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34,239 public-domain books, summarised. Page 191 of 714.

Cover of The Firm of Girdlestone

The Firm of Girdlestone

Arthur Conan Doyle

A father and son push their respectable London trading firm into fraud, desperation, and violence, setting a trap around a young heiress that only her lover and a band of unlikely allies can hope to shatter.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The Green Flag, and Other Stories of War and Sport

The Green Flag, and Other Stories of War and Sport

Arthur Conan Doyle

A rogue pirate playing governor, an Irish mutineer who dies for a rebel flag, and a timid medical student stepping into a bloody prize-fight.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 3, June, 1851

The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 3, June, 1851

Various

A mid-nineteenth-century literary compendium gathers serialized fiction, European politics, polar exploration, fine arts, and social commentary into a single vibrant cross-section of mid-century intellectual life.

American Literature8 min read
Cover of The Lock and Key Library: Classic Mystery and Detective Stories: Old Time English

The Lock and Key Library: Classic Mystery and Detective Stories: Old Time English

Unknown

A chilling fog drifts over damp railway cuttings, shadowy attics, and dark suburban alleyways. The supernatural and the sinister meet at every turn, pulling unsuspecting mortals into web-like mysteries.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Master of Ballantrae: A Winter's Tale

The Master of Ballantrae: A Winter's Tale

Robert Louis Stevenson

A bitter rivalry between two Scottish brothers spans decades and continents, as a charismatic rogue repeatedly returns from the dead to torment his dutiful, long-suffering younger sibling.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of The meddler

The meddler

W. C. (Wilbur C.) Tuttle

A newcomer with an eye for trouble rides into a cattle town to untangle a web of robbery and murder.

Novels7 min read
Cover of The Romance of Modern Mechanism: With Interesting Descriptions in Non-technical Language of Wonderful Machinery and Mechanical Devices and Marvellously Delicate Scientific Instruments

The Romance of Modern Mechanism: With Interesting Descriptions in Non-technical Language of Wonderful Machinery and Mechanical Devices and Marvellously Delicate Scientific Instruments

Archibald Williams

Industrial ingenuity transforms physical forces, intricate mechanics, and subtle natural laws into silent, unyielding human power.

Engineering & Technology7 min read
Cover of The Story of Don John of Austria

The Story of Don John of Austria

Luis Coloma

To grow up as a secret royal bastard in sixteenth-century Spain is to step straight into a web of religious fervor, courtly treachery, and military glory.

Historical Novels7 min read
Cover of Vacation Rambles

Vacation Rambles

Thomas Hughes

Observe the quiet grace of a landscape, the stubborn dignity of ordinary working people, and the unforced warmth of an traveler writing home.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of A Publisher and His Friends: Memoir and Correspondence of John Murray

A Publisher and His Friends: Memoir and Correspondence of John Murray

Samuel Smiles

An ambitious London bookseller builds a literary empire by cultivating the greatest, most volatile minds of nineteenth-century Britain.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of A Short History of English Printing, 1476-1898

A Short History of English Printing, 1476-1898

Henry R. (Henry Robert) Plomer

A craft born in darkness ends in mechanical glory, shaped by five centuries of tireless printers.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Cassell's History of England, Vol. 3 (of 8): From the Great Rebellion to the Fall of Marlborough

Cassell's History of England, Vol. 3 (of 8): From the Great Rebellion to the Fall of Marlborough

Anonymous

A nation tears itself apart, executes its king, experiments with military rule, and rebuilds its monarchy, only to cast out another sovereign and alter the trajectory of European power forever.

History - British10 min read
Cover of Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative

Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative

Herbert Spencer

All reality—from cooling planets and microscopic cells to human morality and global commerce—unfolds according to a single unifying law of gradual transformation from simple to complex.

Essays, Letters & Speeches9 min read
Cover of For the Temple: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem

For the Temple: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem

G. A. (George Alfred) Henty

A young Jewish leader fights through the cataclysmic siege of Jerusalem, clinging to his faith and honor before forging a peaceful life from the ruins of empire.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Gothic Architecture

Gothic Architecture

Édouard Corroyer

Stone vaults do not stand by magic; they endure through an evolving balance of weight, thrust, and structural ingenuity. This study charts how medieval builders transformed heavy Roman masonry into light-filled, soaring monuments of stone.

Architecture7 min read
Cover of Indian Linguistic Families of America, North of Mexico: Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-1886, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891, pages 1-142

Indian Linguistic Families of America, North of Mexico: Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-1886, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891, pages 1-142

John Wesley Powell

A single tongue can trace the contours of a continent, yet North America spoke in fifty-eight entirely distinct voices.

