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44,127 public-domain books, summarised. Page 854 of 920.

Cover of The Burgomaster's Wife

The Burgomaster's Wife

Georg Ebers

The heavy shadow of the Spanish siege looms over Leyden, forcing a young bride to find her own strength amidst the encroaching chaos of war. Duty and desire collide as the city’s defense demands everything from its people, testing the limits of loyalty and the resilience of the human spirit.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of The Cornhill Magazine (Vol. XLI, No. 241 new series, July 1916)

The Cornhill Magazine (Vol. XLI, No. 241 new series, July 1916)

Various

This mid-war literary journal captures the vanished atmosphere of 1916, blending fictional serials, historical sketches, and eyewitness accounts of a world in the throes of radical upheaval.

Essays, Letters & Speeches5 min read
Cover of The Country Beyond: A Romance of the Wilderness

The Country Beyond: A Romance of the Wilderness

James Oliver Curwood

A fugitive and his loyal dog seek a life of peace, only to find that love and the law are relentless forces in the vast, unforgiving Canadian wilderness.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Dark Goddess

The Dark Goddess

Richard S. Shaver

This story of isolation and longing follows a stranded space traveler who discovers a subterranean paradise governed by a powerful, ancient being. It is a contemplative work of speculative fiction that examines the nature of loneliness and the allure of escapism.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Dawn Patrol, and other poems of an aviator

The Dawn Patrol, and other poems of an aviator

Paul Bewsher

The sky is a place of profound solitude and terrible, mechanical violence. This collection of verse captures the duality of early flight, where a pilot finds both a gateway to the divine and a front-row seat to the slaughter of the Great War.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Duenna: A Comic Opera

The Duenna: A Comic Opera

Richard Brinsley Sheridan

A spirited, classic farce of mistaken identities and romantic intrigue, this play centers on a clever daughter’s scheme to outwit her father and claim the suitor of her choice.

Humour7 min read
Cover of The Expendables

The Expendables

Jim Harmon

A struggling scientist encounters a desperate gangster, leading to the creation of a device that can make anything—or anyone—simply cease to exist.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery5 min read
Cover of The Eye of Wilbur Mook

The Eye of Wilbur Mook

H. B. Hickey

This story follows an unlikely transition from the mundane anxieties of a modern office to the legendary battles of Camelot, exploring how the seeds of courage are sown.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Gilpins and their Fortunes: A Story of Early Days in Australia

The Gilpins and their Fortunes: A Story of Early Days in Australia

William Henry Giles Kingston

Two brothers leave England to seek their fortunes in the Australian bush, discovering that integrity and steady labor offer a surer path to success than the volatile promise of quick wealth.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Girl Aviators on Golden Wings

The Girl Aviators on Golden Wings

Margaret Burnham

HOOK Two teenagers take to the skies of the Nevada desert to protect a family gold mine from dangerous claim-jumpers. Their courage and flying skill face the ultimate test against nature and lawless men.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The gospel of freedom

The gospel of freedom

Robert Herrick

HOOK Seeking an escape from the stifling conventions of Midwestern wealth, a young woman follows an artist to Europe, only to discover that the freedom she craves is not found in aesthetic indulgence but in duty.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Graveyard of Space

The Graveyard of Space

Stephen Marlowe

The Graveyard of Space is a grim, atmospheric science fiction tale about a couple trapped in a cosmic dead zone, forced to confront the wreckage of their own lives alongside the literal debris of a thousand lost ships.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The holy war "made in Germany"

The holy war "made in Germany"

C. (Christiaan) Snouck Hurgronje

The attempt to weaponize the concept of a holy war for the sake of modern geopolitical maneuvering is exposed as a cynical, historical, and ultimately doomed strategic error.

History - European6 min read
Cover of The Imaginary Marriage

The Imaginary Marriage

Henry St. John Cooper

HOOK A young woman navigates the perils of poverty and the suffocating pride of her own heart as she struggles to reconcile her true feelings with the demands of society.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of The Life and Death of Tom Careless: to which is added, The History of Will Worthy & Nancy Wilmot

The Life and Death of Tom Careless: to which is added, The History of Will Worthy & Nancy Wilmot

Anonymous

This brief moral narrative serves as a cautionary meditation on the fragility of life and the urgent necessity of spiritual preparation. It uses the contrasting fates of three humble villagers to illustrate the path toward salvation.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Lifted Bandage

The Lifted Bandage

Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews

A grieving judge faces the devastating verdict that his son died a murderer, only to find a sudden, inexplicable peace in the wake of despair. This brief narrative explores the collision between rigid rationalism and the profound, transformative power of subjective experience.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Love of Frank Nineteen

The Love of Frank Nineteen

David C. Knight

The future of romance finds an unlikely harbor in a remote, space-based motel. Two simple operators inadvertently become the guardians of a secret, high-stakes love story between two sentient machines caught in the gears of a rigid, human-dominated society.

