myebooksbuy
My Books

Free summaries

Biographies — page 46

2,466 public-domain biographies books, summarised. Page 46 of 52.

Cover of Life of Henry Martyn, Missionary to India and Persia, 1781 to 1812

Life of Henry Martyn, Missionary to India and Persia, 1781 to 1812

Sarah J. Rhea

HOOK Driven by a restless, scholarly intellect and a profound, singular devotion, a young academic leaves the comfort of England to translate the Scriptures in the heat and peril of India and Persia.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Life of Thomas à Becket

Life of Thomas à Becket

Henry Hart Milman

The dramatic clash between a king and his former friend, who transforms from a worldly chancellor into a defiant martyr, remains one of the most compelling chapters in English history.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Memoir of Queen Adelaide, Consort of King William IV

Memoir of Queen Adelaide, Consort of King William IV

Dr. (John) Doran

A quiet, steady life of duty unfolds within these pages, revealing a woman who navigated the tumultuous storms of British reform and royal expectation with unyielding grace and private kindness.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Robert Fulton

Robert Fulton

Alice Crary Sutcliffe

An ambitious Pennsylvania farm boy spends his youth painting portraits and designing mechanical draftings, eventually crossing the Atlantic to reshape global commerce and military strategy through the power of steam and underwater navigation.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Confessions of a Collector

The Confessions of a Collector

William Carew Hazlitt

A career spent chasing rare books and coins offers a glimpse into the vanished world of 19th-century collecting, where a sharp eye could turn a dusty shop discovery into a lifetime of scholarly satisfaction.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Vicar of Morwenstow: Being a Life of Robert Stephen Hawker, M.A

The Vicar of Morwenstow: Being a Life of Robert Stephen Hawker, M.A

S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould

A singular, restless spirit finds his home on the wild Cornish coast, where poetry, eccentricity, and a deep, unconventional devotion collide. This life story traces the arc of a man who lived as much in his own vivid dreams as in the physical world.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Virgin Saints and Martyrs

Virgin Saints and Martyrs

S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould

The devotion of extraordinary women—from the early martyrs of Rome to the Victorian nurses of England—remains a powerful, if often overlooked, force in the shaping of history.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of William Tyndale

William Tyndale

James J. (James Joseph) Ellis

The scholar who gave common people the Bible in their own language paid for the gift with his life, leaving behind a legacy that fundamentally shaped the English tongue and the spiritual history of his nation.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of A Society Clown: Reminiscences

A Society Clown: Reminiscences

George Grossmith

HOOK This memoir offers a candid, witty window into the Victorian stage, charting the life of a performer who navigated both the prestigious Savoy Theatre and the intimate, often unpredictable world of private drawing-room entertainment.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of John Gutenberg, First Master Printer: His Acts and Most Remarkable Discourses and his Death

John Gutenberg, First Master Printer: His Acts and Most Remarkable Discourses and his Death

Franz von Dingelstedt

The life of a visionary is often marked by obscurity, and this account follows the inventor of the printing press through his final years of struggle, blindness, and exile.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Memoirs of Sir Wemyss Reid 1842-1885

Memoirs of Sir Wemyss Reid 1842-1885

T. Wemyss (Thomas Wemyss) Reid

The life of a Victorian journalist reveals the intersection of personal ambition, national politics, and the rapid, often turbulent, evolution of the British press during the nineteenth century.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Starr King in California

Starr King in California

William Day Simonds

A preacher of rare eloquence and magnetism arrives in San Francisco just as the Civil War begins, single-handedly turning the tide of public opinion to secure California for the Union.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Life of James Renwick: A Historical Sketch Of His Life, Labours And Martyrdom And A

The Life of James Renwick: A Historical Sketch Of His Life, Labours And Martyrdom And A

Thomas Houston

This historical sketch chronicles the final, defiant years of the seventeenth-century Scottish Covenanters through the life and ultimate sacrifice of their last martyr, James Renwick.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of A Woman's Part in a Revolution

A Woman's Part in a Revolution

Natalie Harris Hammond

A woman navigates the harrowing uncertainty of the 1895–1896 Johannesburg political uprising, finding herself caught between the clash of empires and the personal agony of her husband’s imprisonment.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of John Knox

John Knox

William M. (William Mackergo) Taylor

The life of a man whose singular voice once rattled the foundations of kingdoms, this biography traces the arc of a revolutionary spirit who redirected the course of Scottish history. It offers an intimate portrait of a Reformer who sought not personal power, but the total alignment of the state with his conscience.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Me: A Book of Remembrance

Me: A Book of Remembrance

Onoto Watanna

Driven by youthful ambition and a restless spirit, a young woman leaves home to navigate the precarious professional and social landscapes of early twentieth-century North America.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Professor W. G. Elmslie, D.D.: Memoir and Sermons

