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34,239 public-domain books, summarised. Page 184 of 714.

Cover of In a Glass Darkly, v. 1/3

In a Glass Darkly, v. 1/3

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

A collection of chilling, supernatural case studies, these tales follow a physician’s investigation into the harrowing psychological and spiritual torments of the damned.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Legends of the Madonna as Represented in the Fine Arts

Legends of the Madonna as Represented in the Fine Arts

Mrs. (Anna) Jameson

Beyond the paint and gold of history’s greatest masterpieces lies a silent language of symbols, waiting to be read by the curious eye. This guide deciphers the visual vocabulary that defined centuries of Western art.

Art6 min read
Cover of Motorcycle, Solo (Harley-Davidson Model WLA)

Motorcycle, Solo (Harley-Davidson Model WLA)

United States. War Department

Maintaining a piece of precision machinery in the field requires patience, technical clarity, and an unflinching attention to detail. This manual provides the definitive framework for the operation and mechanical care of the iconic Harley-Davidson WLA.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of Paris and the Social Revolution: A Study of the Revolutionary Elements in the Various Classes of Parisian Society

Paris and the Social Revolution: A Study of the Revolutionary Elements in the Various Classes of Parisian Society

Alvan F. (Alvan Francis) Sanborn

A window into the forgotten, radical heart of Belle Époque Paris, where dissent, poverty, and artistic fervor collide in the shadowed streets of the Latin Quarter.

History - European7 min read
Cover of Pictures Every Child Should Know: A Selection of the World's Art Masterpieces for Young People

Pictures Every Child Should Know: A Selection of the World's Art Masterpieces for Young People

Mary Schell Hoke Bacon

Art is a language of beauty and history, bridging the gap between ancient civilizations and the modern eye through the lives of those who mastered the brush. This collection invites young readers to look past the frame and discover the human stories behind the world’s most enduring paintings.

Art6 min read
Cover of The Aswân Obelisk: With some remarks on the Ancient Engineering

The Aswân Obelisk: With some remarks on the Ancient Engineering

Reginald Engelbach

This technical investigation examines the Unfinished Obelisk of Aswân, reconstructing the ancient engineering feats required to extract and erect such monumental stone shafts. It offers a grounded, pragmatic perspective on archaeological mysteries.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of The Grand Old Man

The Grand Old Man

Richard B. (Richard Briscoe) Cook

A portrait of a towering Victorian statesman, this account traces the evolution of a man whose moral convictions and political acumen shaped the British Empire for over half a century.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Harlot's Progress (1733), The Rake's Progress (Ms., ca. 1778-1780)

The Harlot's Progress (1733), The Rake's Progress (Ms., ca. 1778-1780)

Theophilus Cibber

These two eighteenth-century theatrical pieces transform iconic moralizing engravings into lively, song-filled spectacles that trace the rapid ruin of a young woman and a young man in London.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Last Days of the Romanovs

The Last Days of the Romanovs

N. (Nikolai) Sokolov

The final hours of the Romanov family in Yekaterinburg reveal a stark descent into tragedy, documented through the meticulous, often haunting, judicial investigation into the events of July 1918.

History - European6 min read
Cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 17, No. 479, March 5, 1831

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 17, No. 479, March 5, 1831

Various

This collection offers a vibrant, eclectic mosaic of early nineteenth-century life, blending historical antiquarianism, scientific inquiry, and emotive verse into a singular weekly digest.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The Three Voyages of William Barents to the Arctic Regions (1594, 1595, and 1596)

The Three Voyages of William Barents to the Arctic Regions (1594, 1595, and 1596)

Gerrit de Veer

Stranded in the Arctic darkness of 1596, a Dutch crew builds a house of driftwood to survive the winter, marking a harrowing and singular chapter in the history of human endurance.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of Three John Silence Stories

Three John Silence Stories

Algernon Blackwood

HOOK A physician of the occult investigates phenomena beyond the reach of conventional science, confronting ancient forces that linger in the shadows of the modern world.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of Venetian Life

Venetian Life

William Dean Howells

A sharp, observant account of life in mid-nineteenth-century Venice, this book serves as both a travelogue and a social study of a city caught between its fading imperial past and a quiet, domestic present.

Travel Writing7 min read
Cover of A History of Sumer and Akkad: An account of the early races of Babylonia from prehistoric times to the foundation of the Babylonian monarchy

A History of Sumer and Akkad: An account of the early races of Babylonia from prehistoric times to the foundation of the Babylonian monarchy

L. W. (Leonard William) King

The rise and fall of the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia is a story of shifting city-states, enduring religious traditions, and the complex interplay between the Sumerian and Semitic peoples.

Archaeology & Anthropology7 min read
Cover of Among My Books. First Series

Among My Books. First Series

James Russell Lowell

A refined exploration of literary heritage, this collection invites readers to re-examine the giants of verse and thought through the lens of a critic who prizes genuine insight over academic convention.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of China

China

Harry Alverson Franck

A seasoned traveler ventures into the heart of early twentieth-century China, documenting the daily lives, customs, and landscapes of a nation caught between ancient traditions and modern upheaval. Through direct observation and persistent curiosity, he offers an intimate portrait of a vast, complex society.

