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44,127 public-domain books, summarised. Page 773 of 920.

Cover of Songs of the shining way

Songs of the shining way

Sarah Noble Ives

The boundaries between reality and imagination blur as three children transform their mundane domestic surroundings into a vast, magical landscape. A simple backyard becomes a gateway to the extraordinary, where every mundane object is a vessel for wonder.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The 20-Mule-Team brigade

The 20-Mule-Team brigade

Pacific Coast Borax Company

This inventive piece of early twentieth-century advertising literature transforms a commercial product into a heroic, anthropomorphic legend. It chronicles the whimsical domestic crusades of a military-minded brigade of mules armed with cleaning powder.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Amazing Years

The Amazing Years

W. Pett (William Pett) Ridge

The home front transforms as the First World War ripples through a respectable London family, forcing its members to shed their rigid class assumptions and find resilience in an age of uncertainty.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The American Missionary

The American Missionary

Various

This collection of periodic reports serves as an urgent, mid-19th-century chronicle of the American Missionary Association’s efforts to educate and evangelize the marginalized across the United States. It documents a pivotal era of social transition through the lens of faith, administrative necessity, and…

History - American6 min read
Cover of The Andalusian Knitting and Netting Book

The Andalusian Knitting and Netting Book

Eléonore Riego de la Branchardière

This practical compendium preserves the mid-Victorian art of domestic textile craft, offering precise instructions for creating everything from elegant apparel to functional household accessories through knitting and netting.

Fashion6 min read
Cover of The Bush Fire, and Other Verses

The Bush Fire, and Other Verses

Ida Lee

The vast, sun-drenched Australian bush serves as both a cradle and a crucible, testing the mettle of those who seek to master its unforgiving landscape. These verses capture the spirit of a frontier where nature’s beauty and its terrifying power are inextricably linked.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of The Cadets of Flemming Hall

The Cadets of Flemming Hall

Anna Chapin Ray

A classic turn-of-the-century portrait of schoolboy honor, rivalry, and growth within the structured, disciplined life of an American military academy.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Daughter of Virginia Dare

The Daughter of Virginia Dare

Mary Virginia Wall

A historical reimagining of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, this narrative bridges the mystery of the first English settlers with the legendary life of Pocahontas.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Dreadnought Boys' World Cruise

The Dreadnought Boys' World Cruise

John Henry Goldfrap

Two intrepid young sailors navigate a global naval expedition, confronting fires, volcanic hazards, and international misunderstandings with unwavering courage and quick-witted resourcefulness.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. XX. No. 1013, May 27, 1899

The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. XX. No. 1013, May 27, 1899

Various

This 1899 issue of a Victorian periodical offers a window into the structured, instructive, and morally earnest world of young women at the turn of the century. It serves as both a repository of contemporary fiction and a manual for domestic and personal conduct.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Hampstead mystery: a novel. Volume 1 (of 3)

The Hampstead mystery: a novel. Volume 1 (of 3)

Florence Marryat

A wealthy father’s rigid intolerance and a trusted family friend’s secret obsession collide, turning a young woman’s romantic elopement into a devastating tragedy. This dark Victorian domestic drama explores the lethal consequences of controlling those we claim to love.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The illustrious Dr. Mathéus

The illustrious Dr. Mathéus

Erckmann-Chatrian

The illustrious Dr. Mathéus is a gentle, eccentric philosopher who believes he is destined to reform the world through a new scientific doctrine, only to find the reality of travel and human nature far more complicated than his theories.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of The land of forgotten men

The land of forgotten men

Edison Marshall

In a remote, frozen corner of Alaska, a disgraced man finds anonymity and a chance at redemption, only to have his past collide with his present when his former wife arrives as a tourist.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The magazine of history with notes and queries, Vol. II, No. 4, October 1905

The magazine of history with notes and queries, Vol. II, No. 4, October 1905

Various

This collection of historical reports and primary source documents illuminates the fractured, often mythologized landscape of early American life and the Revolutionary struggle. It captures the granular reality of the young republic through a kaleidoscopic lens.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The Message and Mission of Quakerism

The Message and Mission of Quakerism

William C. (William Charles) Braithwaite

The message of Quakerism is a call to return to a vibrant, lived experience of the divine, moving beyond rigid traditions to embrace the transformative power of a direct relationship with God.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of The Norwich Road: An East Anglian Highway

The Norwich Road: An East Anglian Highway

Charles G. (Charles George) Harper

The open road to Norwich holds a century of echoes, tracing the path from the bustling heart of London through the pastoral quiet of East Anglia. It captures the rhythm of a journey once defined by coach wheels and now preserved in memory.

History - British6 min read
Cover of The place of the individual in society

The place of the individual in society

Emma Goldman

The individual stands as the ultimate reality against the crushing weight of institutional authority and the shifting sands of political ideology.

