The whole shelf
All free summaries — page 815
46,038 public-domain books, summarised. Page 815 of 960.
Newshound
Stephen Marlowe
In a 22nd-century society where newspapers do not just report the news but manufacture it, a cynical journalist must navigate a lethal web of corporate intrigue to survive.
Notes and Queries, Number 216, December 17, 1853: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc
Various
This weekly Victorian miscellany serves as a collaborative clearinghouse for historical, linguistic, and antiquarian discovery. It functions as a nineteenth-century forum where scholars and curious laypeople trade knowledge to solve obscure intellectual puzzles.
Off-Hand Sketches, a Little Dashed with Humor
T. S. (Timothy Shay) Arthur
These tales of domestic folly and social pretense reveal the quiet ironies of mid-nineteenth-century life, where a misplaced word or a sudden financial crisis can expose the fragility of a reputation.
Philip: The Story of a Boy Violinist
Virginia C. Young
A young boy leaves the darkness of the coal mines to pursue a musical destiny, discovering that the true chords of life are struck through sacrifice, friendship, and the courage to face the inevitable.
Pottery decoration under the glaze
M. Louise (Mary Louise) McLaughlin
This manual serves as a foundational guide for the dedicated artisan, demystifying the complex, often unforgiving process of decorating pottery beneath a protective glaze. It is a practical testament to the beauty achievable through patience and technical discipline.
Presidential addresses and state papers, Volume 4 (of 7)
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt’s fourth volume of presidential addresses and state papers captures the energetic, moralizing, and deeply didactic tenor of his leadership at the height of his influence. It presents a portrait of a president who views his role as a teacher-in-chief, moving across the country to frame the…
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 98, June 28 1890
Various
London’s high society—a world of shifting allegiances and sudden, mysterious stars—is skewered here through biting satire and the sharp, observational wit of an era obsessed with its own vanity.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 104, May 6, 1893
Various
The pages of this Victorian periodical capture the fleeting pulse of London life, where political maneuvering, theatrical critiques, and street-corner humor collide in a single, crowded week. It is a snapshot of an empire at play and at odds, documented with biting wit and an observant eye.
Punchinello, Volume 2, No. 33, November 12, 1870
Various
This weekly periodical serves as a vibrant, satirical snapshot of American public life in 1870, blending sharp political commentary with relentless mockery of cultural trends, theater, and the era’s self-important "great men.
Quarterdeck and Fok'sle: Stories of the Sea
Molly Elliot Seawell
Two boys find their destinies on the high seas, navigating the rigid codes of the naval academy and the daring exploits of the Revolutionary War.
Race and nationality
Franz Boas
The persistent myth that human conflict is rooted in biological race serves only to mask the aggressive, often destructive ambitions of nationalism. By dismantling these pseudo-scientific claims, a more rational path toward global federation emerges.
Ralph Trulock's Christmas Roses
Annette Lyster
This is a story of a solitary, embittered man who finds redemption when two orphaned children arrive on his doorstep, unexpectedly transforming his grief into a life of shared purpose.
Seven Graded Sunday Schools: A Series of Practical Papers
Unknown
Late nineteenth-century Methodist educators faced a crisis of retention and order, discovering that traditional, single-room Sunday schools failed to keep maturing children engaged or systematically build Biblical literacy.
Sir Isaac Brock
Hugh S. (Hugh Sterling) Eayrs
A life of duty and daring, this account follows the soldier who anchored the defense of British North America during the pivotal years of the War of 1812.
Sketches from Memory (From "Mosses from an Old Manse")
Nathaniel Hawthorne
A wanderer journeys through the majestic notch of the White Mountains and across the dark waters of the Erie Canal, capturing the changing spirit of nineteenth-century New England.
Some Winter Days in Iowa
Frederick John Lazell
The quiet observation of the Iowa landscape during the final, frozen months of the year reveals a vibrant, living world beneath the snow. This meditation on winter’s stillness invites readers to look beyond the surface of the natural world to find profound, enduring beauty.
Stephen H. Branch's Alligator, Vol. 1 no. 05, May 22, 1858
Unknown
This is a feverish, idiosyncratic artifact of mid-19th-century New York—a chaotic political broadsheet that blends biting, partisan muckraking with earnest personal confession and wildly surreal anecdotes.
Summer Birds From the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Erwin E. Klaas
This focused ornithological survey chronicles the summer breeding and life cycles of birds inhabiting the Yucatan Peninsula, filling critical gaps in regional natural history. It serves as a vital record of mid-century biodiversity in a unique ecological crossroads.
Summer of Love
Joyce Kilmer
The poet kneels before his beloved, laying down a tribute of verse to celebrate a summer of love. He speaks of romance as a journey through fire, where the heart finds its true home in another’s eyes.
Ten Degrees Backward
Ellen Thorneycroft Fowler
A bachelor’s orderly, solitary life is upended when he falls in love with a woman half his age, only to discover that marriage is a far more complex negotiation than he ever imagined.
The American Missionary
Various
These pages chronicle the administrative rigor, theological convictions, and practical obstacles of late 19th-century home missionary work within the United States. It serves as both a ledger of faith and a record of social development.
The American Missionary
Various
A religious periodical documents the earnest, often difficult labor of spreading education and faith across post-Civil War America. It serves as a vital record of a nation struggling to reconcile its ideals with systemic inequality.
The authorized life of Marie C. Stopes
Aylmer Maude
A trailblazing scientist navigates the rigid gender norms of the early twentieth century to become a pioneer in birth control. This account captures the relentless intellectual drive of a woman who transformed her own personal struggles into a public crusade for reproductive autonomy.
The basket maker
Luther Weston Turner
The art of basket making is an ancient, honorable craft that bridges the gap between manual labor and artistic expression. It serves as a disciplined, meditative practice, demanding close attention to detail and the steady development of both motor control and aesthetic judgment.