Romance6 min read
Cover of The Masque of the Elements

The Masque of the Elements

Herman George Scheffauer

Desolation gives way to rebirth when cosmic entities speak across the empty wastes of time and space.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of The Mayflower and Her Log; July 15, 1620-May 6, 1621

The Mayflower and Her Log; July 15, 1620-May 6, 1621

Azel Ames

This investigation reconstructs the daily reality of the 1620 Pilgrim voyage, challenging historical myths by anchoring the story of the *Mayflower* in its original logs, charters, and neglected passenger records.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 274, September 22, 1827

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 274, September 22, 1827

Various

A nineteenth-century cabinet of curiosities offers a window into an era's mind, capturing its architectural debates, comic verse, military martyrdom, and medical eccentricities in a single weekly gathering.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 381, July 18, 1829

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 381, July 18, 1829

Various

This collection of nineteenth-century miscellany offers an engaging, eclectic snapshot of Regency-era curiosity, blending architectural observation, historical antiquarianism, and the diverse culinary habits of the global populace.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 17, No. 487, April 30, 1831

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 17, No. 487, April 30, 1831

Various

This collection of Victorian-era miscellany offers a panoramic view of early nineteenth-century intellectual curiosity, blending biography, folklore, scientific inquiry, and social commentary into a single, eclectic volume.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 19, No. 537, March 10, 1832

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 19, No. 537, March 10, 1832

Various

This miscellany captures the restless curiosity and burgeoning Victorian spirit of early nineteenth-century England, serving as a gateway to the diverse intellectual landscape of 1832. It offers a unique window into a world balancing scientific discovery, social agitation, and romantic literary sentiment.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 19, No. 546, May 12, 1832

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 19, No. 546, May 12, 1832

Various

This collection offers a panoramic window into the early nineteenth-century British mind, blending local history, social critique, and the curious debris of the everyday. It is a time capsule of intellectual curiosity and cultural manners.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The Nest Egg: Captains All, Book 3

The Nest Egg: Captains All, Book 3

W. W. (William Wymark) Jacobs

This is a tale of sailors, schemes, and the unintended consequences of trying to outsmart one's own life. It turns a sharp, observant eye on the small-stakes dramas of the London docks, where a single clever plan can unravel everything.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Outlook: Uncle Sam's Place and Prospects in International Politics

The Outlook: Uncle Sam's Place and Prospects in International Politics

Newton Macmillan

The United States stands at a pivotal crossroads, shifting from a secluded, domestic-focused republic into a global power tasked with the heavy, complex responsibilities of international governance and moral leadership.

History - American7 min read
Cover of The Passing of Mars: A Modern Morality Play

The Passing of Mars: A Modern Morality Play

Marguerite Wilkinson

This modern morality play serves as a stark, rhythmic call to reclaim the collective spirit of humanity from the destructive, cyclical forces of war. It strips away the pretense of global conflict to reveal a struggle between human potential and the ancient, sleeping god of violence.

Plays/Films/Dramas6 min read
Cover of The pearl of patience

The pearl of patience

Madeline Leslie

A young boy struggles with his temper and his lessons until the example of a severely disabled neighbor teaches him the spiritual strength found in suffering well.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Plunderer

The Plunderer

Henry Oyen

HOOK A young man abandons the stifling confines of a city office to claim land in the Florida wilderness, only to find himself locked in a desperate struggle against a corrupt, powerful adversary.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Primadonna: A Sequel to "Fair Margaret"

The Primadonna: A Sequel to "Fair Margaret"

F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford

A sudden panic at the opera leads to a murder mystery that spans the Atlantic.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The princess and the tiger

The princess and the tiger

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

A peaceful morning at an ancestral estate is shattered by the sudden, terrifying arrival of escaped wild animals. This narrative explores the tension between human order and the raw, unpredictable power of the natural world.

