Free summaries
Adventure — page 26
5,964 public-domain adventure books, summarised. Page 26 of 125.
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H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard
A haunting tale of sacrifice and vengeance set against the rugged beauty of the Transvaal, where the shifting tides of war force a woman to choose between her own heart and her sister’s life.
My Kalulu, Prince, King and Slave: A Story of Central Africa
Henry M. (Henry Morton) Stanley
A journey through the heart of Africa tests the bonds of brotherhood, transforming captives into kin and strangers into saviors. Survival depends not on lineage or race, but on the unwavering loyalty of those who share the trail.
Tent Life in Siberia: A New Account of an Old Undertaking
George Kennan
The vast, frozen wilderness of Siberia serves as the backdrop for a daring expedition, where the relentless struggle against nature transforms a team of explorers into seasoned survivors of the Arctic frontier.
The Boy Scouts Along the Susquehanna
Carter, Herbert, active 1909-1917
A group of resourceful young scouts finds their river excursion turned into a perilous test of survival when a sudden flood sweeps them away on a derelict boat. They must navigate both the rising waters and a pair of dangerous criminals to make it home safely.
The Long Chance
Peter B. (Peter Bernard) Kyne
A spirited, red-headed drifter fights to reclaim a desert valley from corrupt land-grabbers, finding redemption and love in the vast, unforgiving landscape of the American West.
The True Travels, Adventures, and Observations of Captain John Smith into Europe, Asia, Africa, and America: From Ann. Dom. 1593 to 1629
John Smith
A restless soldier of fortune recounts his improbable survival through decades of global warfare, oceanic piracy, and brutal enslavement across the seventeenth-century world.
The Dealings of Captain Sharkey, and Other Tales of Pirates
Arthur Conan Doyle
This collection of maritime adventures captures the ruthless spirit of piracy and the chilling isolation of the high seas through the exploits of a legendary, cold-blooded buccaneer.
The Old Man of the Mountain
Herbert Strang
A trio of British adventurers infiltrates a hidden, high-altitude sanctuary in the Himalayas, where a mysterious despot rules through fear, hypnotic technology, and the forced labor of enslaved captives.
The Radio Boys at Ocean Point
Allen Chapman
Four teenage radio enthusiasts turn their amateur wireless hobby into a tool for justice and maritime rescue during a summer of high-stakes outdoor adventure.
True Blue
William Henry Giles Kingston
The sea offers no quarter, and honor is found not in rank, but in the steady performance of one’s duty amid the roar of gales and the thunder of broadsides.
Under the red robe
Stanley John Weyman
A notorious gambler and duellist finds his life hanging by a thread, only to be offered a reprieve by the most powerful man in France—provided he can betray the woman he has come to love.
Where Your Treasure Is: Being the Personal Narrative of Ross Sidney, Diver
Holman Day
HOOK A young diver finds his life transformed by the lure of "maverick" treasure, moving from the quiet desperation of a small-town upbringing to the high-stakes, lawless world of deep-sea salvage.
A Desperate Chance
Old Sleuth
This is a quintessential adventure of the late nineteenth century, centering on the grit and moral fortitude of a young man who rises from poverty to prosperity through pluck and serendipity. It is an earnest, fast-paced tale that leans into the period’s fascination with "tramps," hidden riches, and the romantic…
Pierre and His People: Tales of the Far North. Complete
Gilbert Parker
The vast, unforgiving expanse of the Canadian North serves as a crucible for the human spirit, where survival, morality, and honor are stripped of civilization’s veneer.
The Red Rover: A Tale
James Fenimore Cooper
A mysterious captain stalks the Atlantic under a blood-red flag, his vessel’s true purpose hidden from both the law and his own restless crew.
The Story of Porcelain
Sara Ware Bassett
This volume invites readers into the meticulous, fire-tempered world of ceramic creation, blending a boy’s quiet recovery with the history of a craft that turned mud into civilization. It is an exploration of how humanity’s oldest vessels have shaped our understanding of the past and the possibilities of our own…
The Sword of Antietam: A Story of the Nation's Crisis
Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler
The young soldier stands at the center of a national storm, his path defined by the clash of vast, unforgiving armies and the fragile endurance of his own convictions.
