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34,239 public-domain books, summarised. Page 168 of 714.

Cover of Love for Love: A Comedy

Love for Love: A Comedy

William Congreve

A young lover in debt pretends to lose his mind to avoid losing his inheritance, only to find that the woman he adores is playing a far cleverer game of her own.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Some Turns of Thought in Modern Philosophy: Five Essays

Some Turns of Thought in Modern Philosophy: Five Essays

George Santayana

Modern intellectual turns—from historical British empiricism to quantum physics, psychoanalysis, and French theology—receive a steady, clarifying appraisal that exposes the human assumptions hiding inside abstract philosophy.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The Boys' Life of Mark Twain

The Boys' Life of Mark Twain

Albert Bigelow Paine

A barefoot boy on the Mississippi riverbanks grows into a celebrated world traveler, channeling his chaotic adventures, wild financial gambles, and deep personal losses into classic American literature.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 12

The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 12

Unknown

Across fifty volatile years, absolute monarchs, religious refugees, and calculating strategists remake the map of Europe and the boundaries of the known world.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)9 min read
Cover of The Kaiser's Memoirs

The Kaiser's Memoirs

German Emperor William II

To read this self-justifying chronicle is to observe an exiled monarch carefully polishing the armor of his own reputation while rewriting the collapse of an empire.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Plants of Michigan: Simple Keys for the Identification of the Native Seed Plants of the State

The Plants of Michigan: Simple Keys for the Identification of the Native Seed Plants of the State

Henry A. (Henry Allan) Gleason

A precise, practical guide for identifying Michigan’s native seed plants, designed to help observers transition from simple curiosity to confident recognition.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of The Prussian Officer

The Prussian Officer

D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence

Sweat drips beneath heavy helmets on dusty roads, where a sullen, bruised soldier marches behind the arrogant officer who beat him.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The wild duck

The wild duck

Henrik Ibsen

A family built on fragile illusions quietly disintegrates when an idealist demands total truth at any cost.

Plays/Films/Dramas7 min read
Cover of A Book of Strife in the Form of The Diary of an Old Soul

A Book of Strife in the Form of The Diary of an Old Soul

George MacDonald

To cry out from the depths of weariness is not to lose faith, but to discover where true strength resides.

Poetry7 min read
Cover of An encyclopedist of the dark ages: Isidore of Seville

An encyclopedist of the dark ages: Isidore of Seville

Ernest Brehaut

By stripping ancient scholarship to its barest components, a seventh-century bishop accidentally built the intellectual bridge that carried Classical antiquity into the Middle Ages.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood

Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood

George MacDonald

When a newly appointed country vicar arrives at his quiet parish, he expects a simple ministry, only to be drawn into the hidden heartbreaks, deep prejudices, and dark secrets of his flock.

British Literature8 min read
Cover of George Washington, Volume I

George Washington, Volume I

Henry Cabot Lodge

A human general of quiet, formidable resolves guides a fragile colonial cause through military desperation to national victory.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Jewellery

Jewellery

H. Clifford (Harold Clifford) Smith

A meticulous history traces Western personal adornment across centuries, mapping how precious metals, gemstones, and intricate enameling evolved alongside art, commerce, and human self-expression.

Art6 min read
Cover of Mythology among the Hebrews and Its Historical Development

Mythology among the Hebrews and Its Historical Development

Ignác Goldziher

An exploration of Hebrew mythology and its historical development.

Archaeology & Anthropology8 min read
Cover of The Awakening: (The Resurrection)

The Awakening: (The Resurrection)

Tolstoy, Leo, graf

A careless court sentence sends an innocent woman to Siberia, compelling the wealthy nobleman whose past betrayal ruined her to follow her into exile and rebuild his soul.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night

The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night

Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

Desire, betrayal, and magic collide across a sprawling maze of nocturnal tales, where a single night's survival hinges on the power of a well-told story.

Adventure8 min read
Cover of The Civilization of China

The Civilization of China

Herbert Allen Giles

An engaging, clear-eyed overview mapping China’s vast geography, ancient social structures, and cultural life to demystify its everyday people for Western readers.

History - Other5 min read
Cover of The Decameron, Volume II

The Decameron, Volume II

Giovanni Boccaccio

A desperate lover risks execution, a cunning trickster outwits his neighbors, and ten young Florentines outrun the plague through the power of invention.

Classics of Literature8 min read
Cover of The Lesser Bourgeoisie

The Lesser Bourgeoisie

Honoré de Balzac

Behind the neat lace curtains of nineteenth-century Paris, ambition, greed, and petty vanity collide as a cunning outsider orchestrates a ruthless scheme to conquer the petty bourgeoisie.

