Free summaries
Adventure — page 124
5,964 public-domain adventure books, summarised. Page 124 of 125.
The Arctic Queen
Unknown
A mortal maiden ventures to the frozen top of the world, challenging an eternal Arctic queen for the soul of her lost lover.
The Story of Gombi
H. De Vere (Henry De Vere) Stacpoole
The final act of a lifelong hunter is mirrored in the gruesome, trophy-filled sanctuary of his Lincolnshire home. A single, macabre souvenir sets the stage for a haunting recollection of colonial hunting in Africa.
Harper's Young People, May 31, 1881: An Illustrated Weekly
Various
A curated window into the nineteenth-century American imagination, this illustrated weekly blend of moral tales, nautical adventures, and community puzzles captures the spirit of a bygone childhood.
Kenelm Chillingly
Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
A philosophical young gentleman walks away from a life of privilege to test his own nature, inadvertently finding himself the protector of the vulnerable and a meddler in the messy, human drama of village life.
Lie on the Beam
John Victor Peterson
A lone engineer at a fog-shrouded Venusian spaceport must outwit a Martian destroyer using only his radio controls to turn the invaders' own navigation beam against them.
Robin's Rambles
May Byron
Robin is a self-important, dapper little bird who believes himself the cleverest creature in the East Country. His constant need to pry into other people’s affairs leads him far from home, where he learns that curiosity can be as dangerous as it is exhausting.
The lucky little stiff
H. P. S. (Henry Paul Stevens) Greene
In the freezing mud of a 1918 French airfield, a hapless American lieutenant stumbles through a series of blunders that somehow thwart a hidden enemy. It is a sharp, ironic look at the absurdities of wartime life.
The oddly elusive brunette
John Victor Peterson
HOOK When a routine physics experiment at a Florida particle accelerator goes awry, the general's daughter begins a frantic, involuntary world tour, appearing and vanishing instantly within research labs across the globe.
Cumner's Son and Other South Sea Folk
Gilbert Parker
A son’s daring ride through hostile territory determines the fate of a besieged Residency, bridging the divide between colonial authority and the fierce honor of an indigenous mountain tribe.
Harper's Young People, November 4, 1879: An Illustrated Weekly
Various
This vintage weekly anthology offers a portal into nineteenth-century childhood, blending moral tales of mountain-climbing youths and talking animals with practical advice on everything from astronomy to gymnastics.
Harper's Young People, February 17, 1880: An Illustrated Weekly
Various
This collection of stories, puzzles, and historical anecdotes captures the Victorian fascination with moral character, curiosity, and the vibrant, interconnected world of late 19th-century childhood.
Salvage
Roy Norton
An aging, independent ship captain risks everything on a hunch, stalking a suspicious tramp steamer through the fog to uncover a scheme of maritime insurance fraud.
The Lost Child
Henry Kingsley
A child wanders from his home into the vast Australian wilderness, lured by the promise of adventure and the beauty of the unknown. His journey becomes a haunting, quiet tragedy of innocence lost to the immense landscape.
When Valmond Came to Pontiac: The Story of a Lost Napoleon. Volume 1
Gilbert Parker
A mysterious stranger arrives in a quiet French-Canadian village, claiming a lineage that ignites the dormant romanticism of its people. This story captures the fragile line between heartfelt belief and dangerous deception.
Pursuit
Andrew A. (Andrew Augustine) Caffrey
A brilliant but reckless pilot is forced into the drudgery of observation flying, only to turn his clumsy reconnaissance plane into a weapon of war and earn an unlikely comrade’s final sacrifice.
Toffee takes a trip
Henry Farrell
A man seeking a quiet vacation finds his subconscious life manifesting as a sassy, semi-material woman who helps him thwart a global catastrophe.
Dog of St. Bernard and Other Stories
Anonymous
These noble creatures brave the treacherous Alpine snows to rescue stranded travelers, embodying a timeless, heroic spirit of self-sacrifice. Through harrowing tales and simple verse, they stand as icons of unwavering loyalty and devotion.
Fire of retribution
Laurence Donovan
An aging logger stakes his life on an untested parachute jump to save his crew from a rapidly advancing mountain inferno.
Mary Liddiard
William Henry Giles Kingston
A young missionary's daughter faces danger, loss, and adventure in the Pacific Islands, where her faith and courage are tested amidst tribal conflicts and natural disasters.
The Adventures of Harry Richmond
George Meredith
The road is a dangerous teacher, and few lessons strike harder than the ones learned when youth runs away from home to chase a phantom father.
The Hohokam Dig
Theodore Pratt
When two scientists on an archaeological dig wish aloud to speak with the long-dead inhabitants of the ruins, their request is answered by a sudden, impossible visit from the past.
The movie boys in peril
Victor Appleton
Two young, enterprising filmmakers find themselves at the center of a dangerous international intrigue while documenting the monumental construction of the Panama Canal. This adventure blends technical filmmaking process with high-stakes mystery.
The Adventures of Harry Richmond
George Meredith
A father’s grand, theatrical charisma clashes with a son’s desire for a grounded life in this sprawling study of legacy and illusion. It is a brilliant, challenging portrait of a young man caught in the wake of a parent who treats reality as a stage.
The Loss of the Royal George
William Henry Giles Kingston
A young survivor of a historic naval tragedy rises through the ranks of the Royal Navy, only to discover his true identity and find his place in a changing world.