Travel Writing6 min read
Cover of Collected Essays, Volume V: Science and Christian Tradition: Essays

Collected Essays, Volume V: Science and Christian Tradition: Essays

Thomas Henry Huxley

A rigorous investigation into the limits of human knowledge, these essays challenge the permanence of dogma through the relentless application of scientific method to historical and religious tradition.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Life of Christ

Life of Christ

Giovanni Papini

The story of Jesus is here retold with the urgent, unvarnished intensity of a man who has undergone a profound personal conversion and seeks to reclaim his subject from the detachment of modern scholarship.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Master Wace, His Chronicle of the Norman Conquest From the Roman De Rou

Master Wace, His Chronicle of the Norman Conquest From the Roman De Rou

Wace

A panoramic account of the Norman Conquest, this chronicle breathes life into the medieval past with the immediacy of a witness. It remains a foundational text for its vivid, rhythmic capture of an era defined by iron, oath, and ambition.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Rhetoric and Poetry in the Renaissance: A Study of Rhetorical Terms in English Renaissance Literary Criticism

Rhetoric and Poetry in the Renaissance: A Study of Rhetorical Terms in English Renaissance Literary Criticism

Donald Lemen Clark

The Renaissance was not merely a rebirth of art; it was a complex collision between the newfound precision of classical rhetoric and the deeply entrenched, inherited traditions of the medieval mind.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)6 min read
Cover of Rowlandson the Caricaturist

Rowlandson the Caricaturist

Joseph Grego

A master of visual satire, the artist Thomas Rowlandson turned the teeming, often absurd life of late eighteenth-century England into an exhaustless gallery of ink and watercolor.

Art6 min read
Cover of Samoa, A Hundred Years Ago And Long Before

Samoa, A Hundred Years Ago And Long Before

George Turner

This sweeping ethnography captures the traditional life, spiritual beliefs, and intricate oral history of the Samoan islands as they existed before sustained Western influence.

Archaeology & Anthropology5 min read
Cover of Stories and Pictures

Stories and Pictures

Isaac Loeb Peretz

These sketches of Eastern European Jewish life capture the quiet, often agonizing struggle for dignity amidst poverty, tradition, and the gathering shadows of the nineteenth century.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of The 42nd (East Lancashire) Division 1914-1918

The 42nd (East Lancashire) Division 1914-1918

Frederick P. Gibbon

This chronicle follows the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division through the crucible of the Great War, tracing its transformation from a home-grown Territorial unit into a seasoned force on the global stage.

History - British6 min read
Cover of The Annals of the Cakchiquels

The Annals of the Cakchiquels

Francisco Hernández Arana Xajilá

This foundational chronicle preserves the ancestral memory and tragic transition of a people, documenting their emergence from myth and their eventual confrontation with the forces of the Spanish Conquest.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 13

The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 13

Unknown

The eighteenth century unfolds as a turbulent, transformative era where the seeds of modern industry, global conflict, and democratic revolution take root amidst the fading embers of absolute monarchy.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)7 min read
Cover of The History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland: With Which Are Included Knox's Confession and The Book of Discipline

The History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland: With Which Are Included Knox's Confession and The Book of Discipline

John Knox

This history documents the fiery, foundational struggle of the Scottish Reformation, capturing both the political upheaval of a nation and the intense, uncompromising spiritual convictions of its primary architect.

History - British7 min read
Cover of The Interpreter: A Tale of the War

The Interpreter: A Tale of the War

G. J. (George John) Whyte-Melville

A quiet, introspective man recounts his lifelong devotion to a woman he cannot possess, navigating the hazards of the Crimean War and the complexities of his own guarded heart.

Historical Novels7 min read
Cover of The Memoirs of Madame Vigée Lebrun

The Memoirs of Madame Vigée Lebrun

Louise-Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun

An artist of immense talent recounts her ascent within the French court, her perilous flight from the Revolution, and her life as an expatriate painter across the courts of Europe.

Art6 min read
Cover of The Position of Woman in Primitive Society: A Study of the Matriarchy

The Position of Woman in Primitive Society: A Study of the Matriarchy

C. Gasquoine (Catherine Gasquoine) Hartley

The twentieth century marks a turning point in history, where the long-suppressed will of woman begins to assert itself, demanding a life defined from within rather than dictated by external, patriarchal forces.

Archaeology & Anthropology7 min read
Cover of The Seats of the Mighty, Complete

The Seats of the Mighty, Complete

Gilbert Parker

A British officer languishes in a Quebec dungeon, caught between the machinations of corrupt French officials and a love that defies the brutal collapse of New France.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of The Spider's Web

The Spider's Web

Reginald Wright Kauffman

A young idealist arrives in New York seeking to save the nation, only to find himself trapped in the intricate, crushing machinery of political and corporate corruption.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of The Witch of Prague: A Fantastic Tale

The Witch of Prague: A Fantastic Tale

F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford

A woman of immense, occult power in old Prague trades her soul for the man she loves, only to find that manipulating reality cannot command the human heart.

