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4,129 public-domain books, summarised. Page 81 of 87.

Cover of Atmosphere

Atmosphere

Murray Leinster

In a remote Hawaiian outpost, a stifling atmosphere of isolation and psychological dread drives a cowardly white settler to commit a monstrous betrayal.

Short Stories5 min read
Cover of The Minstrel

The Minstrel

James Beattie

A young mountain shepherd wanders through rugged landscapes and traditional folklore, discovering how nature, solitary reflection, and philosophical wisdom gradually transform a sensitive rustic youth into an inspired poet.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The Oera Linda Book, from a Manuscript of the Thirteenth Century

The Oera Linda Book, from a Manuscript of the Thirteenth Century

J. G. (Jan Gerhardus) Ottema

A sweeping, mythic history presents the early Frisians as the original standard-bearers of freedom, governed by wise matriarchs and guided by simple monotheism before being fractured by foreign corruptions, war, and internal betrayals.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of The Poems of Felicia Hemans

The Poems of Felicia Hemans

Mrs. Hemans

Across sweeping historical battlefields, ruined ancient sanctuaries, and quiet domestic hearths, human devotion is tested against the destructive forces of exile, war, time, and inevitable loss.

British Literature12 min read
Cover of The schoolmistress, and other stories

The schoolmistress, and other stories

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

Quiet tragedies and sudden revelations unfold across the Russian landscape, capturing ordinary lives caught in the web of fate, isolation, and regret.

Russian Literature7 min read
Cover of The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 16

The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 16

Robert Louis Stevenson

A grandfather constructs lighthouses on treacherous reefs, while his literary descendant constructs prose from memories, moral reflections, and late-life prayers. Together, they trace an enduring lineage of labor, art, and human duty.

Biographies9 min read
Cover of A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies

A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies

Bartolomé de las Casas

An eye-witness account of Spanish conquest exposes how boundless European avarice reduced flourishing New World civilizations to desolate, ash-strewn wildernesses.

History - American5 min read
Cover of The Great Illusion: A Study of the Relation of Military Power to National Advantage

The Great Illusion: A Study of the Relation of Military Power to National Advantage

Norman Angell

A fatal error traps modern nations: the belief that military might secures economic success, territorial expansion enriches a populace, and war remains an inescapable necessity of human nature.

Economics6 min read
Cover of The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.: From the Accession of George III. to the Twenty-Third Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria

The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.: From the Accession of George III. to the Twenty-Third Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria

Edward Farr

A centuries-long march from absolute royal power to parliamentary supremacy reaches its climax as a global empire wrestles with freedom, industrial expansion, and the fragile mechanics of constitutional rule.

History - British10 min read
Cover of Rambles and Recollections of an Indian Official

Rambles and Recollections of an Indian Official

Sleeman, W. H. (William Henry), Sir

A journey across nineteenth-century India becomes a canvas for observing human nature, administrative justice, and the deep cultural currents of a changing land.

History - Other10 min read
Cover of The Autobiography of Goethe: Truth and Poetry: From My Own Life

The Autobiography of Goethe: Truth and Poetry: From My Own Life

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

A restless, artistic spirit searches for truth across the shifting landscapes of eighteenth-century Germany, transforming the frictions of youth and love into enduring art.

Biographies10 min read
Cover of The Servile State

The Servile State

Hilaire Belloc

When a society exchanges its property rights for a state-guaranteed living, it trades legal freedom for a quiet, modern return to servitude.

Economics6 min read
Cover of Tom Brown's School Days

Tom Brown's School Days

Thomas Hughes

A boy's rugged journey through an English public school captures the raw trial of growing up, where playground brawls, deep friendships, and quiet moral awakenings shape a reckless youth into a grounded man.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Reports of Trials for Murder by Poisoning;: by Prussic Acid, Strychnia, Antimony, Arsenic, and Aconita. Including the trials of Tawell, W. Palmer, Dove, Madeline Smith, Dr. Pritchard, Smethurst, and Dr. Lamson, with chemical introduction and notes on the poisons used

Reports of Trials for Murder by Poisoning;: by Prussic Acid, Strychnia, Antimony, Arsenic, and Aconita. Including the trials of Tawell, W. Palmer, Dove, Madeline Smith, Dr. Pritchard, Smethurst, and Dr. Lamson, with chemical introduction and notes on the poisons used

G. Lathom (George Lathom) Browne

Victorian courtroom drama meets the birth of forensic science in a meticulous survey of nineteenth-century murder trials by poison. Here, pioneering expert testimony and chemical analysis clash directly with devious criminal schemes.

Law & Criminology13 min read
Cover of Antony and Cleopatra

Antony and Cleopatra

William Shakespeare

A colossal military leader abandons political duty for an intoxicating, volatile romance in Egypt, sparking a global civil war that shatters an empire.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of In Direst Peril

In Direst Peril

David Christie Murray

An honorable man robs the woman he adores of forty thousand pounds, breaking straight into her home to secure her fortune—and wins her hand in marriage by the deed.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Lectures in Navigation

Lectures in Navigation

Ernest Gallaudet Draper

Navigating open water requires transforming raw observations of sun and stars into precise mathematical position lines on a chart. Written for wartime naval recruits, this manual teaches the art and science of guiding a ship safely home.

