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44,127 public-domain books, summarised. Page 782 of 920.

Cover of The Sentimental Vikings

The Sentimental Vikings

R. V. (Richard Voorhees) Risley

These stories reimagine the Viking era not as a chronicle of mere pillage, but as a dreamlike, interior landscape of longing, sudden violence, and fading memories.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of The Sister Years (From "Twice Told Tales")

The Sister Years (From "Twice Told Tales")

Nathaniel Hawthorne

On the moonlit steps of a Salem municipal building at midnight, two personified sisters exchange final thoughts on the human condition before one vanishes forever into history and the other steps into the mortal world.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of The Sky Detectives

The Sky Detectives

Ambrose Newcomb

Soaring above the clouds in a trusty airplane, two fearless young operatives track a dangerous counterfeiting ring from the American South down into the rugged Mexican mountains.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Temptation of Samuel Burge: Captains All, Book 8

The Temptation of Samuel Burge: Captains All, Book 8

W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs

A self-proclaimed "converted burglar" seeks redemption by subjecting himself to the ultimate test of temptation, only to find that his host is far more terrified than he is pious.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Third Little Green Man

The Third Little Green Man

Damon Knight

Stranded on a miserable, sulfurous Venus, a hard-drinking mechanic finds his grip on reality tested when a succession of fourteen-inch green men pay him unexpected visits.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery7 min read
Cover of The Three Cities Trilogy: Paris, Volume 3

The Three Cities Trilogy: Paris, Volume 3

Émile Zola

A magnificent charity bazaar becomes the stage for bitter domestic strife and political intrigue as high society and desperate anarchists collide in late nineteenth-century Paris.

French Literature5 min read
Cover of The Toy Shop: A Romantic Story of Lincoln the Man

The Toy Shop: A Romantic Story of Lincoln the Man

Margarita Spalding Gerry

Burdened by the human cost of the Civil War, an anguished leader finds unexpected counsel and solace inside a humble neighborhood toy shop.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of The Trial of Reuben Crandall, M.D.: Charged with Publishing and Circulating Seditious and Incendiary Papers, &c. in the District of Columbia, with the Intent of Exciting Servile Insurrection. Carefully Reported, and Compiled from the Written Statements of the Court and the Counsel

The Trial of Reuben Crandall, M.D.: Charged with Publishing and Circulating Seditious and Incendiary Papers, &c. in the District of Columbia, with the Intent of Exciting Servile Insurrection. Carefully Reported, and Compiled from the Written Statements of the Court and the Counsel

Unknown

A Northern physician visits Washington, D.C., carrying private botanical samples and anti-slavery pamphlets, only to find himself arrested, targeted by a mob, and tried for inciting a violent slave rebellion.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The Tricks of the Town

The Tricks of the Town

Thomson, John, active 1732

Eighteenth-century London is a labyrinth of clever swindlers, where shopkeepers, watermen, and even household pets are mere pawns in an elaborate daily game of financial survival.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Twenty-Fourth of June: Midsummer's Day

The Twenty-Fourth of June: Midsummer's Day

Grace S. (Grace Smith) Richmond

A wealthy young man finds a new purpose after stumbling into a traditional family home, where he sheds his aimless habits to win the heart of a spirited teacher.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Young Engineers in Colorado

The Young Engineers in Colorado

H. Irving (Harrie Irving) Hancock

A high-altitude test of grit and professional pride in the Rocky Mountains.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Through Hell with Hiprah Hunt: A Series of Pictures and Notes of Travel Illustrating the Adventures of a Modern Dante in the Infernal Regions

Through Hell with Hiprah Hunt: A Series of Pictures and Notes of Travel Illustrating the Adventures of a Modern Dante in the Infernal Regions

Art Young

Convinced that eternal punishment remains a reality, an eccentric Dante scholar tumbles off a night train and embarks on a satirical six-week journey through a thoroughly modernized underworld.

Humour6 min read
Cover of Through the crater's rim

Through the crater's rim

A. Hyatt (Alpheus Hyatt) Verrill

An aviator's aerial discovery of a forbidden Central American city triggers a perilous expedition into a volcanic crater inhabited by a topsy-turvy, earless race and guarded by horrifying man-eating trees.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Vittoria

Vittoria

George Meredith

A young singer steps onto a dangerous revolutionary stage, binding her art to the fate of a divided Italy during the historic uprisings of 1848.