French Literature7 min read
Cover of The Philadelphia Magazines and their Contributors 1741-1850

The Philadelphia Magazines and their Contributors 1741-1850

Albert Henry Smyth

A century of literary ambition unfolds through the dusty pages of early American periodicals, tracing how a young nation struggled to build a culture of its own.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Student's Life of Washington

The Student's Life of Washington

Washington Irving

A biographical account of George Washington's life and role in the American Revolution.

Biographies10 min read
Cover of A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive, 7th Edition, Vol. II

A System of Logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive, 7th Edition, Vol. II

John Stuart Mill

Human knowledge rests on fragile generalizations, but systematic reasoning can distinguish true scientific discovery from the comforting illusions of casual observation and flawed philosophy.

Philosophy & Ethics11 min read
Cover of American Hero-Myths: A Study in the Native Religions of the Western Continent

American Hero-Myths: A Study in the Native Religions of the Western Continent

Daniel G. (Daniel Garrison) Brinton

By dissecting indigenous folklore through language and nature-based symbolism, this study proves that Indigenous American hero-gods are cosmic personifications rather than historical rulers.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of English Poets of the Eighteenth Century

English Poets of the Eighteenth Century

Unknown

Across a century of sweeping literary transformation, the voices of a changing nation echo through courtly satires, quiet country churchyards, and the raw, vital rhythms of the rural plow.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Humour, Wit, & Satire of the Seventeenth Century

Humour, Wit, & Satire of the Seventeenth Century

Unknown

Unfiltered street jests, tavern songs, and political broadsides capture the raw, boisterous voice of early modern England, exposing the daily anxieties and unruly humor of a society in dramatic transition.

Humour6 min read
Cover of Marquise Brinvillier: Celebrated Crimes

Marquise Brinvillier: Celebrated Crimes

Alexandre Dumas

A cold, chilling portrait of 17th-century aristocratic corruption, this chronicle unmasks how passion, greed, and terrifying chemical craftiness destroyed an entire family from within.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of Micah Clarke: His Statement as made to his three grandchildren Joseph, Gervas and Reuben During the Hard Winter of 1734

Micah Clarke: His Statement as made to his three grandchildren Joseph, Gervas and Reuben During the Hard Winter of 1734

Arthur Conan Doyle

An elderly Puritan soldier sits by his hearth in 1734 to record how he fought, suffered, and survived the bloody Monmouth Rebellion of 1685.

British Literature9 min read
Cover of Philosophical Letters of Friedrich Schiller

Philosophical Letters of Friedrich Schiller

Friedrich Schiller

A human mind seeks absolute truth through pure reason, only to discover that the physical body continuously shapes, sustains, and limits every flight of thought.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Rollo on the Rhine

Rollo on the Rhine

Jacob Abbott

A boy watches an old wooden crane atop an unfinished cathedral spire and marvels that it stood untouched for centuries. That quiet moment of curiosity captures the essence of a mid-nineteenth-century European journey seen through youthful eyes.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Textiles, for Commercial, Industrial, and Domestic Arts Schools: Also Adapted to Those Engaged in Wholesale and Retail Dry Goods, Wool, Cotton, and Dressmaker's Trades

Textiles, for Commercial, Industrial, and Domestic Arts Schools: Also Adapted to Those Engaged in Wholesale and Retail Dry Goods, Wool, Cotton, and Dressmaker's Trades

William H. (William Henry) Dooley

A comprehensive guide to textiles for commercial, industrial, and domestic arts education.

Engineering & Technology7 min read
Cover of The Book of Trinity College Dublin 1591-1891

The Book of Trinity College Dublin 1591-1891

Ireland) Trinity College (Dublin

Tracing three centuries of academic life, this volume captures the quiet power and human drama of a great university through its internal disputes, intellectual triumphs, and architectural changes.

History - British6 min read
Cover of The Butterfly Book: A Popular Guide to a Knowledge of the Butterflies of North America

The Butterfly Book: A Popular Guide to a Knowledge of the Butterflies of North America

W. J. (William Jacob) Holland

A natural urge compels many young minds to collect nature's wonders, yet without proper guidance, their eager labors produce little more than fleeting recreation.

How To ...7 min read
Cover of The Cambridge Book of Poetry for Children: Parts 1 and 2

The Cambridge Book of Poetry for Children: Parts 1 and 2

Unknown

A carefully chosen collection opens a gateway into the expansive territory of verse, guiding young minds toward the enduring joy of English poetry.

Children & Young Adult Reading5 min read
Cover of The Heir of Redclyffe

The Heir of Redclyffe

Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary) Yonge

A fiery young heir, burdened by his family’s dark temper, enters the home of his easygoing guardian, where his sudden arrival reorders every life he touches.