Professor W. G. Elmslie, D.D.: Memoir and Sermons

William Gray Elmslie

This portrait of a brilliant Scottish theologian captures a life of profound intellectual intensity and active pastoral warmth, cut short in its prime. It is both a tribute to a remarkable man and a collection of his most enduring insights.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Secrets of the German War Office

The Secrets of the German War Office

Armgaard Karl Graves

A self-proclaimed German spy details the clandestine maneuvers, political intrigues, and military preparations that preceded the outbreak of the First World War.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Through the school: The experiences of a mill boy in securing an education

Through the school: The experiences of a mill boy in securing an education

Frederic Kenyon Brown

A nineteen-year-old mill worker arrives at a university with little more than three dollars and an unwavering resolve to educate himself. This account traces his journey from a manual laborer to a college graduate, revealing the profound personal costs and triumphs of such an ascent.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of With Manchesters in the East

With Manchesters in the East

Hurst, Gerald B. (Gerald Berkeley), Sir

The Territorial soldier of the Great War was often a man of humble civilian origins whose quiet devotion to duty, rather than professional martial training, defined his contribution to the global conflict. This account preserves the memory of those citizen-soldiers who served in the East, capturing the mixture of…

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Andersonville: A Story of Rebel Military Prisons

Andersonville: A Story of Rebel Military Prisons

John McElroy

A harrowing, firsthand account of life and death within the Confederacy's most notorious prison, this record chronicles the endurance of Union soldiers facing starvation, disease, and the collapse of humanity behind a wooden stockade.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Life of Robert Browning

Life of Robert Browning

William Sharp

This life of a titan of Victorian literature balances intimate biographical detail with a critical survey of the poet’s complex, often challenging body of work. It captures the essential trajectory of a genius who remained unfazed by both early neglect and late-life adulation.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of The 1926 Tatler

The 1926 Tatler

Unknown

This artifact of 1920s American adolescence serves as a time capsule for Northrop Collegiate School, capturing the earnest spirit, social hierarchies, and daily rituals of a private Minneapolis education.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of A Narrative of the Siege of Delhi: With an Account of the Mutiny at Ferozepore in 1857

A Narrative of the Siege of Delhi: With an Account of the Mutiny at Ferozepore in 1857

Charles John Griffiths

This memoir offers a candid, firsthand perspective on the 1857 Indian Rebellion, documenting the grueling siege of Delhi through the eyes of a British officer serving with the 61st Foot.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Anne Hyde, Duchess of York

Anne Hyde, Duchess of York

J. R. Henslowe

A daughter of the English establishment rises to the throne’s shadow, navigating the volatile currents of the 17th-century court. Her path is marked by secret romance, political exile, and the heavy toll of royal life.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Forty Years at El Paso, 1858-1898

Forty Years at El Paso, 1858-1898

W. W. (William Wallace) Mills

Around my fire a friendly group to draw And tell of all I felt and all I saw.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of From the Rapidan to Richmond and the Spottsylvania Campaign: A Sketch in Personal Narration of the Scenes a Soldier Saw

From the Rapidan to Richmond and the Spottsylvania Campaign: A Sketch in Personal Narration of the Scenes a Soldier Saw

William Meade Dame

A young artilleryman recounts the grueling final campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia, documenting a soldier’s daily life amidst the thunder of the Wilderness and the slaughter of Spottsylvania.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Gouverneur Morris

Gouverneur Morris

Theodore Roosevelt

This brisk, insightful biography recovers the reputation of a brilliant Founding Father. It follows a sharp-witted diplomat from the American Revolution through the chaotic rise and fall of the French monarchy.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of In the Claws of the German Eagle

In the Claws of the German Eagle

Albert Rhys Williams

A self-described pacifist travels into the heart of the Great War, only to find his convictions shattered as he is swept into the terrifying, mesmerizing vortex of the conflict.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman, Volume II., Part 3

Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman, Volume II., Part 3

William T. (William Tecumseh) Sherman

Through the lens of a relentless commander, this narrative chronicles the decisive campaigns of 1864, revealing the tactical calculations and hard truths that defined the struggle for the American South.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Memoirs of the Late War, Vol 1 (of 2): Comprising the Personal Narrative of Captain Cooke, of the 43rd Regiment Light Infantry

Memoirs of the Late War, Vol 1 (of 2): Comprising the Personal Narrative of Captain Cooke, of the 43rd Regiment Light Infantry

Cooke, John Henry, Sir

These memoirs capture the visceral, day-to-day reality of a British officer serving in the Light Infantry during the Peninsular War, charting a journey from youthful romantic musings to the stark, bloody business of siege warfare.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Personal recollections of the war of 1861

Personal recollections of the war of 1861

Charles A. (Charles Augustus) Fuller

A law student leaves his books for the front, joining the 61st New York Infantry to witness the brutal reality of the Civil War. His memoir captures the transition from patriotic idealist to battle-hardened veteran.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Station Amusements in New Zealand