Novels7 min read
Cover of Animals' Rights Considered in Relation to Social Progress

Animals' Rights Considered in Relation to Social Progress

Henry S. Salt

The moral evolution of humanity requires us to abandon the archaic belief in a fundamental divide between mankind and the rest of the living world. True progress is measured by how we extend the Golden Rule.

Environmental Issues7 min read
Cover of Books and bidders

Books and bidders

A. S. W. (Abraham Simon Wolf) Rosenbach

The thrill of the chase, the agony of the missed opportunity, and the quiet triumph of securing a rare manuscript define the life of a dedicated book hunter.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Missing Link

Missing Link

Frank Herbert

HOOK A junior investigator infiltrates a hostile alien world to save a lost survey ship, relying on his wits to outmaneuver a race of predatory, glass-building humanoids.

Science-Fiction & Fantasy5 min read
Cover of Negro workaday songs

Negro workaday songs

Howard Washington Odum

This study gathers the itinerant music and hard-luck blues of early twentieth-century laborers, documenting a restless, traveling population through the songs they sang on chain gangs, railroads, and construction sites.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Original Short Stories

Original Short Stories

Guy de Maupassant

These masterfully crafted tales strip away the social veneers of nineteenth-century France to reveal the raw, often uncomfortable truths of the human condition.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of Planet of the Damned

Planet of the Damned

Harry Harrison

A desperate, high-stakes countdown forces a trained empathetic to confront a hostile alien culture, ultimately questioning the nature of humanity and the responsibilities we owe one another.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Principles of Mining: Valuation, Organization and Administration

Principles of Mining: Valuation, Organization and Administration

Herbert Hoover

The practice of engineering is a complex fusion of geological science, financial strategy, and human management. This foundational text serves as a definitive guide to the rigorous, often unforgiving, realities of professional mining.

Engineering & Technology7 min read
Cover of Sagas from the Far East

Sagas from the Far East

Unknown

The heart of these tales lies in the enduring human hunger for wonder, where ancient myths of the East travel across borders to transform into the wisdom of the steppes.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The art of music, Vol. 04 (of 14)

The art of music, Vol. 04 (of 14)

Unknown

This survey charts the evolution of American musical culture, tracing its development from early colonial psalmody to the rise of professional orchestras and the emergence of a distinct national voice.

History - American7 min read
Cover of The Battle of Life: A Love Story

The Battle of Life: A Love Story

Charles Dickens

In the quiet shadow of an old English battlefield, a father’s cynicism and a sister’s hidden sacrifice collide, revealing that the most enduring struggles are those fought within the human heart.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The English Home from Charles I. to George IV.: Its Architecture, Decoration and Garden Design

The English Home from Charles I. to George IV.: Its Architecture, Decoration and Garden Design

J. Alfred (John Alfred) Gotch

This architectural history chronicles the transformation of the English residence from the post-Jacobean era to the early nineteenth century, documenting how shifting tastes and social requirements reshaped the domestic landscape. It offers a meticulous survey of the evolution of design, from the rigid symmetry of…

Architecture7 min read
Cover of The Grey Fairy Book

The Grey Fairy Book

Unknown

Travel across vast landscapes and into the darkest of enchanted forests, where logic bends to the whims of fairies and the simple-hearted often outwit the cruel.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The High History of the Holy Graal

The High History of the Holy Graal

Sebastian Evans

This high-medieval romance weaves a tapestry of chivalry and spiritual yearning, following a quest for the Holy Grail that tests the limits of knightly virtue and endurance. It presents a world where the boundary between the physical and the metaphysical is thin, and where a single unanswered question can doom a…

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The Key to Success

The Key to Success

Russell H. Conwell

The path to greatness is not a destination found in textbooks or distant halls of power, but a practical art discovered through the sharp, intentional observation of the everyday world.

How To ...7 min read
Cover of The Life and Correspondence of Sir Isaac Brock, K.B.: Interspersed with notices of the celebrated Indian chief, Tecumseh, and comprising brief memoirs of Daniel De Lisle Brock, Esq., Lieutenant E.W. Tupper, R.N., and Colonel W. De Vic Tupper

The Life and Correspondence of Sir Isaac Brock, K.B.: Interspersed with notices of the celebrated Indian chief, Tecumseh, and comprising brief memoirs of Daniel De Lisle Brock, Esq., Lieutenant E.W. Tupper, R.N., and Colonel W. De Vic Tupper

Brock, Isaac, Sir

This biography chronicles the life of a distinguished British officer, tracing his journey from the Napoleonic wars to his defining role in the defense of Canada during the War of 1812.

Biographies6 min read
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