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34,239 public-domain books, summarised. Page 247 of 714.

Cover of The Life of Admiral Viscount Exmouth

The Life of Admiral Viscount Exmouth

Edward Osler

An orphan youth leaps into the open sea from a moving ship to save a drowning sailor, launching an improbable career that transforms him into one of Great Britain’s most audacious naval commanders.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Salads, Sandwiches and Chafing-Dish Dainties: With Fifty Illustrations of Original Dishes

Salads, Sandwiches and Chafing-Dish Dainties: With Fifty Illustrations of Original Dishes

Janet McKenzie Hill

With precise culinary technique and Victorian elegance, Janet McKenzie Hill transforms everyday luncheons into sophisticated hostessing through artful salads, delicate sandwiches, and late-night chafing-dish entertaining.

Cooking & Drinking6 min read
Cover of Seeing Europe with Famous Authors, Volume 8: Italy, Sicily, and Greece, Part Two

Seeing Europe with Famous Authors, Volume 8: Italy, Sicily, and Greece, Part Two

Unknown

Centuries of art, history, and sacred landscape converge as a chorus of legendary writers guides the traveler across the sunlit, ruin-scattered terrains of southern Europe and the Aegean.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume 1

History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, Volume 1

J. H. (Jean Henri) Merle d'Aubigné

Faith in divine grace cannot survive when human institutions demand that believers purchase their own salvation.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)7 min read
Cover of Slaves of Freedom

Slaves of Freedom

Coningsby Dawson

A man can surrender his freedom to win a woman, but he cannot force a woman who fears love to surrender hers.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The American Flower Garden Directory: Containing Practical Directions for the Culture of Plants, in the Hot-House, Garden-House, Flower Garden and Rooms or Parlours, for Every Month in the Year

The American Flower Garden Directory: Containing Practical Directions for the Culture of Plants, in the Hot-House, Garden-House, Flower Garden and Rooms or Parlours, for Every Month in the Year

Robert Buist

This practical 1834 manual offers a detailed, month-by-month guide to cultivating delicate exotics, greenhouse shrubs, and vibrant garden flowers in nineteenth-century American homes and estates.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of The Bible: What It Is!

The Bible: What It Is!

Charles Bradlaugh

A rigorous, unsparing critique of early biblical narrative that subjects sacred text to the cold light of nineteenth-century rationalism, geology, and textual analysis.

History - Religious6 min read
Cover of The crime code

The crime code

William Le Queux

Framed for a bloody crime and hunted across London, an aspiring politician plunges into a underground network of international thieves, secret codes, and stolen identities, desperate to prove his innocence and rescue the woman he loves.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of The Fortunes of Glencore

The Fortunes of Glencore

Charles Lever

A proud Irish peer casts off his family in a cloud of suspicion, driving his isolated son and enigmatic wife across Europe in search of truth, redemption, and a name.

British Literature8 min read
Cover of The spell of Scotland

The spell of Scotland

Keith Clark

Across misty borders, ruined abbeys, and wind-swept highlands, a deep historical geographic memory transforms physical landscapes into living encounters with poets, monarchs, and ancient battles.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of The Sport of the Gods

The Sport of the Gods

Paul Laurence Dunbar

When a respectable Black family in the Jim Crow South is shattered by a false accusation, their search for a fresh start in Harlem exposes them to the ruinous temptations of the big city.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Uncle Joe's Stories

Uncle Joe's Stories

Brabourne, Edward Hugessen Knatchbull-Hugessen, Baron

In six fairy tales of unsparing old-fashioned energy, a Victorian storyteller tests children with bizarre monsters, royal whims, and sudden magic to see if they can hold their heads.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of When Knighthood Was in Flower

When Knighthood Was in Flower

Charles Major

A willful princess and an ambitious commoner clash, fall in love, and defy the terrifying authority of King Henry VIII to claim their own fate.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Antiquities of the Mesa Verde National Park: Cliff Palace

Antiquities of the Mesa Verde National Park: Cliff Palace

Jesse Walter Fewkes

High in the alcoves of Southwestern sandstone cliffs, a sprawling masonry village stands preserved, revealing the architectural mastery and daily routines of its ancient Pueblo builders.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Beethoven

Beethoven

Romain Rolland

When physical suffering and isolation strip away every human comfort, the inner life of the true artist becomes an invincible fortress built on moral courage.