Historical Novels5 min read
Cover of Waltoniana: Inedited Remains in Verse and Prose of Izaak Walton

Waltoniana: Inedited Remains in Verse and Prose of Izaak Walton

Izaak Walton

An honest, unadorned legacy of a life well-lived, these scattered remains reveal the private heart of a man whose quiet devotion to friends and faith echoed far beyond his own century. This collection gathers the occasional prose, elegies, and personal documents of a writer best remembered for his contemplative…

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Weeds

Weeds

Pío Baroja

Drifting through the murky underworld of Madrid, a restless young man searches for purpose amidst bohemian dreams, crime, and disillusionment.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Who Was Paul Grayson?

Who Was Paul Grayson?

John Habberton

A quiet new boy arrives at a village school, hiding a heavy secret that eventually shatters the boys' romantic fantasies and tests their loyalties.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of With The Immortal Seventh Division

With The Immortal Seventh Division

Edmund John Kennedy

Stepping from a quiet English vicarage into the harrowing chaos of the First Battle of Ypres, a frontline chaplain records the staggering endurance of the British soldier.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Within the Golden Gate: A Souvenir of San Francisco Bay

Within the Golden Gate: A Souvenir of San Francisco Bay

Laura Ann Young Pinney

Fair skies and tranquil seas invite travelers through the Golden Gate to explore the historic shores, towering redwoods, and thriving cities of San Francisco Bay.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of Yachting wrinkles

Yachting wrinkles

A. J. (Ahmed John) Kenealy

A practical guide for the turn-of-the-century yachtsman, this manual navigates the intersection of seamanship, social etiquette, and the competitive drive of elite sailing. It offers a candid look at the technical and financial demands of the sport during the golden age of American and British yacht racing.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of A brief guide to the Food Collection

A brief guide to the Food Collection

Bethnal Green Museum

This guide invites Victorian-era readers to explore a scientific exhibition designed to demystify the chemical composition, origins, and proper nutrition of the food they consumed every day.

Nutrition6 min read
Cover of A Charmed Life

A Charmed Life

Richard Harding Davis

A young war correspondent leaves for the Spanish-American War armed with a playful vow: that his lover's devotion forms an invincible talisman shielding him from harm.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of A Check-List of the Birds of Idaho

A Check-List of the Birds of Idaho

M. Dale (Martin Dale) Arvey

This foundational survey assembles a comprehensive catalog of Idaho’s avian life, serving as the first systematic attempt to document the species inhabiting the state’s diverse desert, woodland, and mountain landscapes.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of A Collection of Gospel Hymns in Ojibway and English: Printed for International and Colportage Mission of Algoma and the North-west

A Collection of Gospel Hymns in Ojibway and English: Printed for International and Colportage Mission of Algoma and the North-west

Anonymous

This bilingual collection of sacred songs serves as a bridge between two cultures, offering familiar English devotional hymns alongside their direct counterparts in the Ojibway language. It stands as a historical artifact of mission work in the Algoma and North-west regions of Canada at the close of the 19th century.

Music6 min read
Cover of A Colored Man's Reminiscences of James Madison

A Colored Man's Reminiscences of James Madison

Paul Jennings

A firsthand account of life within the inner circle of the fourth American President, this memoir strips away the marble facade of history to reveal the human reality of a founding statesman.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of A Fool There Was

A Fool There Was

Porter Emerson Browne

A wealthy man is drawn into a destructive affair with a woman who consumes his soul and ruins his life. This dark tale chronicles the inevitable decay of a man who abandons his family to follow a siren.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of A Letter to A.H. Esq

A Letter to A.H. Esq

Unknown

The theater of the late seventeenth century stands at a crossroads, caught between the exuberant artistry of the Restoration stage and the rising moral fervor of a society demanding a more disciplined, pious public life.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of A Practical Discourse on Some Principles of Hymn-Singing

A Practical Discourse on Some Principles of Hymn-Singing

Robert Bridges

Music should not be a mere accessory to worship, but a dignified, purposeful, and carefully curated vehicle for religious emotion. This rigorous critique challenges the state of turn-of-the-century hymnody by demanding a return to the purity of melody.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of A Rebellious Heroine

A Rebellious Heroine

John Kendrick Bangs

An author finds his fictional creation has a mind of her own, leading to a battle of wills that blurs the line between the page and the person. This lighthearted satire on the creative process explores the struggle between an artist’s rigid plans and the unpredictable nature of his characters.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of A searchlight on Germany: Germany's Blunders, Crimes and Punishment

A searchlight on Germany: Germany's Blunders, Crimes and Punishment

William T. (William Temple) Hornaday

This work serves as a fervent, contemporary polemic intended to strip away any remaining American illusions regarding the character of the German Empire during the First World War. It argues that the war was not a tragic accident of diplomacy, but a calculated, brutal conquest by a nation that had surrendered its…

