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34,239 public-domain books, summarised. Page 203 of 714.

Cover of The Undying Past

The Undying Past

Hermann Sudermann

A suffocating, atmospheric portrait of a man haunted by a lethal past, this narrative tracks the inevitable collision between long-buried transgressions and the fragile peace of a modern country estate.

German Literature7 min read
Cover of The Works of Aphra Behn, Volume II

The Works of Aphra Behn, Volume II

Aphra Behn

This collection of seventeenth-century drama captures the fierce energy of a world where ambition, desire, and wit collide with the rigid structures of court and city life. It reveals a playwright who fearlessly maps the intersection of power and pleasure.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Works of Lucian of Samosata

The Works of Lucian of Samosata

of Samosata Lucian

This collection of satires, dialogues, and essays brings the ancient Mediterranean world to vibrant, biting life, proving that human folly, vanity, and greed are timeless. It serves as an essential bridge for modern readers to appreciate the sharp, skeptical wit of the second-century Syrian rhetorician who mastered…

Classics of Literature6 min read
Cover of Writing for Vaudeville

Writing for Vaudeville

Brett Page

Writing for Vaudeville serves as a practical, technical manual for the aspiring playwright of the early twentieth century. It demystifies the mechanics of the stage and provides a candid look at the professional standards required to succeed in the era’s most popular entertainment.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of In the Days When the World Was Wide, and Other Verses

In the Days When the World Was Wide, and Other Verses

Henry Lawson

This collection captures the hard, sun-scorched pulse of colonial Australia, where the landscape is vast, the work is brutal, and mateship is the only currency that retains its value. It is a portrait of a frontier etched in dust, sweat, and the stubborn persistence of those who survived it.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of Key Out of Time

Key Out of Time

Andre Norton

The discovery of a prehistoric, aquatic civilization on a distant planet forces a desperate struggle against ancient enemies who manipulate history itself.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Landmarks of Scientific Socialism: "Anti-Duehring"

Landmarks of Scientific Socialism: "Anti-Duehring"

Friedrich Engels

This systematic polemic dismantles the ambitious, totalizing theories of a contemporary rival to define the foundations of scientific socialism. It serves as a rigorous defense of materialist philosophy and dialectical method against idealized abstractions.

Economics6 min read
Cover of Legends of Saints & Sinners. Collected and Translated from the Irish

Legends of Saints & Sinners. Collected and Translated from the Irish

Unknown

The Irish countryside is a place where the veil between the mundane and the miraculous is thin, revealing a world where saints, demons, and the restless dead walk alongside the living. These stories capture the heartbeat of a people for whom the supernatural is as tangible as the soil beneath their feet.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Red and White: A Tale of the Wars of the Roses

Red and White: A Tale of the Wars of the Roses

Emily Sarah Holt

The Wars of the Roses serve as the backdrop for this tale of domestic survival amidst a crumbling kingdom. It is a work of historical fiction that prioritizes the personal costs of political upheaval, focusing on the lives of those caught in the shadow of the great houses of York and Lancaster. The narrative spans…

British Literature7 min read
Cover of South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 4 (of 8): From Lord Roberts' Entry into the Free State to the Battle of Karree

South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 4 (of 8): From Lord Roberts' Entry into the Free State to the Battle of Karree

Louis Creswicke

The British military machine grinds toward a fragile victory in the South African veldt, documenting a pivotal shift from stalemate to the occupation of Bloemfontein.

History - British6 min read
Cover of The Complete Story of the Galveston Horror

The Complete Story of the Galveston Horror

Unknown

This chronicle captures the immediate, raw aftermath of the 1900 Galveston hurricane, assembling firsthand accounts and official reports to document one of the deadliest natural disasters in American history. It serves as both an urgent record of a city’s near-total destruction and an early example of disaster…

History - American6 min read
Cover of The Elegies of Tibullus: Being the Consolations of a Roman Lover Done in English Verse

The Elegies of Tibullus: Being the Consolations of a Roman Lover Done in English Verse

Tibullus

The elegies of a Roman gentleman reveal a man who scoffs at war and gold, desperate only to secure the quiet, domestic love of the women who repeatedly break his heart.