The Thrall of Leif the Lucky: A Story of Viking Days
Ottilie A. (Ottilia Adelina) Liljencrantz
HOOK Driven by the clash of ancient beliefs and the promise of a New World, a young thrall finds his destiny entwined with the legendary Viking explorer Leif Eriksson.
The Veiled Man: Being an Account of the Risks and Adventures of Sidi Ahamadou, Sheikh of the Azjar Maraude
William Le Queux
This collection of desert memoirs follows a nomadic warrior through a landscape of lost cities, forbidden treasures, and the brutal realities of Saharan tribal life. It is a vivid, if darkly adventurous, portrait of a world governed by blood feuds and shifting allegiances.
Turned Adrift
Harry Collingwood
A crew cast adrift by mutineers must rely on ingenuity and sheer grit to survive the perils of the open ocean and a remote volcanic island.
Wyoming: A Story of the Outdoor West
William MacLeod Raine
HOOK A young woman drives her automobile into the vast, silent heart of Wyoming, only to find herself caught in a deadly feud between a rugged sheepman and a ruthless local king.
Reed Anthony, Cowman: An Autobiography
Andy Adams
This autobiography traces the rise of a self-made cattleman from the post-Civil War era to the twilight of the open range. It is a detailed, grounded account of a life defined by the rhythmic demands of the trail.
Round About the North Pole
W. J. (William John) Gordon
This survey of Arctic history chronicles centuries of human perseverance in the frozen North, charting the shift from early commercial ambitions to the singular, obsessive quest to reach the Pole.
The Academy Boys in Camp
Keene, S. F., Mrs.
A group of schoolboys spends a summer on an island, navigating the challenges of nature, their own morality, and the firm, guiding hand of their teacher.
The Fifth Ace
Isabel Ostrander
An adventurous young woman, raised in the rough-and-tumble of Mexican mining camps, must navigate the treacherous waters of high-society deception to claim her true identity and the inheritance that belongs to her.
The Last Trail
Zane Grey
A rugged frontiersman and a spirited woman find their fates intertwined within the perilous, untamed wilderness of the Ohio Valley, where survival depends on sharp instincts and steady nerves.
The Life and Adventures of Bruce, the African Traveller
Head, Francis Bond, Sir
A man of indomitable spirit traverses the perilous, uncharted deserts and highlands of Africa, driven by a singular, obsessive quest to locate the hidden source of the Nile.
A Vagabond's Odyssey: being further reminiscences of a wandering sailor-troubadour in many lands
A. (Arnold) Safroni-Middleton
A wandering musician traverses the globe, finding beauty and profound humanity in the unlikeliest corners of the earth. His journey celebrates the spirit of the vagabond, proving that true wealth lies in memory rather than coin.
Do and Dare
Alger, Horatio, Jr.
After losing his mother’s meager livelihood, a young man leaves his small town to seek his fortune, ultimately finding prosperity through hard work, unexpected friendship, and a series of perilous Western adventures.
Ocean to Ocean on Horseback: Being the Story of a Tour in the Saddle from the Atlantic to the Pacific
Willard W. Glazier
The vast American landscape unfolds through the singular perspective of a lone rider on horseback. This expansive travelogue documents a grueling journey across the continent, capturing the rapid transformation of the nineteenth-century frontier.
Out with Garibaldi: A story of the liberation of Italy
G. A. (George Alfred) Henty
Young Frank Percival exchanges the playing fields of Harrow for the battle-scarred landscape of Risorgimento Italy, driven by a desperate hope that his missing father still languishes in a dungeon.
The Lone Ranger Rides
Fran Striker
The lone, masked rider patrols the Texas frontier, a phantom force for justice whose identity remains hidden even after his work is done. He is a defender of the defenseless, bound by a vow to right wrongs wherever he finds them.
