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Biographies — page 64

3,136 public-domain biographies books, summarised. Page 64 of 66.

Cover of Memoirs of the Marchioness of Pompadour (vol. 2 of 2)

Memoirs of the Marchioness of Pompadour (vol. 2 of 2)

Pompadour, Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, marquise de

A royal favorite recounts the inner workings of an eighteenth-century court, revealing how the private whims of a monarch and the maneuvering of ministers shaped the trajectory of a fading superpower.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Memorial Address on the Life and Character of Abraham Lincoln: Delivered at the request of both Houses of Congress of America

Memorial Address on the Life and Character of Abraham Lincoln: Delivered at the request of both Houses of Congress of America

George Bancroft

A solemn, expansive tribute, this oration frames the life of a fallen leader as the inevitable, providential climax of the American struggle for freedom.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Nelka: Mrs. Helen de Smirnoff Moukhanoff, 1878-1963, a Biographical Sketch

Nelka: Mrs. Helen de Smirnoff Moukhanoff, 1878-1963, a Biographical Sketch

Michael Moukhanoff

Living across two continents and through a century of sudden, total collapse, one woman searches relentlessly for an inner peace equal to her exterior courage.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Some Personal Recollections of Dr. Janeway

Some Personal Recollections of Dr. Janeway

James Bayard Clark

A junior physician paints an affectionate portrait of America’s most revered diagnostician, capturing the quiet discipline, absolute integrity, and unpretentious wisdom that defined a landmark medical career.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of The privations of a private : The campaign under Gen. R. E. Lee

The privations of a private : The campaign under Gen. R. E. Lee

Marcus B. (Marcus Breckenridge) Toney

The life of a Confederate soldier is defined not by glory, but by the relentless, grinding struggle for simple survival amidst the chaos of a fractured nation.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Civil War Experiences, 1862-1865: Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Buzzard Roost, Resaca, Rome, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Averysboro, Bentonville

Civil War Experiences, 1862-1865: Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Buzzard Roost, Resaca, Rome, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Averysboro, Bentonville

Edward Mott Robbins

A veteran’s unvarnished account captures the grueling reality of a soldier’s life in the 78th Illinois Infantry, from the Mississippi River to the final, hard-won victory of the Grand Review.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Diary of Samuel Pepys

Diary of Samuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys

A life lived in the margins of history, this record transforms the daily grind of a mid-level bureaucrat into an extraordinary, unvarnished window into the pulse of Restoration England.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Diary of Samuel Pepys

Diary of Samuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys

The most intimate record of a life ever written, these pages capture the vibrant, messy pulse of 17th-century London through the eyes of a man obsessed with his own rise and the state of the world.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Personal Experiences of S. O. Susag

Personal Experiences of S. O. Susag

S. O. Susag

This account of a life spent traveling as a missionary evangelist offers a vivid, rugged perspective on early twentieth-century religious fervor and the practice of faith-based living.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Recollections of the Private Life of Napoleon

Recollections of the Private Life of Napoleon

Louis Constant Wairy

A man who stood in the shadow of history offers an intimate, unvarnished look at the daily routines and private habits of the most powerful figure in nineteenth-century Europe.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Reminiscences, Incidents, Battles, Marches and Camp Life of the Old 4th Michigan Infantry in War of Rebellion, 1861 to 1864

Reminiscences, Incidents, Battles, Marches and Camp Life of the Old 4th Michigan Infantry in War of Rebellion, 1861 to 1864

Orvey S. Barrett

A firsthand account of the Civil War, this narrative bridges the gap between grand military strategy and the gritty, chaotic reality of infantry life.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Tex : A chapter in the life of Alexander Teixeira de Mattos

Tex : A chapter in the life of Alexander Teixeira de Mattos

Stephen McKenna

Rising at dawn to translate continental masterpieces before managing wartime intelligence and evening bridge, a legendary scholar lives with fierce wit and profound industry.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Mentor: Napoleon Bonaparte, Serial No. 38

The Mentor: Napoleon Bonaparte, Serial No. 38

Ida M. (Ida Minerva) Tarbell

Napoleon Bonaparte remains a figure of singular intensity, whose meteoric rise from obscurity to the mastery of Europe and eventual fall continues to challenge our understanding of ambition and power.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 20, No. 571 (Supplementary Number)

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 20, No. 571 (Supplementary Number)

Various

This biographical portrait explores the life and labor of a legendary Scottish author, tracing his journey from a sickly, book-obsessed youth to a celebrated writer grappling with profound personal tragedy and financial ruin.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Diary of Samuel Pepys

