The whole shelf
All free summaries — page 849
44,127 public-domain books, summarised. Page 849 of 920.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 375, June 13, 1829
Various
This eclectic miscellany captures the inquisitive spirit of 1829, blending architectural criticism, maritime tragedy, and whimsical social commentary into a vibrant portrait of a bygone era.
The Nightriders' Feud
Walter Caruth McConnell
HOOK A young engineer arrives in the Kentucky hills seeking fortune, only to find himself embroiled in a violent, escalating war between tobacco farmers and the vigilante groups known as Nightriders.
The Outer Quiet
Herbert D. Kastle
The world has ended, and a handful of survivors live as prisoners in a silent, housing-project cage. When there is nothing left to lose, the only remaining choice is to reclaim one's humanity through rebellion.
The parlor gardener
Cornelia J. (Cornelia Jefferson) Randolph
A practical, elegant guide for city dwellers to cultivate vibrant, living gardens within the confines of a home. This mid-nineteenth-century manual transforms apartments into lush sanctuaries, proving that even a mantelpiece or a narrow window can host a thriving botanical collection.
The penny magazine of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, issue 18, July 14, 1832
Unknown
This nineteenth-century periodical compilation offers a window into the Victorian mind, blending historical inquiry, practical advice, and moral philosophy to educate the working public.
The Pirate of Jasper Peak
Cornelia Meigs
A young city boy arrives in a remote, snow-bound mining town, only to find himself drawn into a dangerous struggle against a local outlaw.
The Pony Rider Boys with the Texas Rangers
Frank Gee Patchin
The Pony Rider Boys with the Texas Rangers follows a group of young, intrepid travelers who stumble into a dangerous struggle between lawmen and outlaws in the rugged Texas borderlands.
The Problem Makers
Robert Hoskins
The galaxy is a place of infinite complexity, and those who govern it have decided that the best way to maintain control is to ensure that trouble—and progress—never stops. This is a story about the architects of that chaos.
The quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. 1, No. 4, December, 1900
Oregon Historical Society
This volume serves as a foundational record of the American migration to the Pacific Coast, preserving the firsthand accounts and historical analysis of those who braved the Oregon Trail. It captures the essential spirit of a movement that fundamentally expanded the reach of the American nation.
The Rambler Club with the Northwest Mounted
W. Crispin (William Crispin) Sheppard
HOOK Young adventurers journeying to the Canadian Northwest to reunite with a friend find themselves entangled in the dangerous affairs of smugglers and cattle rustlers.
The secret of Oaklands
M. Harding (Minnie Harding) Kelly
After the sudden death of her father and the loss of her fortune, a young woman must forge a new life as a governess, discovering unexpected secrets hidden within an isolated country estate.
The Seven Conundrums
E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim
Three down-and-out performers trade their autonomy for a year of luxury, serving a mysterious benefactor who pulls them into a series of baffling, high-stakes international puzzles.
The sky sheriff: The pioneer spirit lives again in the Texas Airplane Patrol
Thomson Burtis
A battle-hardened Texas sheriff and a laconic, expert pilot join forces to hunt a desperate criminal across the borderlands. It is a story of frontier justice rendered by modern machinery.
The Story of Garfield: Farm-boy, Soldier, and President
William G. (William Gunion) Rutherford
The life of James A. Garfield serves as a testament to the American ideal, tracing a journey from a log cabin in the Ohio wilderness to the highest office in the nation. This biography explores how humble beginnings, a devotion to education, and unwavering moral integrity forged a man who would eventually lead his…
The sweet miracle
Eça de Queirós
An impoverished mother and her crippled son long for the healing touch of a wandering teacher, while the wealthy and the powerful search for him in vain. This brief, luminous narrative explores the nature of faith through the lens of humility.
The Thirty Years War
Friedrich Schiller
A sweeping chronicle of the seventeenth century’s most devastating religious war, this work examines how the collision of personal ambition and ideological fervor transformed Germany into a graveyard of empires.
The Yale Literary Magazine (Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 4, January 1923)
Various
A window into the restless, post-war minds of the American collegiate elite, this collection captures the intellectual bravado and aesthetic searching of a generation at the dawn of the Jazz Age.
Theobald, the Iron-Hearted
César Malan
A wounded knight learns the true meaning of Christian mercy from the enemies he sought to destroy.
Three Women
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
A young poet, a philanthropic wife, and a worldly widow navigate the tangled boundaries of Victorian morality, romantic illusion, and personal independence.
Trouble Times Two
George O. (George Oliver) Smith
The struggle for dominance between a refined research physicist and a pragmatic engineer culminates in a high-stakes realization: they are two halves of the same mind, trapped in a cycle of sabotage and mutual necessity.
Use of Mines in Trench Warfare (From the French School of St. Cyr)
Army War College (U.S.)
This technical manual, distilled from French military instruction during the First World War, details the subterranean mechanics of trench warfare. It provides a stark, pragmatic look at the silent, lethal race fought beneath the front lines.
What happened to Tad
Mary E. (Mary Emily) Ropes
A runaway boy’s quest for vengeance against his cruel stepmother spirals into a desperate struggle for survival across France. This cautionary tale follows a young protagonist learning that self-will often leads to unintended ruin.
When Oriole traveled westward
Amy Bell Marlowe
HOOK A young girl leaves a New England winter behind for the vast, untamed American West, where she must prove a friend's innocence and protect two young children from dangerous outlaws.
When You Giffle
Stecher, L. J., Jr.
This whimsical tale follows an intergalactic freighter captain who, through a navigational error, stumbles upon the playground of powerful, reality-bending children. It is a playful exploration of how humanity might react when confronted by the truly impossible.