Classics of Literature6 min read
Cover of The Moral Instruction of Children

The Moral Instruction of Children

Felix Adler

The school must be more than an intellectual drill-ground; it should serve as a second home where a child’s character is intentionally cultivated through a thoughtful, progressive system of moral education.

Parenthood & Family Relations6 min read
Cover of "Unto Caesar"

"Unto Caesar"

Orczy, Emmuska Orczy, Baroness

A Roman praefect finds his faith challenged by the cruelty of a paranoid emperor and the allure of a noblewoman, culminating in a choice between earthly power and a higher, unseen calling.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of Across Mongolian Plains: A Naturalist's Account of China's 'Great Northwest'

Across Mongolian Plains: A Naturalist's Account of China's 'Great Northwest'

Roy Chapman Andrews

A naturalist traverses the rugged Mongolian frontier, documenting vanishing landscapes and ancient customs on the precipice of a modern, motorized era.

Nature/Gardening/Animals7 min read
Cover of Atlantic Narratives: Modern Short Stories

Atlantic Narratives: Modern Short Stories

Annie Hamilton Donnell

This collection of early twentieth-century short fiction captures a pivotal moment in American letters, blending traditional narrative forms with the shifting social anxieties of a modernizing world.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Curious Punishments of Bygone Days

Curious Punishments of Bygone Days

Alice Morse Earle

The past is a foreign country where the marketplace was often a theater of agony. This survey of colonial-era discipline pulls back the curtain on the harsh, public, and often performative justice of early American history.

History - American6 min read
Cover of Fifty-One Tales

Fifty-One Tales

Lord Dunsany

The world is a fragile, passing thing, and the gods, the years, and even our own creations are merely whispers in the dark. These brief, haunting vignettes hold a mirror to the fleeting nature of human endeavor.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Gatherings from Spain

Gatherings from Spain

Richard Ford

Spain is a land where yesterday is effaced by tomorrow, yet the past lingers in every rugged mountain pass, ancient inn, and blood-soaked bullring. This vivid portrait captures a nation caught between tradition and the relentless march of modern intellect.

History - European7 min read
Cover of Recollections of a Busy Life: Being the Reminiscences of a Liverpool Merchant 1840-1910

Recollections of a Busy Life: Being the Reminiscences of a Liverpool Merchant 1840-1910

Forwood, William Bower, Sir

HOOK This memoir traces the evolution of a bustling Victorian seaport through the eyes of an industrious merchant who helped shape its civic and commercial identity.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Stories from Virgil

Stories from Virgil

Alfred John Church

A classic foundation of Western literature is rendered into accessible prose, tracing a legendary hero’s migration from the ruins of Troy to the shores of Italy. This volume distills the epic journey of Æneas, capturing the sweep of divine intervention, tragic romance, and the brutal necessity of war.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Head Hunters of Northern Luzon

The Head Hunters of Northern Luzon

Cornélis De Witt Willcox

A vivid expedition account from 1912, this narrative captures the American colonial administration’s journey into the rugged, then-isolated Mountain Province of Northern Luzon, documenting an era of rapid transition through the eyes of a military observer.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Beacon Lights of History, Volume 09: European Statesmen

Beacon Lights of History, Volume 09: European Statesmen

John Lord

Great history is not merely a record of battles and dates, but the study of the powerful figures who shape the destiny of nations. This volume examines the architects of the modern European order, from the chaos of the French Revolution to the rise and fall of empires.

