Free summaries
Historical Novels — page 15
697 public-domain historical novels books, summarised. Page 15 of 15.
The Seats of the Mighty, Volume 1
Gilbert Parker
The struggle for supremacy in the New World plays out within the walls of a colonial dungeon, where one man’s survival rests on his refusal to surrender the secrets of a powerful French courtier.
A Thorny Path
Georg Ebers
The Roman emperor Caracalla brings his brutal reign to the city of Alexandria, leaving a trail of blood and fear that ultimately forces a young woman to flee for her life. Amidst this historical devastation, a small group of friends finds refuge and spiritual transformation.
Cleopatra
Georg Ebers
The final days of an empire serve as the backdrop for a quiet, intimate portrait of a legendary queen grappling with the consequences of her own ambition.
Homo Sum
Georg Ebers
The desert sands and granite peaks of Sinai mask a hidden war: a struggle between the fierce, ascetic devotion of religious hermits and the vibrant, worldly impulses of a young man discovering his own humanity.
In Macao
Charles A. Gunnison
A haunting atmosphere of colonial melancholy permeates this collection, where the languor of a fading seaport serves as the stage for a dramatic tale of jealousy, obsession, and the crushing weight of the past.
The Canadian Brothers
Major (John) Richardson
The conflict of the War of 1812 serves as the crucible for personal honor, shifting loyalties, and the clash of civilizations along the contested American-Canadian frontier.
Exiled for the Faith: A Tale of the Huguenot Persecution
William Henry Giles Kingston
A young Scottish gentleman ventures to France, only to find himself entangled in the violent religious conflicts of the sixteenth century, eventually fleeing across the Atlantic to find refuge in a fragile, embattled colony.
In the Fire of the Forge: A Romance of Old Nuremberg
Georg Ebers
Nuremberg serves as the crucible for a young woman’s spiritual awakening, where the fires of social upheaval and personal betrayal force her to choose between the cloister and the messy, painful work of the world.
The Lane That Had No Turning, Volume 1
Gilbert Parker
The quiet life of a once-celebrated singer is upended when her husband, a proud but physically deformed nobleman, descends into a lethal obsession with his own perceived honor and the legacy of his French-Canadian heritage.
Margery (Gred): A Tale Of Old Nuremberg
Georg Ebers
In the shadow of fifteenth-century Nuremberg, two young women navigate the volatile intersections of class, duty, and the enduring pull of a fractured love.
A Word, Only a Word
Georg Ebers
A journey of artistic discovery and personal maturation set against the rigid, perilous backdrop of 16th-century Madrid, this novel follows a young man seeking his place in the world of painters. It is a story of craft, loyalty, and the pursuit of mastery.
A Word, Only a Word
Georg Ebers
Ambition and love collide in the heart of a soldier who discovers that the pursuit of power is a hollow path, while redemption waits in the quiet bonds of family and craft.
The Bride of the Nile
Georg Ebers
A noble household in seventh-century Egypt unravels under the pressure of religious conflict, hidden passions, and a stolen jewel that threatens to shatter a family’s fragile honor.
Saint Patrick: 1887
Heman White Chaplin
Desperate streets breed unconventional mercy, but on a cold March evening in a waterfront mission, two Protestant ministers discover that even competing claims to doing good can end in silent, comical defeat.
The Emperor
Georg Ebers
The restless intellect of a ruler meets the volatile spirit of a city in a tale where imperial power shatters common lives. Beneath the grandeur of ancient Alexandria, the search for beauty and love collapses under the weight of pride.
The Seats of the Mighty, Volume 5
Gilbert Parker
The stage is set in the dying days of New France, where a captive soldier finds his destiny entangled with a high-born woman and a cunning aristocrat. Through the crumbling walls of Quebec, a volatile dance of loyalty, religion, and war unfolds.
Joshua
Georg Ebers
A high-ranking officer in Pharaoh’s army confronts his divided identity when his people, the Hebrews, rise against their Egyptian masters.
Joshua
Georg Ebers
The Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt serves as the stage for a private drama of political intrigue, forbidden love, and personal sacrifice. This novel weaves the biblical narrative into the intricate, often treacherous landscape of ancient Egyptian court life.
An Egyptian Princess
Georg Ebers
A royal tragedy of empires, this narrative captures the clash between the rigid, ancient traditions of Egypt and the rising, volatile power of the Persian throne. It is a historical epic of political intrigue, personal obsession, and the crushing weight of fate.
Homo Sum
Georg Ebers
The ascetic life of the desert cannot shield a son from the turbulence of the human heart, nor can the walls of an oasis keep the world’s desires at bay.
Joshua
Georg Ebers
This historical novel follows a high-ranking military officer who must choose between his allegiance to the Egyptian crown and his burgeoning, divinely inspired commitment to his Hebrew people. It is a story of duty, irreconcilable love, and the heavy cost of leadership.
The Trail of the Sword, Volume 4
Gilbert Parker
A bitter, long-standing rivalry between two men finds its ultimate test against the backdrop of a besieged Quebec, where a woman’s desperate journey to save her husband forces a final confrontation.
The Pomp of the Lavilettes, Volume 2
Gilbert Parker
A dying man seeks redemption through a desperate theft and a clandestine marriage, only to find that his past choices are shadows he cannot outrun.
The Emperor
Georg Ebers
An emperor stares into the indifferent night sky while his favored youth sets fire to a palace storehouse, caught in a web of imperial dread, lost relics, and desperate devotion.
A Thorny Path
Georg Ebers
A young gem-cutter and his children navigate grief and artistic ambition in ancient Alexandria during the tense autumn festival of the dead.