Whipperginny
Robert Graves
This collection of poems navigates the fractured landscape of post-war disillusionment, blending sharp, intellectual inquiry with a desperate, lyrical search for personal and philosophical equilibrium.
Wireless Possibilities
A. M. (Archibald Montgomery) Low
The invisible currents of the air are not merely tools for entertainment; they are the fundamental vibrations of life waiting to be harnessed by the curious and the bold.
With These Hands
C. M. (Cyril M.) Kornbluth
The creative spirit confronts a world of soulless convenience, where the artist is rendered obsolete by the efficiency of machines. This story follows one man’s desperate search for dignity in a society that prefers mass-produced art to the labor of the human hand.
Young Auctioneers
Edward Stratemeyer
A young man cast adrift by tragedy discovers his own resilience while navigating the rough-and-tumble world of itinerant sales. He proves that integrity can thrive even in the face of swindlers, fires, and false accusations.
A Christmas Accident and Other Stories
Annie Eliot Trumbull
Sometimes the smallest shift in perspective—a chance encounter or a change of heart—is enough to dismantle the walls we build between ourselves and the world.
A Little Wizard
Stanley John Weyman
A young boy, caught in the crossfire of the English Civil War, risks his life to protect his fugitive brother, only to find himself accused of witchcraft by his own kin.
A Mere Chance: A Novel. Vol. 3
Ada Cambridge
A young woman, separated from her true love by a web of deception, finds herself married to a wealthy, older man. When the truth finally comes to light, she must navigate the difficult intersection of duty and desire.
A Poetical Review of the Literary and Moral Character of the late Samuel Johnson (1786)
John Courtenay
The death of Samuel Johnson in 1784 sparked an immediate, fevered scramble to define the legacy of a man whose life was as complex as his prose. This poem serves as one of the earliest and most balanced attempts to capture that immense, contradictory spirit.
A Publisher's Confession
Unknown
The life of a book is rarely as simple as a transaction; it is a precarious, deeply personal partnership between a creator and a guardian that determines whether a voice reaches the world. This candid account pulls back the curtain on the industry, revealing the delicate, often messy labor behind every printed page.
A Young Hero
George Manville Fenn
A young boy caught in the crossfire of the French and Indian War learns that courage is often found in quiet obedience and service to others.
Additions to the List of the Birds of Louisiana
Lowery, George H., Jr.
This scholarly record updates the known bird life of Louisiana, correcting and expanding upon previous surveys through years of rigorous field collection. It serves as a vital bridge between historical ornithological accounts and modern taxonomic understanding.
Adventure of a Kite
Harriet Myrtle
Domestic tales told by a mother to her children capture the simple wonders of nineteenth-century country life, from the hazards of kite-flying to the quiet rhythms of the dairy farm.
Afloat
Douglas, Alan, Captain
HOOK When a young scout goes missing after a supposed crime, his loyal troop ventures into a treacherous, labyrinthine swamp to clear his name and rescue him from a mysterious, manipulative captor.
Altitude
Leland Jamieson
This is a precise, technical, and high-stakes account of a record-breaking balloon ascent, told through the lens of a professional pilot obsessed with reaching the edge of the atmosphere. It is a story of human endurance against the cruel indifference of the upper air.
Among the Brigands
James De Mille
A group of American tourists finds themselves repeatedly entangled in local Italian dramas, where their own vivid imaginations and penchant for "relic-hunting" transform mundane mishaps into perceived brushes with lethal danger.
An Egyptian Princess
Georg Ebers
A sweeping historical epic set in the twilight of Ancient Egypt, this narrative explores the collision between traditional Pharaohs, ambitious mercenaries, and the encroaching might of the Persian Empire.
An Interpretation of Friends Worship
Jean Toomer
This brief, reflective guide serves as a practical manual for those seeking to understand the inward journey of the Quaker tradition. It demystifies the silent meeting, offering a pathway for the seeker to move from solitary introspection toward communal spiritual vitality.
Barbara Blomberg
Georg Ebers
This historical portrait follows the life of a woman whose clandestine connection to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V alters her path forever, leading her to navigate the turbulent politics of the Netherlands and the rise of her illustrious son, Don John of Austria.
Bedside Manner
Joseph Samachson
The silence of deep space is broken by an alien physician who offers two shattered crash survivors a second chance at life. This intimate science fiction story explores the fragile intersection of human vanity, marital trust, and the profound reach of medical miracles.
Betsy Baker! or, Too Attentive by Half
John Maddison Morton
A suffocatingly doting husband finds his marriage turned upside down when his wife’s cousin devises a scheme to cure his obsession with jealousy. It is a brisk farce exploring the fine, often hilarious line between affection and emotional entrapment.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 67, No. 415, May, 1850
Various
This mid-Victorian periodical offers a panoramic view of the British intellectual landscape in 1850, blending biting political critique, military memoir, and literary analysis. It serves as a vital historical record of a nation grappling with the painful transition to free-trade economics and the fading memory of…
Bramble Bush
Alan Edward Nourse
A scientist risks his reputation to dismantle his own life’s work, realizing that being an "Authority" is the greatest obstacle to understanding the mysterious, untapped potential of the human mind.
Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue Keeping Store
Laura Lee Hope
Two young, earnest siblings turn their vacation into a miniature enterprise to save a neighbor’s failing shop. This gentle tale follows their well-intentioned blunders and constant efforts to be helpful.
Catharine
Nehemiah Adams
A reflection on the final illness and passing of a nineteen-year-old woman, this work offers a father’s meditation on faith, the hope of resurrection, and the Christian perspective on enduring the loss of a child.