History - British7 min read
Cover of Florence Nightingale: A Biography

Florence Nightingale: A Biography

Annie Matheson

This biography traces the path of a woman who transformed the nature of mercy into a rigorous, disciplined science. It reveals how a Victorian lady turned her back on privilege to reshape the landscape of modern nursing.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Heroines of the Modern Stage

Heroines of the Modern Stage

Forrest Izard

This collection of biographical sketches serves as an elegant, historical portrait of the most celebrated actresses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, capturing their artistry and the cultural climate of their era.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Holinshed's Chronicles, vol. 1 of 6, slice 3 of 9. England, early history

Holinshed's Chronicles, vol. 1 of 6, slice 3 of 9. England, early history

Raphael Holinshed

This foundational chronicle traces the legendary Trojan origins of Britain, following the wanderings of Brutus and his descendants as they battle giants, build cities, and fracture a kingdom through civil strife.

History - Ancient6 min read
Cover of The Good Old Songs We Used to Sing, '61 to '65

The Good Old Songs We Used to Sing, '61 to '65

Osborn H. (Osborn Hamiline) Oldroyd

A collection of the anthems and ballads that defined the American Civil War, this volume preserves the emotive, defiant, and melancholic melodies that galvanized soldiers and civilians alike during the nation's darkest division.

History - American7 min read
Cover of Expositor's Bible: The Epistles of St. John

Expositor's Bible: The Epistles of St. John

William Alexander

A rigorous exploration of the Johannine epistles, this work serves as an intellectual and devotional bridge between the ancient apostolic message and the complex spiritual anxieties of the late nineteenth century.

History - Religious6 min read
Cover of Measuring Tools

Measuring Tools

Unknown

Precision is the foundation of industrial progress. This technical volume serves as a comprehensive guide to the historical evolution and practical application of the instruments that define modern manufacturing.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of Mrs. Loudon's Entertaining Naturalist: Being popular descriptions, tales, and anecdotes of more than Five Hundred Animals

Mrs. Loudon's Entertaining Naturalist: Being popular descriptions, tales, and anecdotes of more than Five Hundred Animals

Mrs. (Jane) Loudon

This expansive compendium invites readers into the mid-19th-century understanding of the animal kingdom, blending rigorous scientific classification with the anecdotal charm of Victorian natural history. It serves as a bridge between the clinical observation of the laboratory and the wonder of the natural world,…

Children & Young Adult Reading7 min read
Cover of Paul Kelver

Paul Kelver

Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome

The journey of a sensitive spirit navigating the rigid expectations of late-Victorian society, this story traces one man’s struggle to reconcile his artistic ideals with the crushing demands of earning a living.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Religion and ceremonies of the Lenape

Religion and ceremonies of the Lenape

M. R. (Mark Raymond) Harrington

The spiritual world of the Lenape lives in the quiet intersection of nature, memory, and the dream. Through ancestral rites, a people maintain their sacred connection to the unseen forces that govern the earth.

Archaeology & Anthropology7 min read
Cover of The engineer's sketch-book of mechanical movements, devices, appliances, contrivances and details employed in the design and construction of machinery for every purpose

The engineer's sketch-book of mechanical movements, devices, appliances, contrivances and details employed in the design and construction of machinery for every purpose

Thomas Walter Barber

This expansive catalog of mechanical ingenuity serves as a timeless repository for the fundamental movements and devices that underpin the entire history of modern machine design.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of Atlas of ancient & classical geography

Atlas of ancient & classical geography

Samuel Butler

This collection of maps provides a foundational visual reference for the ancient world, bridging the gap between historical narrative and geographical reality. It serves as an essential companion for readers navigating the complex topography of classical literature and history.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference6 min read
Cover of Harriet, the Moses of Her People

Harriet, the Moses of Her People

Sarah H. (Sarah Hopkins) Bradford

This account of a legendary woman’s life moves from the brutal realities of Maryland plantations to the hazardous routes of the Underground Railroad, portraying a figure whose faith and iron resolve became a beacon for hundreds. It is an intimate, urgent biography written to secure the dignity and support of a…

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Ken Ward in the Jungle

Ken Ward in the Jungle

Zane Grey

An experienced young forester trades the arid canyons of the American West for the treacherous, verdant waterways of Mexico, testing his courage and skill against an unforgiving tropical wilderness.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Mexico: Its Ancient and Modern Civilisation, History, Political Conditions, Topography, Natural Resources, Industries and General Development