Engineering & Technology7 min read
Cover of A century of English essays

A century of English essays

Unknown

Centuries of English thought unfold through a choir of distinct voices, mapping the quiet shifts of daily life, human frailty, and spiritual wonder.

British Literature9 min read
Cover of The Memoirs of François René Vicomte de Chateaubriand sometime Ambassador to England, Volume 1 (of 6): Mémoires d'outre-tombe, volume 1

The Memoirs of François René Vicomte de Chateaubriand sometime Ambassador to England, Volume 1 (of 6): Mémoires d'outre-tombe, volume 1

Chateaubriand, François-René, vicomte de

Born into the cold stone of a Breton castle, an aristocratic dreamer grows up amidst family melancholy, witnesses the violent shattering of old France, and wanders across the Atlantic in search of freedom and raw wilderness.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Eureka: A Prose Poem

Eureka: A Prose Poem

Edgar Allan Poe

A bold cosmological treatise attempts to explain the entire material and spiritual universe using a single underlying principle: that all matter originated from absolute unity and must eventually collapse back into that same solitary state.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of Readings on Fascism and National Socialism: Selected by members of the department of philosophy, University of Colorado

Readings on Fascism and National Socialism: Selected by members of the department of philosophy, University of Colorado

Various

Totalitarian doctrines build their power not merely through force, but by demanding that the individual submit entirely to an all-encompassing state and a biologically defined collective.

History - Modern (1750+)7 min read
Cover of Old Indian trails

Old Indian trails

Walter McClintock

A young forest surveyor ventures into the Rocky Mountains of Montana and finds himself adopted into the Blackfoot tribe. There he records a vanishing way of life centered around sacred ceremonies, wilderness survival, and deep spiritual communion with nature.

Archaeology & Anthropology7 min read
Cover of Philosophy of Osteopathy

Philosophy of Osteopathy

A. T. (Andrew Taylor) Still

An intricate machine made by a divine architect requires no chemical additives, only a skilled mechanic to realign its bones, unblock its pathways, and let its natural fluids flow.

Health & Medicine6 min read
Cover of The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume IV

The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume IV

Unknown

A sweeping chronicle documents the grueling, multi-decade campaign for American women's political equality, detailing legislative battles, constitutional debates, and state-by-state struggles from 1883 through 1900.

Gender & Sexuality Studies11 min read
Cover of The tale of Jasper Jay

The tale of Jasper Jay

Arthur Scott Bailey

A loud, blue-feathered rogue spends his days terrorizing the local wildlife of Pleasant Valley until the forest's smaller, cleverer inhabitants band together to turn his own bluster right back against him.

Children & Young Adult Reading7 min read
Cover of Les Misérables, v. 1/5: Fantine

Les Misérables, v. 1/5: Fantine

Victor Hugo

An ex-convict redeems his soul through supreme self-sacrifice, clashing with an unyielding inspector while striving to save a motherless child from grinding poverty and cruel guardians.

French Literature5 min read
Cover of The quest of the historical Jesus

The quest of the historical Jesus

Albert Schweitzer

For two centuries, brilliant thinkers tried to strip away dogma and find the actual man of Nazareth, only to discover that every generation merely constructed a savior in its own image.

History - Religious11 min read
Cover of A History of Sea Power

A History of Sea Power

William Oliver Stevens

Nations rise and fall on the tide of maritime dominance, where strategic discipline and naval tactics shape the course of global civilization across millennia.

History - Ancient7 min read
Cover of Illustrations of Shakspeare, and of Ancient Manners:: with Dissertations on the Clowns and Fools of Shakspeare

Illustrations of Shakspeare, and of Ancient Manners:: with Dissertations on the Clowns and Fools of Shakspeare

Francis Douce

Unearthing the forgotten customs, linguistic eccentricities, and folklore behind Early Modern drama, an antiquarian meticulously decodes the lost world that shaped Shakespeare's plays and popular entertainments.

British Literature11 min read
Cover of The Law of Civilization and Decay: An Essay on History

The Law of Civilization and Decay: An Essay on History

Brooks Adams

A law of nature drives human societies through a predictable cycle, swinging from emotional, imaginative energy to cold, concentrated economic consolidation.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of The Substance of a Dream

The Substance of a Dream

F. W. (Francis William) Bain

Ensnared by a vivid dream of a peerless beauty, a wandering prince renounces his birthright to pursue an elusive star, only to find that his dream made him a helpless pawn in a cruel game.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Three translations of the Koran (Al-Qur'an) side by side

Three translations of the Koran (Al-Qur'an) side by side

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Three distinct English translations presented side by side reveal how subtle variations in vocabulary, cadence, and phrasing illuminate the theological depth, moral imperatives, and narrative power of Islam's foundational sacred text.