Harper's Young People, April 13, 1880: An Illustrated Weekly
Various
This historical weekly periodical captures a vanished world of late nineteenth-century childhood, blending didactic storytelling, natural history, and the earnest, inquisitive voices of its young readers from across the globe.
The sureness of MacKenzie
Frederick R. (Frederick Ritchie) Bechdolt
This is a taut, atmospheric portrait of a San Francisco bar pilot, a man whose professional arrogance is both his greatest liability and his only salvation when navigating the treacherous, fog-bound gateway to the Pacific.
The Voyage of the "Steadfast": The Young Missionaries in the Pacific
William Henry Giles Kingston
The young crew of a whaling ship finds their seafaring ambitions transformed by shipwreck, encounters with Pacific islanders, and the influence of dedicated missionaries in this Victorian tale of faith and maritime adventure.
Harper's Young People, June 14, 1881: An Illustrated Weekly
Various
This collection of Victorian-era periodical columns and stories offers a vivid, multifaceted look at the pastimes, moral aspirations, and curiosities of American childhood in the late nineteenth century.
Marcy, the Refugee
Harry Castlemon
A young man caught between his Southern home and his Union sympathies navigates the dangerous currents of the American Civil War. This narrative chronicles his risky choices, his efforts to protect his mother, and his eventual active service as a pilot for the Federal fleet.
The Mysterious Wanderer
Sophia Reeve
A young woman’s abduction and a nobleman’s secret grief weave together in this intricate tale of inheritance, family betrayal, and the quest for justice against a backdrop of hidden histories.
The Sheriff and His Partner
Frank Harris
A young, naive English clerk in the Kansas frontier is manipulated by a town's vigilantes into acting as a bait for a dangerous outlaw. It is a stark, unflinching look at the lethal code of the American West.
The Trail of the Sword, Volume 1
Gilbert Parker
The spirited rivalry between a young French nobleman and a steadfast English officer, set against the backdrop of colonial intrigue, proves that the sword is often a sharper arbiter than the law.
Will of the Mill
George Manville Fenn
A young boy’s idyllic life in a secluded Derbyshire valley is upended by the erratic behavior of a local craftsman and the encroaching forces of nature. This tale explores the heavy burden of secrets and the quiet power of forgiveness.
Emelian the Fool: a tale
George Borrow
A lazy peasant gains magical control over the world through a talking pike, navigating a path from his stove to a royal palace. This Russian folk tale captures the transformative power of a wish.
Tom Finch's Monkey: and How he Dined with the Admiral
John C. (John Conroy) Hutcheson
This collection of late Victorian yarns captures the spirit of nineteenth-century maritime adventure, blending tall tales of the deep with the lighthearted, often mischievous humor of a young naval officer’s life.
Young Glory and the Spanish cruiser
Walter Fenton Mott
A young American sailor becomes a legendary hero of the Spanish-American War, consistently outwitting enemy forces through sheer nerve and inventive, high-stakes gambles at sea.
Bert Wilson at Panama
J. W. Duffield
The story follows a young, athletic American protagonist and his companions as they navigate the perils of post-revolutionary Mexico and a high-stakes conspiracy surrounding the Panama Canal.
Harper's Young People, 1880 Index: An Illustrated Weekly
Various
This collection serves as a vibrant time capsule of 19th-century childhood, offering a sprawling miscellany of adventure tales, instructional guides, and historical narratives designed to educate and entertain a generation of American youth.
The Boy Scouts on Picket Duty
Robert Shaler
A group of young explorers trade their quiet summer camp for the dangerous, sun-drenched waters of the Florida Everglades. They quickly find themselves tangled in a high-stakes struggle against ruthless smugglers.
Wrecked but not Ruined
R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne
When a fur-trader and a family of pioneers find their fortunes colliding in the rugged Canadian wilderness, a series of accidents and misunderstandings tests their resolve, their integrity, and their capacity for forgiveness.
A Romany of the Snows, vol. 4: Being a Continuation of the Personal Histories of "Pierre and His People" and the Last Existing Records of Pretty Pierre
Gilbert Parker
A traveler of the frozen North recounts the desperate, haunting histories of men pushed to the edge of endurance by grief, isolation, and the unforgiving wild.
Our Pirate Hoard: 1891
Thomas A. (Thomas Allibone) Janvier
A young couple’s quest to recover a fabled family fortune reveals that the most lasting treasures are often found in the unexpected kindnesses of living relatives rather than the buried loot of the past.
Warrior-Maid of Mars
Alfred Coppel
The fate of a dying world hangs on the courage of a warrior and the strange, life-giving machines of travelers from the stars.
The Frontier Fort
William Henry Giles Kingston
A young English traveler and a seasoned frontier family find their lives intertwined when a vengeful Indigenous chief lays siege to their isolated trading post in the untamed North-West Territory.
Frank on a Gun-Boat
Harry Castlemon
The young hero of this story leaves behind the quiet comfort of his home, answering the call of duty to join the Union Navy during the most turbulent years of the American Civil War.
Hidden guns
Henry W. Patterson
A cabin trapped by record-breaking snow becomes a pressure cooker for two partners whose fraying nerves threaten to destroy them long before the outside world intervenes.
The Man in the Reservoir
Charles Fenno Hoffman
Trapped at midnight in a towering municipal water tank, a reckless college student battles freezing depths, mocking stars, and thoughts of an indifferent sweetheart to cheat a grotesque drowning.
The Powder Monkey
George Manville Fenn
A young boy fleeing an abusive guardian finds a new home amidst the roar of cannons and the loyal heart of a grizzled sailor.