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4,129 public-domain books, summarised. Page 78 of 87.
Bahaism and Its Claims: A Study of the Religion Promulgated by Baha Ullah and Abdul Baha
Samuel Graham Wilson
This polemical survey investigates the origins, theological claims, and internal history of a religious movement emerging from nineteenth-century Persia, challenging its self-presentation as a universal faith for the modern age. It acts as a critical counter-narrative, scrutinizing the movement's growth and its…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Jews in Great Britain: Being a Series of Six Lectures, Delivered in the Liverpool Collegiate Institution, on the Antiquities of the Jews in England
Moses Margoliouth
This historical survey recovers the experiences of England’s Jewish population from their early settlement through the definitive expulsion of 1290. It examines the shifting legal, religious, and economic status of a community living under the tenuous protection of the Crown.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 5, No. 5, May, 1864: Devoted To Literature And National Policy
Various
This collection offers a rare, panoramic view of American thought at a turning point in history, balancing urgent political advocacy with the quiet, earnest literary interests of the mid-nineteenth century.
U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1957 January - June
Library of Congress. Copyright Office
This formal register serves as a permanent record of the literary and intellectual property that authors and publishers sought to protect during the spring of 1957. It provides a fascinating, granular snapshot of mid-century American culture.
The Planet Strappers
Raymond Z. (Raymond Zinke) Gallun
The frontier of space is not a romantic destination but a vast, unforgiving void that demands the ultimate price from those who dare to claim it. This is a story of how ordinary people trade their humanity for the cold, dangerous promise of the stars.
The Playboy of the Western World: A Comedy in Three Acts
J. M. (John Millington) Synge
A cowardly drifter finds his voice and his courage when he wanders into a remote Irish village, only to discover that the price of becoming a local legend is far higher than he imagined. This play captures the volatile intersection of myth-making and reality, exposing how easily a community can fall in love with a…
How to make rugs
Candace Wheeler
Elevating the modest farmhouse rag rug from a utilitarian necessity to an object of deliberate artistic expression, this guide provides a blueprint for finding purpose through traditional craft. It frames domestic production as both a source of individual creative fulfillment and a vital path toward regional…
Joe Strong, the Boy Fish
Vance Barnum
A talented young circus performer risks his life to master the impossible, finding that true strength lies not in the spotlight, but in the quiet sacrifices made for those in need.
Lady Cadogan's Illustrated Games of Solitaire or Patience: New Revised Edition, including American Games
Cadogan, Adelaide, Lady
This collection of card games serves as a rigorous, Victorian-era manual for the solitary player, detailing the mechanics of patience games that range from the elegant to the maddeningly complex. It provides a structured lexicon for the enthusiast, transforming a pack of cards from a simple pastime into a precise,…
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D
Clara Erskine Clement Waters
This historical survey catalogs the lives and professional achievements of female painters and sculptors across centuries, documenting their struggles for recognition and their significant contributions to the fine arts.
Is Tomorrow Hitler's? 200 Questions on the Battle of Mankind
H. R. (Hubert Renfro) Knickerbocker
A sharp, urgent interrogation of the global crisis in 1941, this work challenges American isolationism by dissecting the mechanics of Nazi power and the necessity of direct intervention.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Forty-Second Annual Meeting: Urbana, Illinois, August 28, 29 and 30, 1951
Unknown
This record documents the collective wisdom of mid-century horticulturists, detailing the technical challenges and persistent joys of cultivating nut trees in the American Midwest. It captures a specific moment when professional science met amateur passion in the field.