Short Stories5 min read
Cover of The quest for Santa Claus

The quest for Santa Claus

Frank Atkinson

The spirit of Christmas finds its truest expression not in the accumulation of material things, but in the simple, transformative act of kindness toward a stranger.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Runaways: A New and Original Story

The Runaways: A New and Original Story

Nat Gould

A strained family saga unfolds against the backdrop of the English turf, where secrets and horse racing bind the fates of the disgraced, the desperate, and the devoted.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Serpent River

The Serpent River

Don Wilcox

The vast, slow-moving mystery of a planetary "serpent" drives this tale of explorers caught between the rigid codes of Earth and the biological realities of a strange new world. It is a story of discovery that pivots on a startling, intimate misunderstanding.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Sloths of Kruvny

The Sloths of Kruvny

Vern Fearing

The universe is a vast, cold place, but it is made marginally more tolerable by the arrival of a pair of bumbling, well-meaning space travelers who approach cosmic catastrophe with a shrug.

Humour6 min read
Cover of The Star of Satan

The Star of Satan

Henry Hasse

This is a grim, atmospheric tale of isolation and madness set in the unforgiving void of the asteroid belt, where two prisoners seek a fortune that proves far more horrific than the vacuum of space.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The State of the Blessed Dead

The State of the Blessed Dead

Henry Alford

These meditations offer a calm, traditional exploration of the afterlife, designed to replace the fear of death with a sense of hopeful anticipation for the faithful.

Religion/Spirituality6 min read
Cover of The Tangled Threads

The Tangled Threads

Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter

The ordinary struggles of daily life find redemption in these quiet tales of sacrifice, unexpected generosity, and the persistent hope of the human heart.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The White Mr. Longfellow (from Literary Friends and Acquaintance)

The White Mr. Longfellow (from Literary Friends and Acquaintance)

William Dean Howells

This intimate memoir captures the twilight of a literary giant, offering a rare, humanizing portrait of a man whose grace and quiet dignity defined an era of American letters.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Wishing Well

The Wishing Well

Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt

High school sleuth Penny Parker stumbles into a web of small-town deceit when an abandoned historic estate suddenly regains its mysterious, impoverished owner.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Yale Literary Magazine (Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 9, June 1923)

The Yale Literary Magazine (Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 9, June 1923)

Various

This snapshot of 1923 campus life captures the earnest, often turbulent transition from undergraduate idealism to the looming realities of the wider world. It serves as a time capsule for a specific era of collegiate ambition.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of There Is Sorrow on the Sea

There Is Sorrow on the Sea

Gilbert Parker

The vast, unforgiving landscape of the North is a world away from the Lincolnshire coast, yet for one man, the memory of home and a woman’s love persists like a haunting tide. This story of exile and redemption unfolds through the intimate, desperate exchange of letters between a fugitive and his cousin, revealing…

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Under King Constantine

Under King Constantine

Katrina Trask

A series of lyrical tales set in the shadow of Arthur’s death, where the true measure of knighthood is found not in the tournament ring, but in the quiet, agonizing victories of the soul.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of Virgin Ground

Virgin Ground

Rosel George Brown

This story captures the stark isolation of life on a frontier planet, where the thin air and shifting sands serve as a brutal crucible for a woman determined to carve out an existence on her own terms. It is a haunting exploration of survival, trauma, and the fierce, protective ownership one feels over a life built…

Novels5 min read
Cover of Vittoria

Vittoria

George Meredith

This is a sweeping, intricate drama of revolution, sacrifice, and the personal cost of political conviction during the tumultuous Italian uprising of 1848.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Wanted—A Match Maker

Wanted—A Match Maker

Paul Leicester Ford

This gentle, turn-of-the-century tale explores how a chance accident can bridge the immense social chasm between a wealthy young woman and a struggling hospital physician. It is a story of quiet transformation, where class barriers dissolve through the shared care of an injured newsboy.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Westy Martin on the Santa Fe Trail

Westy Martin on the Santa Fe Trail

Percy Keese Fitzhugh

A young scout embarks on a motion-picture expedition to the West, only to find himself entangled in a long-standing family mystery that requires both his courage and his character to resolve.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of What Does History Teach?: Two Edinburgh Lectures

What Does History Teach?: Two Edinburgh Lectures

John Stuart Blackie

History is a vast, unfolding record of human struggle, where the pursuit of order and meaning reveals the enduring nature of our social and spiritual character.

History - Other7 min read