Diary of Samuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys

Early modern London pulses through ledger entries, tavern brawls, royal coronations, and domestic exasperation, recorded with unsparingly human fidelity.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Memoirs of Madame la Marquise de Montespan

Memoirs of Madame la Marquise de Montespan

Madame de Montespan

Behind the gilded facades of Versailles lies a world of secret passions, grim imprisonments, and sharp courtly wit.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Recollections of the Private Life of Napoleon

Recollections of the Private Life of Napoleon

Louis Constant Wairy

Napoleon's life is defined by restless movement, endless military campaigns, and absolute command, all viewed intimately from the vantage point of his first valet de chambre.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of A Sketch of the Life and Labors of George Whitefield

A Sketch of the Life and Labors of George Whitefield

J. C. (John Charles) Ryle

A man of singular purpose, George Whitefield emerged from humble origins to become a transformative force in eighteenth-century religion, using his extraordinary eloquence to challenge a stagnant church and reach thousands with his message.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Billy and Hans, My Squirrel Friends: A True History

Billy and Hans, My Squirrel Friends: A True History

William James Stillman

Two rescued squirrels transform a traveler’s view of the natural world, teaching him a profound, lasting lesson about universal love and compassion for all living things.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of Colonel Sion S. Bass, 1827-1862

Colonel Sion S. Bass, 1827-1862

Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County

Born in Kentucky and established in Fort Wayne as a foundryman, Sion Bass left a prosperous civilian life to command the Thirtieth Indiana Volunteers, dying of wounds received at Shiloh.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of John Brown: A Retrospect: Read before The Worcester Society of Antiquity, Dec. 2, 1884

John Brown: A Retrospect: Read before The Worcester Society of Antiquity, Dec. 2, 1884

Alfred S. (Alfred Seelye) Roe

Twenty-five years after his execution, John Brown’s radical martyrdom remains a towering crucible through which a divided nation reckon with the legacy of slavery and civil war.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Memoir of Old Elizabeth, A Coloured Woman

Memoir of Old Elizabeth, A Coloured Woman

Old Elizabeth

A lifetime of deep spiritual conviction guides an enslaved woman from the fields of Maryland to a lifelong ministry of resilient preaching across North America.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of My past and thoughts, vol. 3 (of 6)

My past and thoughts, vol. 3 (of 6)

Aleksandr Herzen

Exiled by autocracy and disillusioned by the failure of 1848, a displaced Russian intellectual navigates the shifting wreckage of European revolution, private grief, and political betrayal.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of Sappho

Sappho

T. G. (Thomas George) Tucker

On the island of Lesbos twenty-five centuries ago, a supreme lyric voice captured the bitter-sweet fires of human passion with unmatched artistic control.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of The Eulogies of Howard: A Vision

The Eulogies of Howard: A Vision

William Hayley

An extraordinary journey through celestial realms reveals the unmatched virtues of a humble philanthropist, celebrating a life dedicated to easing human suffering.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of By-ways on Service: Notes from an Australian Journal

By-ways on Service: Notes from an Australian Journal

Hector Dinning

The journey leads from the busy ports of the Suez Canal through the bustling cafes of Cairo and Alexandria to the shattering desolation of the Western Front.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of The martyrdom of Nurse Cavell: The life story of the victim of Germany's most barbarous crime

The martyrdom of Nurse Cavell: The life story of the victim of Germany's most barbarous crime

William Thomson Hill

An English nurse in occupied Brussels faces a secret military tribunal and a dawn firing squad for sheltering allied soldiers, leaving a legacy of quiet courage that shakes a world at war.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of A Life's Story, In Poetry. Other Poems

A Life's Story, In Poetry. Other Poems

Dennison Woodcock

Through ninety-one years of memory and rustic toil, a lone craftsman chronicles a century of shifting landscapes, quiet sorrows, and the steady march of human progress.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of Diary of Samuel Pepys

Diary of Samuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys

A detailed account of the political and social landscape of England during the Restoration period.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of On the mechanism of the physiological action of the cathartics

On the mechanism of the physiological action of the cathartics

John Bruce MacCallum

How do simple salts prompt the human body into motion? Through careful observation of living tissue, a brilliant young physiologist uncovers the hidden mechanical dialogue of the intestine.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Memoirs of Count Grammont

The Memoirs of Count Grammont

Hamilton, Anthony, Count

Arriving in London shortly after the Restoration, a sharp-witted French exile finds a glittering, scandalous court ripe for mischief, romance, and endless entertainment.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13