Religion/Spirituality10 min read
Cover of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "Crocoite" to "Cuba": Volume 7, Slice 7

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "Crocoite" to "Cuba": Volume 7, Slice 7

Various

A sweeping survey of knowledge spans the spectrum of human inquiry, moving seamlessly from the strategic maneuvers of seventeenth-century commanders and medieval holy wars to the geometric symmetries of natural crystals and tropical topographies.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference10 min read
Cover of Snakes: Curiosities and Wonders of Serpent Life

Snakes: Curiosities and Wonders of Serpent Life

Catherine Cooper Hopley

A comprehensive examination of serpentine anatomy, behavior, and folklore dismantling centuries of fear through painstaking observation and scientific evidence.

Nature/Gardening/Animals8 min read
Cover of The electric bath

The electric bath

George M. Schweig

A physician steps into uncharted medical territory, attempting to harness electricity dissolved in water to heal the human body.

Drugs/Alcohol/Pharmacology6 min read
Cover of The Eyes of Asia

The Eyes of Asia

Rudyard Kipling

Letters sent home by Indian soldiers fighting in France during World War I reveal a profound, transforming encounter between Eastern traditions and Western modernity.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of The matrimonial bureau

The matrimonial bureau

Carolyn Wells

When an romantic spinster decides to manipulate the marital destinies of three younger friends in her quiet New York village, her well-meaning schemes trigger a summer of chaotic mix-ups, mistaken identities, and unexpected unions.

Romance7 min read
Cover of English Caricaturists and Graphic Humourists of the Nineteenth Century.: How they Illustrated and Interpreted their Times

English Caricaturists and Graphic Humourists of the Nineteenth Century.: How they Illustrated and Interpreted their Times

Graham Everitt

A panoramic tour of nineteenth-century British society, this volume examines how the sharp pens and etched plates of iconic graphic humorists captured the shifting political landscape, scandals, and eccentricities of a transformative era.

Art7 min read
Cover of Frederick Chopin, as a Man and Musician

Frederick Chopin, as a Man and Musician

Frederick Niecks

A frail youth leaves the bustling, troubled streets of Warsaw behind, embarking on a turbulent path that reshapes romantic pianism across the salons and concert halls of Europe.

Biographies12 min read
Cover of The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Ebert to Estremadura: Volume 4, Part 2

The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Ebert to Estremadura: Volume 4, Part 2

Various

This comprehensive reference work captures human knowledge at a transformative historical moment, mapping the world's geography, sciences, and history through thousands of precise entries.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference5 min read
Cover of Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

United States. Warren Commission

An exhaustive official investigation reconstructs a national tragedy through forensic ballistics, witness testimonies, and psychological profiles. It transforms chaotic public trauma into a meticulous record of evidence, conspiracy analysis, and administrative self-scrutiny.

History - American12 min read
Cover of Spiritual Torrents

Spiritual Torrents

Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon

A soul seeking union with the Divine must pass through total stripping, internal death, and abandonment before it can be swept into the infinite sea of God.

Religion/Spirituality6 min read
Cover of Stories from the Pentamerone

Stories from the Pentamerone

Giambattista Basile

A princess who cannot laugh sets in motion a sprawling cycle of Neapolitan fairy tales, where foolish sons find fortune in broken statues and princes fall in love with magical maidens.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of The Home Book of Verse

The Home Book of Verse

Burton Egbert Stevenson

A sweeping arc of human life moves from infancy's innocent lullabies and nursery play through romantic partings, aging's quiet griefs, and the final look back at lost youth.

Poetry7 min read
Cover of The Principles of Masonic Law: A Treatise on the Constitutional Laws, Usages and Landmarks of Freemasonry

The Principles of Masonic Law: A Treatise on the Constitutional Laws, Usages and Landmarks of Freemasonry

Albert Gallatin Mackey

A system of ancient custom and written rule governs the inner workings of a worldwide brotherhood.

Law & Criminology7 min read
Cover of Bathe your bearings in blood!

Bathe your bearings in blood!

Clifford D. Simak

A quiet small-town journalist discovers that the world's machinery has suddenly gained self-awareness, placing him on the front lines of an invisible alien invasion.

Science-Fiction & Fantasy6 min read
Cover of Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook

Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook

Maria Montessori

By honoring a child’s instinctive drive for order and self-mastery through sensory engagement, true education unlocks an inner spirit ready to unfold.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of Elements of Chemistry,: In a New Systematic Order, Containing all the Modern Discoveries

Elements of Chemistry,: In a New Systematic Order, Containing all the Modern Discoveries

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier

By replacing ancient alchemy with rigorous mass balance and precise pneumatic experimentation, a foundational text transforms chemistry into a true quantitative science.

Science - Chemistry/Biochemistry7 min read
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