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34,239 public-domain books, summarised. Page 237 of 714.

Cover of Tom Burke Of "Ours", Volume I

Tom Burke Of "Ours", Volume I

Charles Lever

A young Irishman’s search for identity pulls him from his family’s ruins into the heart of Napoleon’s empire, where he must navigate the brutal, glittering, and treacherous life of a soldier.

Historical Novels7 min read
Cover of Travels in the interior districts of Africa: performed under the direction and patronage of the African Association, in the years 1795, 1796, and 1797

Travels in the interior districts of Africa: performed under the direction and patronage of the African Association, in the years 1795, 1796, and 1797

Mungo Park

A solitary traveler ventures into the heart of West Africa, surviving famine, captivity, and the unforgiving climate to document a world then unknown to European maps.

History - Other7 min read
Cover of A Journey in Brazil

A Journey in Brazil

Louis Agassiz

This scientific travelogue documents an 1865 expedition across the Brazilian interior, offering a vivid window into the natural history and social landscape of the Amazon Basin during the mid-nineteenth century.

Science - Biology8 min read
Cover of A Woman's War: A Novel

A Woman's War: A Novel

Warwick Deeping

The shadow of a secret habit threatens to undo a dedicated physician, forcing his family to endure a grueling, public fall from grace before a chance at redemption emerges from the wreckage of their former lives.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of American Eloquence, Volume 4: Studies In American Political History (1897)

American Eloquence, Volume 4: Studies In American Political History (1897)

Unknown

The foundational debates of a nation unfold through the voices of those who shaped its trajectory, capturing a volatile century of constitutional struggle, industrial transition, and the painful pursuit of a more perfect union.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Arethusa

Arethusa

F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford

A reckless Venetian soldier of fortune turns merchant in the treacherous, intrigue-filled streets of 14th-century Constantinople, only to find his life irrevocably altered by a beautiful, self-sacrificing slave.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of Canada

Canada

John George Bourinot

This comprehensive history traces Canada’s evolution from the mist-shrouded Norse voyages to the early twentieth-century emergence of a modern, industrialized federal state. It serves as a narrative chronicle of a nation forged through colonial rivalry, political discord, and eventual compromise.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of Costume: Fanciful, Historical and Theatrical

Costume: Fanciful, Historical and Theatrical

Mrs. (Eliza Davis) Aria

Fashion is more than mere vanity; it is a profound expression of culture, status, and the human desire to define oneself against the backdrop of history. This survey of costume, ranging from the classic era to the Edwardian period, explores how the silhouette, the sleeve, and the coiffure have evolved to reveal the…

Art6 min read
Cover of Dream Days

Dream Days

Kenneth Grahame

Childhood is a kingdom of fierce imagination, where the distance between a nursery floor and a far-off, dragon-haunted mountain is bridged by nothing more than a stubborn refusal to accept the dullness of the adult world.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of England under the Angevin Kings, Volumes I and II

England under the Angevin Kings, Volumes I and II

Kate Norgate

Between the fall of the Anglo-Saxon world and the dawn of parliamentary England, an ambitious French dynasty transformed a fractured island into the cornerstone of a sprawling European empire.

History - British10 min read
Cover of Eskimo Life

Eskimo Life

Fridtjof Nansen

This portrait of Greenlandic life captures a culture of remarkable resilience, mapping the intricate intersection of ancient survival skills and the encroaching influence of European colonization.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Excursions in the mountains of Ronda and Granada, with characteristic sketches of the inhabitants of southern Spain, vol. 2/2

Excursions in the mountains of Ronda and Granada, with characteristic sketches of the inhabitants of southern Spain, vol. 2/2

C. Rochfort‏ (Charles Rochfort) Scott

This account offers a rugged, firsthand portrait of early nineteenth-century Andalusia, capturing the intersection of volatile politics, ancient history, and the enduring customs of the Spanish mountain people.