Archaeology & Anthropology5 min read
Cover of Indiscretions of Archie

Indiscretions of Archie

P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse

A penniless British ex-officer marries a wealthy American heiress on a whim, only to find that winning her formidable father’s affection requires an endless series of improbable, chaotic rescues.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Lay Sermons, Addresses and Reviews

Lay Sermons, Addresses and Reviews

Thomas Henry Huxley

A fearless defense of empirical observation demands that society dismantle rigid dogma, elevate scientific education, and anchor human progress entirely in verifiable natural facts.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Mark Twain's Letters

Mark Twain's Letters

Mark Twain

A young printer leaves his Missouri home to wander through a series of restless trades, mailing raw, unvarnished dispatches to his family whenever he finds enough light to write by.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Moby Pronunciation List

Moby Pronunciation List

Grady Ward

An essential open-source linguistic toolkit transforms raw text into spoken sound, providing the fundamental mapping rules that allow early computer systems to interpret and pronounce English vocabulary.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference5 min read
Cover of Moorish Literature: Comprising Romantic Ballads, Tales of the Berbers, Stories of the Kabyles, Folk-Lore, and National Traditions

Moorish Literature: Comprising Romantic Ballads, Tales of the Berbers, Stories of the Kabyles, Folk-Lore, and National Traditions

Unknown

Beneath the harsh expanse of North African landscapes, a tapestry of voices spins tales of honor, vengeance, and magical wonder.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Narratives of Shipwrecks of the Royal Navy

Narratives of Shipwrecks of the Royal Navy

William O. S. Gilly

Cruel gales, rogue ice, and sudden fire test the mettle of officers and crews as they fight to preserve order and keep their ships afloat.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Popular Romances of the West of England, Second Series

Popular Romances of the West of England, Second Series

Robert Hunt

In the storm-swept coastal parishes of Cornwall, ancient stone crosses, forgotten holy wells, and deep mine shafts harbor a rich, fading tapestry of miraculous saints, vengeful witches, and subterranean phantoms.

History - Religious6 min read
Cover of Schools of Gaul in the last century of the Western Empire

Schools of Gaul in the last century of the Western Empire

T. J. (Theodore Johannes) Haarhoff

As the Western Roman Empire fractured under imperial decay and barbarian migrations, the schools of Gaul refused to go quietly into the night.

History - Ancient6 min read
Cover of The Adventure of Living

The Adventure of Living

John St. Loe Strachey

Through the quiet reflections of a veteran British editor, an intellectual journey unfolds across the political, literary, and social landscape of late Victorian and Edwardian England, driven by an abiding curiosity about human nature and public affairs.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of The Chouans

The Chouans

Honoré de Balzac

A noble insurgent and a Paris secret agent cross paths in the shadowy, hedged countryside of Brittany, falling into a passionate love affair while carrying out mortal orders against each other.

French Literature5 min read
Cover of The Christian Hymn Book: A Compilation of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Original and Selected, by A. Campbell and Others

The Christian Hymn Book: A Compilation of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Original and Selected, by A. Campbell and Others

Unknown

This volume collects the communal voice of an nineteenth-century American religious movement, tracing a spiritual path from creation to eternity through shared song.

Music8 min read
Cover of The Civil War Centennial Handbook

The Civil War Centennial Handbook

William H. Price

An intricate web of technological breakthroughs and human contradictions defined a conflict where brothers fought across deeply entrenched lines.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The growth of medicine from the earliest times to about 1800

The growth of medicine from the earliest times to about 1800

Albert H. (Albert Henry) Buck

From mythic divine healers to the systematic observations of the eighteenth century, medicine evolved through centuries of trial, error, and stubborn genius.

Health & Medicine9 min read
Cover of The Hardy Country: Literary landmarks of the Wessex Novels

The Hardy Country: Literary landmarks of the Wessex Novels

Charles G. (Charles George) Harper

Deeply rooted in the Dorsetshire countryside, this journey traces the real-world landscapes, ancient monuments, and quiet villages that inspired the fictional topography of Thomas Hardy’s Wessex novels.