The Berserker
Charles V. De Vet
The Berserker is a hard-edged adventure that follows an Earth operative stranded on an alien world, where he must navigate a labyrinth of political intrigue and lethal combat to close a trans-dimensional breach. It is a story of a man defined by violence and high-stakes survival, enduring because of its lean,…
The Boy Allies in the Balkan Campaign
Clair W. (Clair Wallace) Hayes
Two adventurous American youths navigate the treacherous front lines of the Balkan campaign, using wit and aerial daring to outmaneuver opposing forces during the Great War.
The Camp in the Snow
William Murray Graydon
The wild Maine woods provide a perilous backdrop for three young friends whose peaceful winter retreat is shattered by the arrival of desperate, duplicitous men. This brisk, century-old adventure follows the boys as they navigate the brutal cold and a mounting web of criminal intrigue.
The Christmas Bishop
Winifred Margaretta Kirkland
A humble, elderly bishop spends his final Christmas day attempting to bridge the emotional divides in his small city, discovering that the most profound impact of a life is often found in its perceived failures.
The Common Lot
Robert Herrick
This novel is a sobering, finely observed study of ambition and moral compromise in Gilded Age Chicago. It traces the professional and personal downfall of a young architect who trades his integrity for rapid, material success.
The Cosmic Derelict
John Broome
Hook A young, ambitious captain must outrun the clock to deliver a precious cargo, but his superstitious bo’sun is convinced the only way to survive the journey is to appease the ghosts of the stars.
The Countess Fanny
Marjorie Bowen
This atmospheric tale of obsession and isolation unfolds against the rugged, unforgiving backdrop of the Cornish coast. It is a brooding study of how a single, enigmatic visitor can unravel the fragile composure of a stagnant household.
The Drivers
Edward W. Ludwig
The highways of the future are not for transit; they are for survival. In this cold, high-speed vision of the coming century, young men must prove their worth through the lethal ritual of high-velocity driving.
The Fate of a Crown
L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum
HOOK A young American travels to Brazil to serve as a private secretary, only to be swept into a labyrinth of lethal political intrigue, secret vaults, and shifting loyalties.
The First Afghan War
Mowbray Morris
An ill-conceived attempt to secure India’s borders by installing a puppet king in Kabul leads to catastrophic military failure and a desperate, doomed retreat. This account traces the tragic arc of British intervention in Afghanistan during the nineteenth century.
The girl at Silver Thistle
Max Hale
A young woman living in the isolated desert proves her mettle when she saves a railroad magnate’s daughter from a scorpion sting, sparking an unlikely friendship and an unexpected adventure.
The Governor of Glave
Keith Laumer
The Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne (CDT) prides itself on protocol, but when a planetary government collapses, only the unorthodox survive. A seasoned diplomat finds that statecraft is best practiced with a cigar and a heavy hand.
The Homesteaders: A Novel of the Canadian West
Robert J. C. Stead
A stern pioneer farmer stakes his soul and family’s future on the promise of the Canadian West, only to find that the gold he seeks may cost him everything he truly loves.
The House in the Mist
Anna Katharine Green
A solitary traveler seeks refuge from a storm in a house of secrets, only to become an unwilling witness to a deadly inheritance.
The Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy (New Series, No. 46, January 1907)
Pennsylvania Prison Society
This collection documents a pivotal moment in American penal reform, capturing the transition from purely punitive incarceration toward a system theoretically focused on individual moral restoration and social rehabilitation.
The Last Rebel
Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler
A traveler wanders into a hidden Appalachian valley, only to find a Confederate officer still fighting the Civil War decades after the peace. This is a story of a man trapped by his own refusal to surrender.
The Loudwater Tragedy
T. W. (Thomas Wilkinson) Speight
A shadow from the past threatens to undo a young man’s future, driving him to uncover the truth behind a notorious, unsolved murder. In this intricate Victorian mystery, secrets are currency, and the guilty are not always who they seem.
The Master of Aberfeldie, Volume 2 (of 3)
James Grant
The Master of Aberfeldie follows the tangled destinies of two Scottish aristocratic families as they navigate the clashing demands of military duty, social expectation, and private, often illicit, passion. Spanning the quietude of ancestral estates and the blistering heat of the Egyptian desert, the narrative pits…
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 365, April 11, 1829
Various
This collection of weekly dispatches preserves a vivid snapshot of 1829, blending architectural history, social commentary, and the whimsical obsessions of a public eager for knowledge and entertainment.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 20, No. 566, September 15, 1832
Various
A patchwork of history, scientific oddities, dramatic dispatches, and quiet moral pursuits offers a captivating window into early nineteenth-century popular curiosity.
The missionary
Jesse F. (Jesse Franklin) Bone
HOOK A captive, bound by religious dogma, is held by an immortal man he believes to be the Father of Evil. To save his people, the prisoner vows to kill his captor, unaware that his target is actually a savior.
The Origin of the Mound Builders
Alfred Oscar Coffin
The earth holds mute, monumental secrets beneath its surface, waiting for a narrative to bridge the gap between ancient stone and modern history. This work offers a speculative inquiry into the origins of a lost, sophisticated civilization.
The Outdoor Chums at Cabin Point
Quincy Allen
The wilderness is a sanctuary for those who seek adventure, but four young friends soon discover that the woods hide secrets far more complex than simple wildlife.
The Past and the Present Condition, and the Destiny, of the Colored Race:: A Discourse Delivered at the Fifteenth Anniversary of the Female Benevolent Society of Troy, N. Y., Feb. 14, 1848
Henry Highland Garnet
This discourse serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit, weaving historical evidence and moral urgency into a vision of liberation for African Americans in the mid-19th century.