Travel Writing6 min read
Cover of Famous composers and their works, Vol. 1

Famous composers and their works, Vol. 1

Unknown

This expansive historical survey illuminates the lives and artistic evolutions of the great masters who shaped Western music. It serves as a scholarly yet accessible bridge between early contrapuntal experiments and the emotional height of nineteenth-century opera.

History - Other7 min read
Cover of German composition

German composition

Hermann Lange

Translation demands far more than raw vocabulary; it requires a deep, flexible command of syntax, idiom, and structural logic.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of Heroes of To-Day

Heroes of To-Day

Mary Rosetta Parkman

Heroes of To-Day offers a collection of biographical sketches that redefine heroism for the modern age, moving away from ancient myths of conquest toward quiet, persistent service to humanity. It argues that the most profound adventures are found in science, exploration, and social reform.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of History of the War in Afghanistan, Vol. 3 (of 3): Third Edition

History of the War in Afghanistan, Vol. 3 (of 3): Third Edition

Kaye, John William, Sir

A disastrous foreign invasion crumbles into a desperate salvage operation, where military honor, political survival, and human lives hang on every hesitant order from India.

History - British8 min read
Cover of Hodge and His Masters

Hodge and His Masters

Richard Jefferies

This collection of sketches provides a panoramic view of late 19th-century English rural life, where the traditional agricultural order buckles under the pressure of shifting economics and social change. It documents the fragile, interconnected world of the laborer, the tenant farmer, and the landlord.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Hours with the Ghosts or, Nineteenth Century Witchcraft: Illustrated Investigations into the Phenomena of Spiritualism and Theosophy

Hours with the Ghosts or, Nineteenth Century Witchcraft: Illustrated Investigations into the Phenomena of Spiritualism and Theosophy

Henry Ridgely Evans

The pursuit of the unseen is a persistent human urge, yet beneath the veil of the supernatural often lies the clever hand of the performer. This investigation exposes the mechanics behind the mysticism of a bygone era.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of In the Wilderness

In the Wilderness

Robert Hichens

A husband's hidden hunger for a total devotion his high-minded wife cannot yield drives him into the net of a destructive socialite, setting off a tragedy that scatters their quiet lives across England and the Levant.

British Literature11 min read
Cover of Liza of Lambeth

Liza of Lambeth

W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham

The streets of Lambeth are suffocatingly hot, but for a young factory girl, the true heat comes from the dangerous, illicit fire of an affair that threatens to consume her life.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Magic Shadows: The Story of the Origin of Motion Pictures

Magic Shadows: The Story of the Origin of Motion Pictures

Martin Quigley

Moving pictures did not spring into existence overnight; they are the culmination of centuries of experimentation with light, optics, and the stubborn persistence of human vision.

Art6 min read
Cover of Memoirs of the Empress Josephine, Vol. 2 of 2

Memoirs of the Empress Josephine, Vol. 2 of 2

Madame de (Claire Elisabeth Jeanne Gravier de Vergennes) Rémusat

A firsthand account of Napoleon’s inner circle, this work captures the atmosphere of a court dominated by a man who treated his closest associates as clerks and his empire as a stage for his own glory.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Monsieur, Madame, and Bébé

Monsieur, Madame, and Bébé

Gustave Droz

This is a gentle, intimate portrait of mid-19th-century domesticity that finds the profound within the mundane. It captures the small, private comedies of a young couple navigating the transition from the thrill of courtship to the quiet, sometimes challenging realities of married life and parenthood.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of Old world masters in new world collections

Old world masters in new world collections

Esther Singleton

The grandest treasures of European art have crossed the Atlantic, finding permanent sanctuary within the private galleries of America’s most prominent collectors.

Art6 min read
Cover of On the Spanish Main

On the Spanish Main

John Masefield

These chronicles recount the relentless, often brutal, pursuits of the English buccaneers and privateers who sought to break the Spanish monopoly on the riches of the Isthmus of Darien and the South Sea.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Practical Ethics

Practical Ethics

William De Witt Hyde

A structured guide to moral living, this work bridges the gap between abstract philosophical theory and the concrete, daily choices that define a person's character. It offers a blueprint for building a life of integrity, balance, and purpose.

