myebooksbuy
My Books

The whole shelf

All free summaries — page 893

44,127 public-domain books, summarised. Page 893 of 920.

Cover of The Family Letters of Oliver Goldsmith: A Paper Read Before the Bibliographical Society, October 15th, 1917

The Family Letters of Oliver Goldsmith: A Paper Read Before the Bibliographical Society, October 15th, 1917

Ernest Clarke

The life of a celebrated poet is often defined by the silence of the archives, yet a serendipitous bundle of papers reveals the intimate, frayed, and deeply human correspondence of a literary icon and his struggling kin.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Hand

The Hand

Jerry Sohl

A rural housewife, a hostile husband, and a stray dog collide with the desperate crew of a crashed spacecraft. In this haunting encounter, the cost of human cruelty is measured in flesh and bone.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Hour of Battle

The Hour of Battle

Robert Sheckley

The silence of deep space is a heavy burden for those tasked with guarding humanity against an unseen, telepathic enemy. Tension mounts as three soldiers wait for an invasion that never seems to arrive.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Irish Penny Journal, Vol. 1 No. 01, July 4, 1840

The Irish Penny Journal, Vol. 1 No. 01, July 4, 1840

Various

This inaugural issue establishes a literary bridge between the past and present of Ireland, blending antiquarian research with contemporary social observation to foster national pride and public enlightenment. It serves as a manifesto for a new kind of accessible, culturally grounded journalism.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Kansas University Science Bulletin (Vol. I, No. 1)

The Kansas University Science Bulletin (Vol. I, No. 1)

Various

The rigorous documentation of natural history in the American Midwest at the dawn of the twentieth century provides a clear, observational window into the local ecosystems of Kansas.

Journals6 min read
Cover of The little cap

The little cap

Mrs. (Louisa Maria) Dundas

A humble soldier rescues an infant from the fires of a sixteenth-century battlefield, unknowingly altering the fate of a noble house. This journey of loyalty and trial traces the enduring bond between a protector and his foundling charge.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of The Little French Lawyer: A Comedy

The Little French Lawyer: A Comedy

John Fletcher

This comedy of manners and misadventure explores the absurd lengths to which men will go to defend their honor and the complicated schemes women devise to navigate a world governed by such rigid pride. Through a series of overlapping deceptions, the play examines the friction between the performative nature of…

Humour6 min read
Cover of The Madcap Metalloids

The Madcap Metalloids

Verne Athanas

Stranded on a radioactive asteroid with their ship failing, two explorers discover that the planet’s strange, metallic lifeforms are the only hope for escaping a lethal, permanent crash.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 356, February 14, 1829

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 356, February 14, 1829

Various

This 1829 compendium captures the restless curiosity of the Georgian era, blending reports on architectural marvels and international naval warfare with whimsical folklore, natural history, and the trivial amusements of the day.

Art7 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 383, August 1, 1829

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 383, August 1, 1829

Various

This collection offers a vibrant, eclectic window into the intellectual and social life of 1829, blending historical sketches, literary anecdotes, and the practical curiosities of a rapidly modernizing world.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Nursery, November 1881, Vol. XXX: A Monthly Magazine for Youngest Readers

The Nursery, November 1881, Vol. XXX: A Monthly Magazine for Youngest Readers

Various

The transition from autumn to winter frames this charming collection of Victorian-era childhood experiences, offering a window into a world where play and imagination bridge great geographical distances.