Philosophy & Ethics6 min read
Cover of The Power of Conscience, exemplified in the genuine and extraordinary confession of Thomas Bedworth: delivered to one of the principal officers of Newgate, the night before his execution on September 18, 1815, for the murder of Elizabeth Beesmore in Drury lane. Relating his horrible sufferings until compelled to surrender to public justice by the constant supernatural visitations of the murdered woman, and the frequent appearance of her apparition. From the original paper now in the possession of the publisher. Including interesting particulars of Bedworth's former life, his behaviour before execution, and an original and full report of the Common Serjeant's address on passing sentence

The Power of Conscience, exemplified in the genuine and extraordinary confession of Thomas Bedworth: delivered to one of the principal officers of Newgate, the night before his execution on September 18, 1815, for the murder of Elizabeth Beesmore in Drury lane. Relating his horrible sufferings until compelled to surrender to public justice by the constant supernatural visitations of the murdered woman, and the frequent appearance of her apparition. From the original paper now in the possession of the publisher. Including interesting particulars of Bedworth's former life, his behaviour before execution, and an original and full report of the Common Serjeant's address on passing sentence

Thomas Bedworth

This document preserves the final confession of an 18th-century tradesman turned murderer, tracing his descent from a life of military service and industry to a state of absolute moral and psychological ruin.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of The Raider

The Raider

Don Berry

The shadow of a revolution falls across the colonies, carried on the blade of a man who has lost his faith in the empire he once served.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The river Dove, with some quiet thoughts on the happy practice of angling

The river Dove, with some quiet thoughts on the happy practice of angling

John Lavicount Anderdon

A gentle, meditative tribute to the river Dove, this work invites readers to rediscover the quiet joys of angling while exploring the landscape and literary legacy of its most famous practitioners.

General6 min read
Cover of The southern literary messenger, Vol. I., No. 8, April, 1835

The southern literary messenger, Vol. I., No. 8, April, 1835

Various

This eighteenth-century-style miscellany captures the intellectual fervor of the American 1830s, weaving together philosophical essays, frontier sketches, and moralizing poetry into a singular, earnest portrait of a burgeoning national identity.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Strange Visitation

The Strange Visitation

Marie Corelli

A cautionary tale of a wealthy, heartless man confronted by his own moral decay on a stormy Christmas Eve, this narrative serves as a stark reminder of the spiritual emptiness inherent in unchecked greed.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Super Opener

The Super Opener

Michael Zuroy

A bullied engineer accidentally invents a device that defies physics, only to discover his breakthrough is merely a doorway to an interdimensional conflict he must resolve alone.

Novels5 min read
Cover of The Survey, Volume 30, Number 6, May 10, 1913

The Survey, Volume 30, Number 6, May 10, 1913

Various

This volume serves as a primary record of early twentieth-century American social reform, documenting the earnest, often urgent efforts of progressives to address labor, housing, and public health at the dawn of the Wilson administration.

Politics6 min read
Cover of The testing of Janice Day

The testing of Janice Day

Helen Beecher Long

A young woman navigates the shifting social currents and modern mechanical wonders of a quiet country town, finding that her own integrity is the most important engine of all.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Wishing Cap

The Wishing Cap

Mary Martha Sherwood

A young orphan refuses to join in a game of material desire, eventually teaching his worldly guardian that true contentment comes only from faith.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Try to remember!

Try to remember!

Frank Herbert

When an alien vessel lands and threatens Earth with destruction, humanity’s best minds realize that survival depends on transcending the limitations of human speech.

Science-Fiction & Fantasy6 min read
Cover of "Us, and our charge"

"Us, and our charge"

Amy Le Feuvre

The arrival of a sudden, sorrowful burden transforms a group of siblings from protected children into stewards of their own faith and courage. They must learn to "hold fast" to their convictions amidst the encroaching shadow of the Great War.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Willow the king

Willow the king

J. C. (John Collis) Snaith

A lighthearted, turn-of-the-century portrait of English village life where a high-stakes cricket match serves as the backdrop for social maneuvering, youthful bravado, and a clumsy attempt at romance.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Young Man from Elsewhen

Young Man from Elsewhen

Sylvia Jacobs

A weary, elderly man on a train journey strikes an unlikely deal with a mysterious traveler, trading his crumbling health for two weeks of youthful vitality. This is a story about the weight of time and the desperate hunger for a final, vibrant act of living.

Science-Fiction & Fantasy6 min read
Cover of Young man with a trumpet

Young man with a trumpet

Frank Belknap Long

After humanity vanishes from the Earth, the remaining animals attempt to reclaim the cultural legacy of their creators. This fable explores the nature of art, genius, and the persistence of beauty in a world left behind.

Science-Fiction & Fantasy6 min read
Cover of Youth, Vol. I, No. 4, June 1902: An Illustrated Monthly Journal for Boys & Girls

Youth, Vol. I, No. 4, June 1902: An Illustrated Monthly Journal for Boys & Girls

Various

This vintage journal captures the turn-of-the-century spirit through a curated blend of adventure serials, nature observations, and earnest moral instruction designed to shape the character of young readers.