Philosophy & Ethics6 min read
Cover of Royalty Restored

Royalty Restored

J. Fitzgerald (Joseph Fitzgerald) Molloy

A vibrant, meticulously researched account of the Restoration era, this history captures the glittering excess, political volatility, and social transformation of 17th-century England under the reign of King Charles II.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Short-story masterpieces, Vol. 4

Short-story masterpieces, Vol. 4

John Cournos

This collection showcases the heavy, haunting power of Russian masters, proving that a short story can carry the weight of an entire world. It offers a window into a culture defined by both profound suffering and an unwavering search for truth.

Russian Literature5 min read
Cover of Soldiers Three

Soldiers Three

Rudyard Kipling

This collection of linked short stories captures the rough, sun-scorched vitality of British-Indian colonial life, centered on the unbreakable bond between three irrepressible infantrymen.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Sylvia's Lovers

Sylvia's Lovers

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

Set in a late eighteenth-century Yorkshire whaling port, this story traces the quiet wreckage of a young woman’s life after a lie separates her from the sailor she loves.

British Literature8 min read
Cover of Tales and Legends of the English Lakes

Tales and Legends of the English Lakes

Wilson Armistead

The English Lake District serves as the backdrop for a collection of folklore, historical anecdotes, and poetic reflections, weaving together the rugged beauty of northern valleys with the lives of those who have haunted or inhabited them.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Age of Erasmus: Lectures Delivered in the Universities of Oxford and London

The Age of Erasmus: Lectures Delivered in the Universities of Oxford and London

P. S. (Percy Stafford) Allen

A vivid reconstruction of the Northern Renaissance, these lectures bridge the gap between abstract history and the intimate, messy lives of the scholars who lived through a world in transition.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Black Tortoise: Being the Strange Story of Old Frick's Diamond

The Black Tortoise: Being the Strange Story of Old Frick's Diamond

Christian Sparre

A stolen diamond, a suspicious photograph, and a web of false accusations entangle a private detective and the woman he loves. This narrative of deception unfolds across the quiet villas and courtrooms of Norway.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of The Canadian Elocutionist: Designed for the Use of Colleges, Schools and Self Instruction, Together with a Copious Selection in Prose and Poetry of Pieces Adapted for Reading, Recitation and Practice

The Canadian Elocutionist: Designed for the Use of Colleges, Schools and Self Instruction, Together with a Copious Selection in Prose and Poetry of Pieces Adapted for Reading, Recitation and Practice

Anna K. (Anna Kelsey) Howard

Mastering the art of public speaking requires both technical precision and emotional resonance, a balance achieved through dedicated study and the rigorous practice of classic literary selections.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of The Chemistry of Hat Manufacturing: Lectures Delivered Before the Hat Manufacturers' Association

The Chemistry of Hat Manufacturing: Lectures Delivered Before the Hat Manufacturers' Association

Watson Smith

This technical volume serves as a bridge between Victorian industrial craftsmanship and the nascent power of applied science. It provides a detailed, practical guide to the chemical processes underpinning a once-dominant trade.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of The Diary of a Resurrectionist, 1811-1812: To Which Are Added an Account of the Resurrection Men in London and a Short History of the Passing of the Anatomy Act

The Diary of a Resurrectionist, 1811-1812: To Which Are Added an Account of the Resurrection Men in London and a Short History of the Passing of the Anatomy Act

James Blake Bailey

The resurrectionist trade was a grim necessity of early 19th-century medicine, fueled by a legal system that demanded dissection for science but provided only the bodies of executed murderers to satisfy that demand. This document captures the cold, transactional reality of the men who filled the gap.