Children & Young Adult Reading7 min read
Cover of The Old-Time Spelling School

The Old-Time Spelling School

John G. Ellenbecker

The past is a country we visit through memory, and here the border is a one-room schoolhouse filled with the sharp, competitive joy of a winter spelling bee. This narrative poem captures a forgotten frontier ritual, preserving the spirit of a community that found its greatest excitement in the precision of language…

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Pacifists

The Pacifists

Charles E. Fritch

Exploration of an alien world turns into a moral trap when three astronauts discover a civilization that appears to have forsaken violence, only to find that their own predatory nature poses a threat to peace.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Pedler of Dust Sticks

The Pedler of Dust Sticks

Eliza Lee Cabot Follen

A humble peddler rises through industry and virtue to become a prosperous and beloved benefactor, illustrating how a life grounded in kindness and faith transcends poverty. This narrative chronicles the journey of a man who transforms his circumstances while remaining devoted to his family and his community.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Polite People of Pudibundia

The Polite People of Pudibundia

R. A. Lafferty

A detective from the Solar Police Force travels to a distant, charming world where the inhabitants are so unfailingly courteous that they are literally lethal. He arrives to solve the mystery of why every visitor who goes to Pudibundia eventually disappears, only to find that the answer is hidden in plain sight…

Science-Fiction & Fantasy6 min read
Cover of The Silver Crown: Another Book of Fables

The Silver Crown: Another Book of Fables

Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards

This collection of moral tales explores the weight of human choices, suggesting that we often walk past our own salvation while waiting for grander promises to be fulfilled. It offers a gentle, earnest map of the human spirit.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of The Spiritual Improvement of the Census: A Sermon, Preached in the Parish Church of All Saints, Fulham, 30th March, 1851

The Spiritual Improvement of the Census: A Sermon, Preached in the Parish Church of All Saints, Fulham, 30th March, 1851

R. G. (Robert George) Baker

The national census is framed not as a bureaucratic exercise in statistics, but as a profound moment for collective spiritual reflection and an urgent call to examine the moral state of one's own household.

Religion/Spirituality6 min read
Cover of The Submarine Boys for the Flag: Deeding Their Lives to Uncle Sam

The Submarine Boys for the Flag: Deeding Their Lives to Uncle Sam

Victor G. Durham

Young submarine captains leave the civilian life behind to defend their country against international spies, proving their mettle in a high-stakes, breathless chase that spans the Atlantic coast.

Adventure5 min read
Cover of The suppressed Gospels and Epistles of the original New Testament of Jesus the Christ, Volume 4, Nicodemus

The suppressed Gospels and Epistles of the original New Testament of Jesus the Christ, Volume 4, Nicodemus

William Wake

A dramatic ancient retelling of the trial, execution, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, this apocryphal text expands the biblical narrative with vivid courtroom dialogue, eyewitness testimonies, and a sensational descent into the underworld.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)6 min read
Cover of The Third and Last Part of Conny-Catching. (1592): With the new deuised knauish arte of Foole-taking

The Third and Last Part of Conny-Catching. (1592): With the new deuised knauish arte of Foole-taking

Robert Greene

A warning to the unwary, this account unveils the elaborate, predatory stratagems used by London's criminal underworld to strip honest citizens of their purses and possessions.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Thirty Years War

The Thirty Years War

Friedrich Schiller

When a local Bohemian revolt escalates into a continent-wide struggle, European princes and foreign powers clash across decades of devastation in a ruthless bid for religious dominance and political survival.

History - European6 min read
Cover of The Tree of Appomattox

The Tree of Appomattox

Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler

Two cousins, divided by the tragic rupture of a nation, navigate the brutal, closing chapters of the American Civil War with unwavering loyalty to their separate causes.

American Literature8 min read
Cover of The Twins, and How They Entertained the New Minister: A Farce

The Twins, and How They Entertained the New Minister: A Farce

Elizabeth F. (Elizabeth Frances) Guptill

The new minister’s pastoral visit becomes a trial by fire as he faces two precocious children determined to share every embarrassing detail of their parents' private lives.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Two Treaties

The Two Treaties

Edward Hoare

The shifting borders of the late 19th century serve as a divine roadmap for the imminent return of the Jewish people and the eventual second coming of Christ.

History - European6 min read
Cover of The Ultimate Image

The Ultimate Image

P. Schuyler (Peter Schuyler) Miller

A daring investigation into a physicist’s secret weapon turns into a desperate struggle against an arms-dealing villain to prevent an artificial, reality-ending anomaly.