Station Amusements in New Zealand

Lady (Mary Anne) Barker

This collection of reminiscences offers an intimate, unvarnished portrait of colonial life in New Zealand, capturing the everyday rhythms and absurdities of a remote sheep station. It is a vivid, firsthand account of domestic endurance, unexpected dangers, and the quiet beauty of a rugged, untamed landscape.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Life and Beauties of Fanny Fern

The Life and Beauties of Fanny Fern

William U. Moulton

A portrait of a literary firebrand, this volume captures the rise of a woman who turned personal hardship into a sharp-edged public voice. It invites readers to look behind the curtain of a celebrated nineteenth-century writer.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of Thomas Campbell

Thomas Campbell

J. Cuthbert (James Cuthbert) Hadden

A candid portrait of a nineteenth-century literary star whose early fame faded into a lifetime of financial struggle, personal tragedy, and chronic melancholy.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of William Penn

William Penn

Rupert Sargent Holland

The son of an English Admiral trades a life of courtly privilege for the radical, persecuted faith of the Quakers, ultimately carving a "green country town" out of the American wilderness to serve as a sanctuary.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of A Day with the Poet Tennyson

A Day with the Poet Tennyson

Unknown

This contemplative portrait invites readers into the secluded, rhythmically ordered world of Alfred Tennyson, revealing the domestic life and creative habits of a man whose verse captured the nineteenth century.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Memoirs of an American Lady: With Sketches of Manners and Scenery in America, as They Existed Previous to the Revolution

Memoirs of an American Lady: With Sketches of Manners and Scenery in America, as They Existed Previous to the Revolution

Anne MacVicar Grant

These recollections offer a rare, intimate window into the vanishing world of pre-Revolutionary Albany, capturing the vanished grace of a colonial society built on Dutch traditions, frontier resilience, and communal duty.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Narrative of Captivity in Abyssinia with Some Account of the Late Emperor the Late Emperor Theodore, His Country and People

Narrative of Captivity in Abyssinia with Some Account of the Late Emperor the Late Emperor Theodore, His Country and People

Henry Blanc

A gripping eyewitness account of a diplomatic mission turned nightmare, where a desperate struggle for freedom unfolds against the erratic, violent backdrop of an Ethiopian monarch’s final, crumbling reign.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Life of Abraham Lincoln

The Life of Abraham Lincoln

Henry Ketcham

This portrait of a backwoods lawyer who rose to preserve a fracturing nation traces a journey from the log cabin to the martyr’s grave. It captures the quiet persistence of a man tasked with history’s heaviest burden.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the History of Penny Postage, Vol. 1 (of 2)

The Life of Sir Rowland Hill and the History of Penny Postage, Vol. 1 (of 2)

Hill, Rowland, Sir

A visionary reformer transforms a cumbersome, exclusionary communication system into a universal service, proving that lowering costs can paradoxically ignite growth and social progress.

Biographies8 min read
Cover of Thomas Henry Huxley: A Character Sketch

Thomas Henry Huxley: A Character Sketch

Leonard Huxley

An intellectual dynamo of the Victorian age, this man of science fought for the truth with the ferocity of a gladiator and the tenderness of a devoted husband.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of A Moslem seeker after God

A Moslem seeker after God

Samuel Marinus Zwemer

A restless search for ultimate truth drives a brilliant philosopher away from academic fame and into years of solitary pilgrimage across the medieval Islamic world.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Adventures and Recollections

Adventures and Recollections

Bill o'th' Hoylus End

This memoir captures the restless, wandering life of a self-styled "son of Mischief, Art and Guile" navigating the industrial landscape of nineteenth-century Yorkshire. It serves as a candid, vivid chronicle of a man who refused to be defined by the rigid expectations of his time.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Mrs. Maybrick's Own Story: My Fifteen Lost Years

Mrs. Maybrick's Own Story: My Fifteen Lost Years

Florence Elizabeth Maybrick

An American woman endures fifteen years of harsh British imprisonment after a flawed court trial convicts her of poisoning her husband.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Oration on the Life and Character of Henry Winter Davis

Oration on the Life and Character of Henry Winter Davis

John A. J. (John Angel James) Creswell

The life of a resolute champion for the American Union, framed by the solemnity of a memorial address delivered in the halls of Congress shortly after the Civil War.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of The Manifestation of the Miraculous Medal: A Brief Account of Its History and of the Establishment of the Association

The Manifestation of the Miraculous Medal: A Brief Account of Its History and of the Establishment of the Association

Association of the Miraculous Medal

This historical account details the origins of the Miraculous Medal and the formal establishment of its devotional association, centering on the visionary experiences of a French nun in the early nineteenth century.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Nation Behind Prison Bars

The Nation Behind Prison Bars

George L. (George Lewis) Herr

This collection of personal testimony, sermons, and correspondence documents the life and evangelistic mission of a Kentucky man dedicated to the spiritual and social rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals.

Biographies6 min read
Advertisement