Health & Medicine6 min read
Cover of The evolution of the steam locomotive (1803 to 1898)

The evolution of the steam locomotive (1803 to 1898)

George Augustus Nokes

This technical history documents the rapid transformation of steam-powered rail travel from experimental novelty to the iron backbone of British industry between 1803 and 1898.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of The Laughter of Peterkin: A retelling of old tales of the Celtic Wonderworld

The Laughter of Peterkin: A retelling of old tales of the Celtic Wonderworld

William Sharp

A boy awakens in a moonlit room to hear ancient legends, which frame three tragic epics of magic, transformation, and betrayal from the ancient Gaelic world.

Children & Young Adult Reading7 min read
Cover of The Moonlit Way: A Novel

The Moonlit Way: A Novel

Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers

HOOK A young artist finds his quiet New York life upended by a mysterious woman fleeing a web of international intrigue, only to discover that his own destiny is inextricably linked to hers.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Practical Garden-Book: Containing the Simplest Directions for the Growing of the Commonest Things about the House and Garden

The Practical Garden-Book: Containing the Simplest Directions for the Growing of the Commonest Things about the House and Garden

L. H. (Liberty Hyde) Bailey

Gardening is more than the growing of plants: it is the expression of desire. This guide provides the foundational wisdom necessary to cultivate a thriving home garden, honoring the simple, perennial joy of working the earth.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of The Romance of Industry and Invention

The Romance of Industry and Invention

Unknown

The nineteenth century stands as a monument to human ingenuity, where the relentless drive of the inventor transformed the primitive tools of the past into the industrial backbone of a global empire. This collection chronicles the pivotal breakthroughs in steel, communication, and manufacturing that defined an era…

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of The Story of Cole Younger, by Himself

The Story of Cole Younger, by Himself

Cole Younger

This narrative offers a measured, firsthand account of a life defined by the Border War, the notoriety of the post-Civil War West, and a quarter-century of imprisonment. It is a sobering reflection on the consequences of political violence and the long shadows cast by reputation.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Story of the East Riding of Yorkshire

The Story of the East Riding of Yorkshire

Horace B. (Horace Baker) Browne

This history captures the enduring spirit of the East Riding of Yorkshire, tracing the region’s evolution from the primitive tools of the Stone Age to the bustling industrial docks of the modern era.

History - British6 min read
Cover of The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VII. Being the Third of the Third Voyage

The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VII. Being the Third of the Third Voyage

James King

The final chapter of an era, this chronicle captures the closing of a legendary maritime legacy amidst the unfamiliar and unforgiving landscapes of the North Pacific. It offers a sober, firsthand look at the human cost of discovery.

History - Modern (1750+)7 min read
Cover of Tobias o' the Light: A Story of Cape Cod

Tobias o' the Light: A Story of Cape Cod

James A. Cooper

A wily lighthouse keeper intervenes in the lives of his neighbors, orchestrating a series of clever deceptions to mend two fractured romances on the coast of Cape Cod.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of Toy-Making in School and Home

Toy-Making in School and Home

R. K. (Ruby Kathleen) Polkinghorne

Hook Crafting playthings from everyday scraps—matchboxes, corks, and spare wood—builds more than toys; it fosters the patience and ingenuity necessary for a lifetime of creative problem-solving.

Children & Young Adult Reading5 min read
Cover of True Stories of the Great War, Volume 3 (of 6): Tales of Adventure--Heroic Deeds--Exploits Told by the Soldiers, Officers, Nurses, Diplomats, Eye Witnesses

True Stories of the Great War, Volume 3 (of 6): Tales of Adventure--Heroic Deeds--Exploits Told by the Soldiers, Officers, Nurses, Diplomats, Eye Witnesses

Unknown

A kaleidoscopic collection of firsthand reports, these pages capture the raw, immediate intensity of the First World War through the eyes of those who lived it.

History - Modern (1750+)6 min read
Cover of Unconscious Memory

Unconscious Memory

Samuel Butler

Biological evolution is not merely a matter of blind accidents or mindless mechanics, but an expression of deep, inherited memory passed down through the ages.

Philosophy & Ethics6 min read
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