History - European7 min read
Cover of A Touch of E Flat

A Touch of E Flat

Joe Gibson

A bumbling, self-described "roly-poly" professor accidentally discovers a way to render anyone instantly unconscious with a silent, invisible ray. He soon finds himself caught between the desire to liberate society from violent crime and the crushing reality of human malice.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Airplane Boys Discover the Secrets of Cuzco

Airplane Boys Discover the Secrets of Cuzco

E. J. (Edith Janice) Craine

Two intrepid young pilots pilot their advanced new aircraft across the Americas, seeking justice, business success, and the mysterious history of the ancient Andes.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Alcyone

Alcyone

Archibald Lampman

The stars and the soul share a common vastness. Through a sequence of lyrical meditations, this collection explores the tension between the finite life of man and the infinite, enduring beauty of the natural world.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of Arm of the Law

Arm of the Law

Harry Harrison

In a lawless Mars outpost, a cynical, weary sergeant finds his mundane life upended when a high-tech experimental robot arrives to serve as his new partner.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Atom Drive

Atom Drive

Charles L. Fontenay

The atom-powered Radiant Hope races against a traditional rocket to break a monopoly on interplanetary trade. This underdog mission, dependent on revolutionary fuel-efficient technology and the wits of a seasoned captain, forces a daring collision of physics and corporate greed.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Baths and bathing

Baths and bathing

Various

Water is the primary instrument of health in this examination of hydrotherapy, exploring how the skin responds to heat, cold, and minerals through the lens of nineteenth-century science.

Health & Medicine6 min read
Cover of Books and Bookmen

Books and Bookmen

Ian Maclaren

The true book-lover is not defined by the size of a library, but by the intensity of the devotion felt for the volumes within. This meditation explores the habits, quirks, and profound consolations of the dedicated reader.

Essays, Letters & Speeches5 min read
Cover of Buccaneer of the Star Seas

Buccaneer of the Star Seas

Ed Earl Repp

A man cursed with eternal life haunts the star-seas, ruthlessly draining the youth of others to sustain his own hollow existence.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue on an Auto Tour

Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue on an Auto Tour

Laura Lee Hope

A pair of adventurous young siblings take to the open road in a customized motor van, turning an idyllic family vacation into an earnest, wide-ranging search for a neighbor's missing runaway boy.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of C.A. Coey's School of Motoring, 1424-26 Michigan Ave. Chicago

C.A. Coey's School of Motoring, 1424-26 Michigan Ave. Chicago

Charles Andrew Coey

This book serves as a foundational guide for early twentieth-century motoring, offering a professional curriculum for the aspiring chauffeur and automobile mechanic.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of Casa Grande Ruins Trail

Casa Grande Ruins Trail

Southwest Parks and Monuments Association

This guide offers an intimate look at the enduring stone remnants of an ancient civilization, inviting visitors to walk through the desert history of the American Southwest.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 736, February 2, 1878

Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 736, February 2, 1878

Various

This collection of nineteenth-century reportage and storytelling captures the Victorian intellectual appetite for everything from natural history to the art of the perfect practical joke. It stands as a vibrant, multifaceted snapshot of a society obsessed with cataloging the wonders of the world and preserving the…

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 742, March 16, 1878

Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 742, March 16, 1878

Various

This mid-Victorian periodical offers a wide-ranging survey of the intellectual and cultural landscape of 1878, blending historical biography, investigative observation, and reflective fiction. It serves as a time capsule, capturing the curiosity of a society fascinated by the intersection of art, social progress,…

Journalism/Media/Writing7 min read
Cover of Children of the Old Testament

Children of the Old Testament

Anonymous

An elder brother's coat of many colors stirs violent jealousy, leading to a betrayal that spans decades, kingdoms, and the miraculous survival of a scattered people.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Christmas Day

Christmas Day

Washington Irving

A journey into a secluded English manor reveals the enduring magic of tradition, where the frosty air of winter gives way to the warmth of communal celebration and the timeless spirit of the season.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Christmas stories

Christmas stories

Georgene Faulkner

HOOK A festive collection of tales and legends, this volume captures the wonder of the season through the eyes of children, magical beings, and ancient folklore.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Claude's Confession

Claude's Confession

Émile Zola

This raw, feverish account documents the psychological unraveling of a young man trapped in the squalor of Paris, where his idealistic search for love collapses into obsession, jealousy, and despair. It serves as a haunting, semi-autobiographical window into the formative burdens of an artist.

French Literature7 min read
Cover of Confessions of a Summer Colonist (from Literature and Life)

Confessions of a Summer Colonist (from Literature and Life)

William Dean Howells

The season is ending in the little summer settlement on the Down East coast, where the air grows sharper and the sense of the place’s peculiar charm becomes more poignant. A quiet observer lingers as the colony thins, reflecting on the transitory nature of this American idyll and the inevitable pull of the city.

American Literature6 min read