Science-Fiction & Fantasy5 min read
Cover of The War with Russia

The War with Russia

John Alfred Langford

A fierce polemical defense of British intervention in the Crimean War, this tract systematically dismantles contemporary anti-war arguments through a close reading of diplomatic records.

History - British6 min read
Cover of The Water Eater

The Water Eater

Winston K. (Winston Kinney) Marks

A common kitchen accident turns into a terrifying biological discovery when an amateur chemist accidentally creates a synthetic, water-consuming life form that threatens to spread beyond the confines of his home.

Science-Fiction & Fantasy5 min read
Cover of The White Canoe, and Other Verse

The White Canoe, and Other Verse

Alan Sullivan

The white canoe serves as a vessel for the soul’s passage through the wilderness, bridging the gap between earthly longing and the silence of the infinite.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of The Yellow Flag: A Novel. Volume 3 (of 3)

The Yellow Flag: A Novel. Volume 3 (of 3)

Edmund Yates

HOOK A web of deception unravels as the truth behind a secret life is exposed, forcing those left in the wreckage to choose between their own desires and the salvation of the innocent.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Thoughts on the Proposed Inclosure of Waltham (commonly called Epping) and Hainault Forests: In which a new plan is suggested for disafforesting the same: with the heads of the bill now proposed for that purpose

Thoughts on the Proposed Inclosure of Waltham (commonly called Epping) and Hainault Forests: In which a new plan is suggested for disafforesting the same: with the heads of the bill now proposed for that purpose

Thomas Street

Modern landscape management often feels like a recent invention, but the friction between public access, royal prerogative, and private development has deep, tangled roots. This work serves as an urgent 1818 appeal to landowners and officials to resolve the long-standing legal status of Epping and Hainault Forests,…

Environmental Issues6 min read
Cover of Three Plays: The Fiddler's House, The Land, Thomas Muskerry

Three Plays: The Fiddler's House, The Land, Thomas Muskerry

Padraic Colum

This collection of three plays captures the early spirit of the Irish National Theatre, examining the friction between personal yearning and the rigid demands of rural tradition and family duty.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Three years in France with the Guns: Being Episodes in the life of a Field Battery

Three years in France with the Guns: Being Episodes in the life of a Field Battery

C. A. Rose

A candid, steady record of artillery life reveals the grit and camaraderie required to sustain a battery through the shifting fronts of the Great War.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Threlkeld's Daughter

Threlkeld's Daughter

James Bell

The path to love is rarely smooth, but for one daughter of Alpha Centauri, it requires kidnapping a diplomat, mastering the art of the human smile, and outmaneuvering a desperate father.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Tight Squeeze

Tight Squeeze

Dean Ing

A veteran engineer faces a life-or-death mechanical failure in the vacuum of space, forced to rely on his own fallible, recorded voice to guide him through a desperate, zero-gravity repair.

Science-Fiction & Fantasy6 min read
Cover of Watt's Songs Against Evil

Watt's Songs Against Evil

Isaac Watts

These verses serve as a bridge between the innocence of childhood and the weight of moral responsibility. They use the natural world to teach young minds how to navigate the temptations and pitfalls of daily life.

Children & Young Adult Reading7 min read
Cover of When the Sea Gives Up Its Dead: A Thrilling Detective Story

When the Sea Gives Up Its Dead: A Thrilling Detective Story

Corbett, George, Mrs.