Children & Young Adult Reading5 min read
Cover of A boke made by John Fryth, prysoner in the Tower of London: answerynge unto M. Mores letter, which he wrote agaynst the fyrste lytle treatyse that John Fryth made, concernynge the sacramente of the body and bloude of Christ

A boke made by John Fryth, prysoner in the Tower of London: answerynge unto M. Mores letter, which he wrote agaynst the fyrste lytle treatyse that John Fryth made, concernynge the sacramente of the body and bloude of Christ

John Frith

Trapped in the Tower of London while awaiting execution, a condemned reformer fiercely defends his spiritual understanding of the sacrament against the sharp objections of a prominent adversary.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)7 min read
Cover of A Book of Old Ballads

A Book of Old Ballads

Unknown

These verses preserve the raw, vibrant pulse of English history, capturing legends of outlaws, kings, and commoners in language that still rings with the clarity of a bell.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of A Child's Primer of Natural History

A Child's Primer of Natural History

Oliver Herford

Playful, irreverent verse turns standard zoological facts into sharp satire, poking fun at Victorian morality, human vanity, and artistic limits through a series of delightfully nonsensical animal sketches.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of A master hand

A master hand

Richard Dallas

A man is accused of a murder he did not commit, while the true killer orchestrates his defense from the inside. This is a tale of how legal procedure and personal loyalty can collide to obscure the truth.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of "A Soldier Of The Empire"

"A Soldier Of The Empire"

Thomas Nelson Page

A battle-scarred veteran of Napoleon’s wars finds his loyalty to country and bloodline put to the ultimate test during the Franco-Prussian War. This short narrative captures the tragic dissonance between the romanticized glory of the past and the brutal, unsparing reality of modern conflict.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of Aaron Trow

Aaron Trow

Anthony Trollope

The tale centers on the desperate flight of an escaped convict through the treacherous, isolated landscape of Bermuda, where his path violently intersects with the lives of a young woman and her protector.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Address of President Roosevelt at Cairo, Illinois, October 3, 1907

Address of President Roosevelt at Cairo, Illinois, October 3, 1907

Theodore Roosevelt

Addressing a gathering in Cairo, Illinois, in 1907, the speaker confronts prevailing national pessimism, urging citizens to embrace sturdy hope, federal oversight of corporations, and a strong navy.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of An Essay to Shew the Cause of Electricity

An Essay to Shew the Cause of Electricity

John Freke

A surgeon’s urgent quest to define the invisible spark of life, this eighteenth-century meditation reimagines electricity not as a human invention, but as a primal, animating force flowing through the very air we breathe.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)7 min read
Cover of Another year with Denise and Ned Toodles

Another year with Denise and Ned Toodles

Gabrielle E. (Gabrielle Emilie) Jackson

An imaginative eleven-year-old girl, her spirited pony, and an unforgettable menagerie of loyal pets navigate childhood adventures, mischief, and gentle moral growth through the changing seasons of a quiet country town.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of Anthony Wayne, 1745-1796

Anthony Wayne, 1745-1796

Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County

Anthony Wayne’s fierce military career and controversial political life shaped the violent birth of the American republic and the bloody expansion of its frontier.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of As many as touched Him

As many as touched Him

Eglanton Thorne

When a country girl leaves home for an apprenticeship, a single moment of carelessness with a candle changes the course of her family's life forever.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Baby-Land

Baby-Land

Frink, Almira Louisa Corey, Mrs.

This collection of devotional poetry and lullabies frames the infancy of a child as a sacred, celestial trust, blending maternal devotion with a fervent, traditional Christian faith.

Children & Young Adult Reading5 min read
Cover of Bargain Basement

Bargain Basement

Charles L. Fontenay

A routine bargain hunting trip to a mysterious basement reveals an astonishing door to the future, triggering a temporal paradox of love, debt, and vanishing luxuries.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Battling the Bighorn

Battling the Bighorn

H. L. (Harry Lincoln) Sayler

Two enterprising teenagers take to the Canadian Rockies in a custom-built monoplane, trading grueling mountain climbs for aerial exploration in search of legendary big game.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Biscayne Bay, Dade Co., Florida, Between the 25th and 26th Degrees of Latitude.: A complete manual of information concerning the climate, soil, products, etc., of the lands bordering on Biscayne Bay, in Florida

Biscayne Bay, Dade Co., Florida, Between the 25th and 26th Degrees of Latitude.: A complete manual of information concerning the climate, soil, products, etc., of the lands bordering on Biscayne Bay, in Florida

Unknown

This 1876 publication serves as a promotional manual designed to attract settlers to the southern tip of Florida. It functions as a hybrid of geographical survey, health endorsement, and real estate prospectus, painting a picture of Biscayne Bay as an untapped Eden for those willing to endure the rigors of…

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of Boy: A Sketch

Boy: A Sketch

Marie Corelli

A fragile child receives only neglect and cruel whim from self-absorbed parents until a tender spinster offers him a lifeline that his family proudly and foolishly destroys.

British Literature6 min read