Double jeopardy

Martin M. Goldsmith

A man is convicted and imprisoned for a murder he did not commit, only to find himself legally untouchable when he actually kills the person he was accused of slaying years prior.

History - Warfare5 min read
Cover of Indian Palmistry

Indian Palmistry

Dale, J. B., Mrs.

The human hand serves as a map of destiny, where every line and marking reveals a secret history of character, fortune, and potential. This guide bridges ancient Eastern wisdom with Western tradition to decode the silent language of the palm.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern

Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern

Unknown

A vast, panoramic gateway into the literary history of the world, this collection preserves the voices of ancient myth, classic drama, and foundational philosophy. It functions as a curated bridge between the forgotten wisdom of antiquity and the evolving landscape of modern thought.

Classics of Literature7 min read
Cover of Selected Poems

Selected Poems

Robert Frost

This collection captures the quiet, persistent tension between a person’s need for home and the urge to lose themselves in the vast, indifferent wild. It is a portrait of rural life that finds profound human truths hidden in the mundane rituals of farming, mending, and waiting.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of American Prisoners of the Revolution

American Prisoners of the Revolution

Danske Dandridge

The suffering of American prisoners during the Revolutionary War remains a harrowing, often overlooked chapter of history, marked by the systematic cruelty of British captors and the desperate, quiet defiance of those they held.

History - American6 min read
Cover of Selections from the Speeches and Writings of Edmund Burke

Selections from the Speeches and Writings of Edmund Burke

Edmund Burke

A profound intellect examines the precarious balance between tradition and progress, arguing that the stability of a nation relies on the preservation of its foundational institutions against the volatile impulses of revolutionary fervor.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of The New Morning: Poems

The New Morning: Poems

Alfred Noyes

In a world fractured by the shadow of the First World War, these verses serve as a steadying beacon, tracing a path from the immediate, visceral pain of the front lines toward a resilient, enduring hope.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle

The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle

Beatrix Potter

A young girl’s search for her missing laundry leads her to a hidden, magical world where the local woodland animals keep their wardrobes in perfect order.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of American Indian Stories

American Indian Stories

Zitkala-Sa

Through a blend of memoir, folklore, and sharp political critique, a Native American woman recounts the loss of her cultural identity and the subsequent struggle to navigate a world hostile to her heritage.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Five Little Friends

Five Little Friends

Sherred Willcox Adams

Five children navigate the joys of school and the adventures of summer vacation, learning the value of kindness and community along the way.

Children & Young Adult Reading5 min read