Mexico: Its Ancient and Modern Civilisation, History, Political Conditions, Topography, Natural Resources, Industries and General Development

C. Reginald (Charles Reginald) Enock

This comprehensive survey captures the spirit of early twentieth-century Mexico, blending a historical chronicle of conquest and revolution with an engineer’s keen eye for the country’s natural wealth and topographical grandeur.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of Scurvy, Past and Present

Scurvy, Past and Present

Alfred F. Hess

The history of nutritional science is often told as a series of great breakthroughs, but the mastery of scurvy reflects a more complex, quiet evolution of observation, debate, and clinical refinement. This exploration of the disease reveals how simple, life-saving truths were obscured for generations by rigid…

Health & Medicine6 min read
Cover of The Open Door, and the Portrait.: Stories of the Seen and the Unseen

The Open Door, and the Portrait.: Stories of the Seen and the Unseen

Mrs. (Margaret) Oliphant

These two tales of the supernatural explore the boundary between the living and the dead, focusing less on the terror of ghosts and more on the profound, unsettling weight of unresolved human longing.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 6 (of 14): Medieval Arabic, Moorish, and Turkish

The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 6 (of 14): Medieval Arabic, Moorish, and Turkish

Unknown

A tapestry of voices from the medieval Islamic world, this collection captures the intellectual, spiritual, and adventurous spirit of a civilization at its height. It offers a rare window into the rhythms of life across centuries of Arabic, Moorish, and Turkish history.

History - Medieval/Middle Ages6 min read
Cover of The Vanishing Race: The Last Great Indian Council

The Vanishing Race: The Last Great Indian Council

Joseph K. (Joseph Kossuth) Dixon

The last great council of the American Indian chiefs gathers in 1913, serving as a poignant, elegiac record of a generation of warriors meeting for the final time to bridge the divide between their vanishing world and the encroaching modern era.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Pearl-Maiden: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem

Pearl-Maiden: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem

H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard

HOOK Amidst the ruin of Jerusalem and the opulence of Rome, a woman’s faith and a soldier’s devotion endure the crucible of slavery and war.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Diary of an Ennuyée

The Diary of an Ennuyée

Mrs. (Anna) Jameson

A young woman travels through Italy to escape a private sorrow, finding solace in the beauty of art and landscape. This intimate diary documents her physical decline and her profound, evolving connection to the classical world.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Umbrellas and Their History

Umbrellas and Their History

William Sangster

A humble canopy of silk and steel, the umbrella remains a misunderstood companion to our daily lives. This historical survey uncovers the surprising journey of a simple tool from ancient royal insignia to the ubiquitous modern shield.

Art6 min read
Cover of A Theological-Political Treatise [Part III]

A Theological-Political Treatise [Part III]

Benedictus de Spinoza

Reason and faith occupy separate realms, each possessing a distinct sovereignty that must be respected to ensure both intellectual freedom and social harmony. This inquiry reclaims the boundary between the two, arguing that piety requires only obedience, not speculative dogma.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)6 min read
Cover of Fallen Fortunes

Fallen Fortunes

Evelyn Everett-Green

A young gentleman returns to his ancestral home only to find it ruined and his inheritance stolen, forcing him to trade his noble birthright for the hard-won dignity of an honest life. This is a story of personal integrity in the face of aristocratic corruption and the fickle nature of societal favor.

Historical Novels5 min read
Cover of Masters of Water-Colour Painting

Masters of Water-Colour Painting

Unknown

This volume offers a curated journey through the evolution of the British water-colour tradition, tracing its humble origins as topographical drafting to its eventual recognition as a sophisticated and expressive fine art.

Art6 min read
Cover of The Home

The Home

Fredrika Bremer

A portrait of mid-19th-century Swedish domesticity, this narrative explores the quiet tensions, moral growth, and inevitable transitions of a large family navigating the complexities of middle-class life. It is an intimate study of character and faith.

Novels7 min read
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