British Literature8 min read
Cover of The Lay of Havelok the Dane

The Lay of Havelok the Dane

Unknown

Betrayed in youth, a disinherited prince is raised as a humble scullion until his luminous noble lineage, extraordinary strength, and a destined royal marriage propel him to reclaim two kingdoms.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The Old Inns of Old England, Volume 2 (of 2): A Picturesque Account of the Ancient and Storied Hostelries of Our Own Country

The Old Inns of Old England, Volume 2 (of 2): A Picturesque Account of the Ancient and Storied Hostelries of Our Own Country

Charles G. (Charles George) Harper

Across the English countryside, weathered timber signs and mossy stone courtyards guard centuries of forgotten history, local eccentricity, and human drama.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of The Religion of the Samurai: A Study of Zen Philosophy and Discipline in China and Japan

The Religion of the Samurai: A Study of Zen Philosophy and Discipline in China and Japan

Kaiten Nukariya

Stripping away superstitious clutter reveals an unyielding, universal spirit shared equally by warrior and monk.

History - Religious6 min read
Cover of The Unseen World, and Other Essays

The Unseen World, and Other Essays

John Fiske

When rigorous scientific inquiry meets the deepest philosophical questions, the mind must distinguish between genuine spiritual inquiry and fanciful myths. This collection balances cosmic speculation with sharp literary and historical criticism.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of The wonders of the world

The wonders of the world

John Loraine Abbott

From boiling Icelandic springs to the monstrous, ancient sequoias of California, this nineteenth-century compendium gathers the planet's most astonishing geological, historical, and architectural marvels into a single, sweeping catalog.

Art12 min read
Cover of The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen Volumes. Volume 04

The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen Volumes. Volume 04

Samuel Johnson

Human life is ruined far more by quiet self-deception and social vanity than by grand, catastrophic vices. These periodic essays dissect our everyday absurdities with unsparing clarity and quiet moral wisdom.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Wagner as I Knew Him

Wagner as I Knew Him

Ferdinand Praeger

A lifelong companion pulls back the velvet curtain on Germany’s most controversial composer, revealing a man defined as much by his petty frailties as his explosive artistic genius.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of When Ghost Meets Ghost

When Ghost Meets Ghost

William De Morgan

A dark mistake separates twin sisters in youth, sending their lives down radically different paths until a chance encounter brings them together in old age.

British Literature11 min read
Cover of A Book of Golden Deeds

A Book of Golden Deeds

Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary) Yonge

Sacrifice without expectation of reward defines true nobility across every age and nation.

Children & Young Adult Reading7 min read
Cover of Adventures and Letters of Richard Harding Davis

Adventures and Letters of Richard Harding Davis

Richard Harding Davis

To live at the absolute center of one's era requires an appetite for action, a devotion to family, and an unshakeable belief that the world is waiting to be documented.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of An Autobiography of Buffalo Bill (Colonel W. F. Cody)

An Autobiography of Buffalo Bill (Colonel W. F. Cody)

Buffalo Bill

Boundless, rugged, and rapidly vanishing, the American frontier demands a specific kind of man: one who can outride a blizzard, negotiate peace with a chief, and spin every harrowing escape into an enduring myth.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of Armenian Legends and Poems

Armenian Legends and Poems

Unknown

In a landscape carved by centuries of survival, these verses gather the voices of a resilient culture, tracing a path through love, myth, and enduring devotion.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut

Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut

Wace

A world of ancient kings, treacherous usurpers, and legendary heroes comes vividly to life through the lens of a medieval court poet.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Bible Characters

Bible Characters

T. De Witt (Thomas De Witt) Talmage

A study of scripture through human flesh and blood, where ancient lives become mirror images of modern souls.

Religion/Spirituality7 min read
Cover of Fifty-two Stories of the British Navy, from Damme to Trafalgar

Fifty-two Stories of the British Navy, from Damme to Trafalgar

Alfred H. (Alfred Henry) Miles

A sweeping chronological tapestry captures six centuries of English seamanship, tracing how a small island nation forged a maritime empire through desperation, audacity, and raw violence.

History - British8 min read
Cover of Heraldry as art: An account of its development and practice, chiefly in England

Heraldry as art: An account of its development and practice, chiefly in England

G. W. (George William) Eve

A vital, practical guide to heraldry, bridging mediaeval tradition and modern design through craftsmanship, historical clarity, and an uncompromising eye for balance and form.

Art5 min read
Cover of Impressions of Theophrastus Such

Impressions of Theophrastus Such

George Eliot

An aging, observant bachelor turns his analytical eye upon himself and the minor absurdities of his contemporaries, offering a quiet examination of vanity, pedantry, and human self-deception.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of International Short Stories: American

International Short Stories: American

Unknown

This anthology gathers two centuries of distinctively American voices, capturing a nation's shifting landscapes, social anxieties, and eccentric humor through the intimate lens of short fiction.

American Literature6 min read
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