The Pillar of Light
Louis Tracy
A stalwart lighthouse keeper and his two daughters endure a treacherous hurricane, only to find their isolated rock becoming a sanctuary for survivors—and a crucible for long-buried family secrets.
The Splendid Spur: Being Memoirs of the Adventures of Mr. John Marvel, a Servant of His Late Majesty King Charles I, in the Years 1642-3
Arthur Quiller-Couch
A young man is thrust into the chaos of the English Civil War, carrying a secret letter that makes him a target for both king and rebel.
Daring and Suffering: A History of the Great Railroad Adventure
William Pittenger
A daring mission to cripple the Confederate rail network turns into a grueling survival story of capture, imprisonment, and final liberation.
Mars is My Destination
Frank Belknap Long
The future of humanity’s first interplanetary colony hangs by a thread as industrial giants wage a shadow war for control of Mars. One man must navigate this deadly landscape of sabotage, corporate conspiracy, and lethal ambition.
On the dodge
Will James
A drifting cowboy finds himself ensnared in a web of mistaken identity when he pursues a horse thief. The ensuing struggle for justice pits his wits against the law and his own desperate circumstances.
Ralestone Luck
Andre Norton
HOOK The Ralestone siblings return to their ancestral Louisiana home to reclaim their heritage, only to find that history—and a long-lost talisman—still holds the power to change their lives.
St. Nicholas Magazine for Boys and Girls, Vol. 13, May 1886, No. 7.: An Illustrated Magazine for Young Folks
Various
This vintage magazine collection offers a window into the nineteenth-century Victorian imagination, blending earnest moral instruction with the playful curiosity of childhood. It serves as a bustling, multi-faceted portal to a lost world of intellectual and imaginative growth.
The Great Salt Lake Trail
Henry Inman
This work documents the rugged evolution of the American West, blending historical analysis with the firsthand frontier experiences of a veteran army officer and a legendary scout.
The Master Key: An Electrical Fairy Tale Founded Upon the Mysteries of Electricity
L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum
A young boy accidentally summons a powerful supernatural force of electricity, gaining godlike tools that thrust him into a whirlwind of global adventure and moral consequence.
The Old Adam: A Story of Adventure
Arnold Bennett
The sudden, restless urge of a provincial businessman to conquer the London stage leads him into a labyrinth of celebrity, high-stakes finance, and the intoxicating pursuit of a woman who represents everything his quiet life lacks. This is a story of the "old Adam"—the irrepressible, impulsive, and often absurd…
The River Motor Boat Boys on the Yukon: The Lost Mine of Rainbow Bend
Harry Gordon
Four adventurous boys pilot their sleek motor boat into the rugged heart of the Alaskan wilderness, seeking hidden gold and facing dangerous men in a race against the encroaching Arctic winter.
Under Wolfe's Flag
Rowland Walker
Two restless boys escape their provincial village for the high seas, eventually finding themselves entangled in the brutal frontier conflicts of the Seven Years' War in North America.
Corporal Cameron of the North West Mounted Police: A Tale of the Macleod Trail
Ralph Connor
A disgraced Scottish athlete seeks redemption in the rugged wilds of the Canadian frontier, finding his true character while serving in the North West Mounted Police.
Kate Bonnet: The Romance of a Pirate's Daughter
Frank R. Stockton
This is a tale of a daughter’s devotion navigating the absurdity of a gentleman-turned-pirate father. It balances the high-seas dangers of the colonial Caribbean with the quiet, persistent loyalty of those left behind.
Outdoor pastimes of an American hunter
Theodore Roosevelt
The American wilderness, once a vast frontier for the professional hunter, reveals its final secrets through the eyes of a man who lived the transition from pioneer life to conservationist.
Ranching, Sport and Travel
Thomas Carson
The memoir of a restless, self-reliant Victorian adventurer who traded the tea gardens of India for the rugged challenges of the American frontier before circling the globe.