British Literature10 min read
Cover of The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne

The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne

William John Locke

A pedantic schoolmaster inherits a fortune, leaves his classroom to cultivate a life of quiet philosophy, and finds his detached existence upended when he shelter a beautiful, naive young refugee from the Ottoman Empire.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Story of the Great War, Volume 1: Introductions

The Story of the Great War, Volume 1: Introductions

Unknown

Before the battlefields of the First World War stabilized into trench lines and artillery bombardment, a comprehensive chronicle captured the geopolitical rivalries, military doctrines, and failed dispatches that brought Europe to total ruin.

History - European10 min read
Cover of The Works of Frederick Schiller

The Works of Frederick Schiller

Friedrich Schiller

A grand clash between human freedom and absolute necessity echoes through history, drama, and philosophy, revealing how the human spirit achieves its ultimate dignity when pushed to the edge of ruin.

Essays, Letters & Speeches12 min read
Cover of The Wrong Box

The Wrong Box

Robert Louis Stevenson

Two scheming brothers, a missing corpse, and a mislaid piano converge in a Victorian farce where everyone is pursuing a fortune no one can quite manage to grasp.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of With the Boer Forces

With the Boer Forces

Howard Clemens Hillegas

An eye-opening, eyewitness account of ordinary farm families taking up arms to defend their homeland, offering an intimate and fair-minded chronicle of the Boer ranks during the South African War.

History - Modern (1750+)6 min read
Cover of Wonderful Balloon Ascents

Wonderful Balloon Ascents

Fulgence Marion

A soaring chronicle of human ingenuity, Fulgence Marion’s work captures the brave, fragile beginnings of flight and the unyielding dream of navigating the sky.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of A Bunch of Cherries: A Story of Cherry Court School

A Bunch of Cherries: A Story of Cherry Court School

L. T. Meade

To win a life-changing prize, a schoolgirl must choose between absolute honesty and saving her impoverished mother from ruin.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of A Day's Ride: A Life's Romance

A Day's Ride: A Life's Romance

Charles Lever

A romantic young Irishman journeys across Europe, endlessly reimagining his own identity to escape his humble origins and chase an impossible, grander life.

Adventure8 min read
Cover of A Discourse Presented to the Most Serene Don Cosimo II., Great Duke of Tuscany, Concerning the Natation of Bodies Vpon, and Submersion In, the Water

A Discourse Presented to the Most Serene Don Cosimo II., Great Duke of Tuscany, Concerning the Natation of Bodies Vpon, and Submersion In, the Water

Galileo Galilei

An ancient debate over why objects float or sink becomes a masterclass in experimental physics, replacing vague philosophical assertions with precise mathematical principles.

Science - Physics5 min read
Cover of Castles of Ireland: Some Fortress Histories and Legends

Castles of Ireland: Some Fortress Histories and Legends

Constance Louisa Adams

Through ages of turbulent conflict and shifting political ties, Ireland’s stone strongholds served as crucial footholds for Norman barons, English deputies, and native Gaelic chieftains. This volume traces the physical and human histories behind these fortresses, documenting how medieval peels, sprawling royal…

Archaeology & Anthropology5 min read
Cover of Fairy Tales, Volume 1 (of 2)

Fairy Tales, Volume 1 (of 2)

Unknown

A carefully curated gathering of classic folklore strips away modern embellishments to reveal the stark, timeless beauty of traditional storytelling. In these unadorned tales, cleverness and kindness consistently overcome monstrous obstacles.

Children & Young Adult Reading7 min read
Cover of Footprints of the Red Men: Indian geographical names in the valley of Hudson's river, the valley of the Mohawk, and on the Delaware: their location and the probable meaning of some of them

Footprints of the Red Men: Indian geographical names in the valley of Hudson's river, the valley of the Mohawk, and on the Delaware: their location and the probable meaning of some of them

Edward Manning Ruttenber

A dense, painstaking piece of historic topography reconstructs the early geography of New York through the names indigenous inhabitants gave to its landscape.

Archaeology & Anthropology5 min read
Cover of How Britannia Came to Rule the Waves: Updated to 1900

How Britannia Came to Rule the Waves: Updated to 1900

William Henry Giles Kingston

A sweeping, plain-spoken chronicle tracks how a vulnerable island kingdom built, maintained, and repeatedly revolutionized the floating wooden and iron battlements that secured its global power.

History - British7 min read
Cover of Ideal Commonwealths

Ideal Commonwealths

Unknown

From ideal ancient republics to advanced scientific islands and satiric gluttonous lands, these foundational visionaries map out humanity's boldest attempts to engineer the perfect society.

Philosophy & Ethics6 min read
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