Various

A leading nineteenth-century periodical chronicles the triumphs of modern science, architectural novelties, and the brilliant life and legacy of chemist Sir Humphry Davy.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of William de Colchester, Abbot of Westminster

William de Colchester, Abbot of Westminster

Ernest Harold Pearce

A forgotten figure of the Middle Ages emerges from centuries of silence to reveal the complex, practical, and often dangerous life of a high-ranking Benedictine monk.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of A Chronicle of Jails

A Chronicle of Jails

Darrell Figgis

A record of the Irish struggle from the inside, this memoir captures the grim reality of life for political prisoners during the aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising. It documents the transition from individual confinement to the collective resistance of a nascent national movement.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of Diary of Samuel Pepys

Diary of Samuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys

Against the backdrop of a desolating plague and distant naval wars, a meticulous official counts his growing fortune, manages the King's ships, and chronicles the fragile pulse of seventeenth-century London.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Educational laws of Virginia

Educational laws of Virginia

Margaret Crittenden Douglass

This account details the arrest and imprisonment of a Southern woman for the "crime" of teaching free African American children to read. It serves as both a personal memoir and a sharp critique of 19th-century legislative hypocrisy.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency

Memoirs of Louis XIV and His Court and of the Regency

Saint-Simon, Louis de Rouvroy, duc de

Starving subjects fund royal pageantry while a shadowed Court gambles on sudden death; an insider records the glittering, rotting heart of Versailles.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of A Peep Into the Past

A Peep Into the Past

Beerbohm, Max, Sir

This essay reimagines an infamous cultural icon as a mundane, retired Victorian gentleman, crafting a surreal portrait of a life that never actually happened. It serves as a masterful, dry-witted exercise in literary "what-if" satire.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Charles Chapin's story

Charles Chapin's story

Charles E. Chapin

The mighty gates of circumstance turn on the smallest hinge, and one man’s path leads from the pinnacle of New York journalism to the depths of a prison cell. This memoir chronicles a life defined by professional obsession and a singular, devastating act of violence.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Diary of Samuel Pepys

Diary of Samuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys

A private record of a public life, this journal offers an unrivaled window into the mundane and momentous details of 17th-century London. It remains a masterpiece because it captures the human experience with such startling, unvarnished honesty.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Diary of Samuel Pepys

Diary of Samuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys

A man’s most intimate, unfiltered record of seventeenth-century London, documenting the mundane and the momentous with equal intensity. It captures the rise of a public servant through the corridors of power and the shadows of a personal life.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of George Sand

George Sand

Justin McCarthy

This portrait of a legendary French novelist explores how a singular, defiant life shaped a body of work that challenged the world’s most rigid social conventions. It offers a balanced look at an icon who dared to live and write on her own terms.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Sixty years with Plymouth Church

Sixty years with Plymouth Church

Stephen Morrell Griswold

A eyewitness account of a famous Brooklyn congregation captures six decades of American spiritual life, political upheaval, and pulpit eloquence.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 20, No. 584. (Supplement to Vol. 20)

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 20, No. 584. (Supplement to Vol. 20)

Various

This nineteenth-century miscellany offers a curated window into the Victorian era, blending scientific discovery, poetic reflection, and travelogue to satisfy the intellectual curiosity of a public hungry for both instruction and amusement.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The story of Dr. Duff

The story of Dr. Duff

A. L. O. E.

A portrait of missionary zeal, this account chronicles the trials and triumphs of a man who left his Scottish home to dedicate his life to the education and conversion of India’s youth.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of The Supplies for the Confederate Army,: how they were obtained in Europe and how paid for

The Supplies for the Confederate Army,: how they were obtained in Europe and how paid for

Caleb Huse

A logistics officer for the Confederate Army recounts his perilous, clandestine efforts to secure modern weaponry from European markets while navigating the tightening grip of a North American naval blockade.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of A Soldier's Experience in Southern Prisons: A Graphic Description of the Author's Experiences in Various Southern Prisons

A Soldier's Experience in Southern Prisons: A Graphic Description of the Author's Experiences in Various Southern Prisons

Christian Miller Prutsman

A lieutenant’s candid account of his capture, incarceration, and eventual escape during the American Civil War, this narrative offers a stark, unvarnished look at the realities of life within Southern military prisons.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Diary of Samuel Pepys

Diary of Samuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys

This is an unparalleled window into the seventeenth century, documenting the daily existence of a high-ranking naval official as he navigates the professional pressures, social entanglements, and sensory details of his era.

Biographies7 min read