Determined to clear her fiancé’s name after he is wrongly convicted of a diamond robbery, a young woman assumes a daring undercover identity to hunt down the true culprits.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of Wintry Peacock: From "The New Decameron", Volume III

Wintry Peacock: From "The New Decameron", Volume III

D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence

A chance meeting in a snow-bound village pulls an observant stranger into the volatile, private battle between a husband and his wife, a struggle centered on a mysterious letter and a pet peacock.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of With Perry on Lake Erie

With Perry on Lake Erie

James Otis

A young man’s perspective on the War of 1812 transforms from a romantic search for glory into a sobering confrontation with the grim realities of naval combat.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Zoe

Zoe

Evelyn Whitaker

A stern, solitary man rejects his daughter’s plea for forgiveness, only to find his hardened heart undone by the mysterious appearance of an abandoned infant.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of A kiss for the conqueror

A kiss for the conqueror

Henry Slesar

This story follows a soldier in a world of reversed power dynamics, where the occupation of a defeated nation has left the conquerors lingering in a state of decay and profound social isolation.

Science-Fiction & Fantasy6 min read
Cover of A new graft on the family tree

A new graft on the family tree

Pansy

HOOK A gentle, reform-minded city woman marries into a remote, emotionally guarded farming family, slowly transforming their harsh domestic environment into one of warmth, faith, and mutual understanding.

Novels6 min read
Cover of A New Subspecies of Lizard, Cnemidophorus sacki, from Michoacán, México

A New Subspecies of Lizard, Cnemidophorus sacki, from Michoacán, México

William Edward Duellman

A field biologist meticulously identifies and catalogs a previously unrecognized subspecies of lizard, Cnemidophorus sacki zweifeli, found within the arid scrub forests of the Tepalcatepec Valley in Michoacán, Mexico.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of A report on the feasibility and advisability of some policy to inaugurate a system of rifle practice throughout the public schools of the country

A report on the feasibility and advisability of some policy to inaugurate a system of rifle practice throughout the public schools of the country

George Wood Wingate

This report serves as a foundational argument for integrating systematic rifle training into the American public school curriculum to foster national readiness and instill discipline in youth.

History - American7 min read
Cover of A Ribband of Blue, and Other Bible Studies

A Ribband of Blue, and Other Bible Studies

James Hudson Taylor

Faith is not merely a belief, but a rigorous, daily discipline of alignment between the human will and the divine. This collection of studies argues that true spiritual fruitfulness emerges only when one abandons self-assertion in favor of total surrender.

Religion/Spirituality7 min read
Cover of A Son of Mars, volume 2

A Son of Mars, volume 2

Arthur Griffiths

A young man’s courage in a colonial war becomes the catalyst for reclaiming his true identity and birthright. This tale navigates the rigid hierarchies of Victorian society, where military merit eventually clashes with the entrenched power of an aristocratic heritage.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of Address to the Inhabitants of Rugby about the Cholera Morbus

Address to the Inhabitants of Rugby about the Cholera Morbus

Thomas Arnold

As a deadly contagion sweeps across Europe, a local leader provides his neighbors with the vital information necessary to confront their fears and protect their health. This calm, practical appeal serves as a guide for navigating a public health crisis with both physical discipline and spiritual fortitude.

Health & Medicine7 min read
Cover of An Act to Provide for the Paving, Gravelling, Lighting, and Watching Certain Footways and Carriageways in and Near Brompton Square: In the Parish of Saint Mary Abbotts Kensington, in the County of Middlesex and to Provide for the Maintenance of a Garden and Shrubbery in the Said Square

An Act to Provide for the Paving, Gravelling, Lighting, and Watching Certain Footways and Carriageways in and Near Brompton Square: In the Parish of Saint Mary Abbotts Kensington, in the County of Middlesex and to Provide for the Maintenance of a Garden and Shrubbery in the Said Square

Anonymous

This legislative document serves as the founding blueprint for the municipal infrastructure and governance of a specific early nineteenth-century London residential development. It codifies the transition of Brompton Square from private land into a regulated community.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Barbara Blomberg

Barbara Blomberg

Georg Ebers

HOOK The daughter of a soldier navigates the wreckage of a secret affair with the Holy Roman Emperor, forced to choose between the convent and a life of quiet survival.

Historical Novels6 min read