Biographies5 min read
Cover of Cities of Belgium: Grant Allen's Historical Guides

Cities of Belgium: Grant Allen's Historical Guides

Grant Allen

A practical, clear-eyed traveler’s companion leads the reader past medieval canals, gilt civic halls, and rich church chapels to uncover the artistic legacy of northern Europe.

Architecture5 min read
Cover of Famous Men of Ancient Times

Famous Men of Ancient Times

Samuel G. (Samuel Griswold) Goodrich

A restrained, clear-eyed examination of history’s most influential figures, stripping away myth to weigh statesmen, philosophers, and military leaders by a single, steady moral standard.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Fundamentals of Prosperity: What They Are and Whence They Come

Fundamentals of Prosperity: What They Are and Whence They Come

Roger Ward Babson

Real financial security rests not in steel vault doors or corporate balances, but in the invisible spiritual qualities—honesty, vision, hard work, and cooperation—that sustain human civilization.

Business/Management6 min read
Cover of Grain and Chaff from an English Manor

Grain and Chaff from an English Manor

Arthur Herbert Savory

In a world moving rapidly toward industrialization, a reflective Victorian farmer captures the quiet, vanishing details of English rural life.

History - British5 min read
Cover of Love Letters of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Volume 1 (of 2)

Love Letters of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Volume 1 (of 2)

Nathaniel Hawthorne

A quiet, intense intimacy glows through a set of private letters, revealing a side of a famous writer hidden from the public eye.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of Onesimus: Memoirs of a Disciple of St. Paul

Onesimus: Memoirs of a Disciple of St. Paul

Edwin Abbott Abbott

A slave’s journey from bondage to doubt, philosophical wandering, and ultimate spiritual liberation forms the emotional center of this first-century Roman world portrait.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of Reminiscences of Prince Talleyrand, Volume 1 (of 2)

Reminiscences of Prince Talleyrand, Volume 1 (of 2)

Colmache, M., active 19th century

Calculated survival in high-stakes diplomacy depends entirely on watching where the wind blows before taking a single step.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The blue wall

The blue wall

Richard Washburn Child

A physician peers past a physical partition and into the troubled human minds hidden behind it, uncovering a web of secret obsession, addiction, and long-buried guilt.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of The Court of Philip IV.: Spain in Decadence

The Court of Philip IV.: Spain in Decadence

Martin A. S. (Martin Andrew Sharp) Hume

A proud empire crumbles under the weight of its own illusions while its courtiers indulge in extravagant spectacles and hollow pageantry.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)7 min read
Cover of The Girls of Silver Spur Ranch

The Girls of Silver Spur Ranch

Grace MacGowan Cooke

Courageous sisters, an absent soldier father, and a neighbor's relentless pride converge in a spirited tale of rural Texas resolve during the Spanish-American War.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Gorgon's Head: (From: "A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys")

The Gorgon's Head: (From: "A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys")

Nathaniel Hawthorne

In a quiet New England porch, an imaginative student reframes the horrors of Greek mythology into a bright, swift adventure that proves courage and wit can vanquish the most monstrous threats.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The Life of Marie de Medicis, Queen of France, Consort of Henri IV, and Regent of the Kingdom under Louis XIII

The Life of Marie de Medicis, Queen of France, Consort of Henri IV, and Regent of the Kingdom under Louis XIII

Miss (Julia) Pardoe

Royal ambition, sudden assassination, and dangerous palace intrigue collide in a detailed chronicle of seventeenth-century France, capturing a queen’s turbulent rise and fall within a fractured, power-hungry court.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Quiver, 2/1900

The Quiver, 2/1900

Various

A monthly collection of Victorian popular literature, religious instruction, and wholesome serialized drama designed to uplift the heart and steady the mind.

Art6 min read
Cover of The tale of Reddy Woodpecker

The tale of Reddy Woodpecker

Arthur Scott Bailey

A swaggering woodpecker turns a quiet countryside upside down with his loud drumming, sharp bill, and total disregard for his bird and woodland neighbors.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 13

The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 13

John Dryden

A great writer’s late-career masterpiece often lies in how he honors the masters who came before him. Here, an aging poet turns his fierce intelligence and mature craft toward capturing the razor-sharp wit and quiet beauty of classical Rome.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Thoughts I Met on the Highway: Words of Friendly Cheer From "The Life Books"

Thoughts I Met on the Highway: Words of Friendly Cheer From "The Life Books"

Ralph Waldo Trine

A quiet collection of meditative counsel offers direct principles for mastering one's internal mental life, contending that disciplined thoughts directly construct personal reality, physical health, and outward success.

Essays, Letters & Speeches5 min read
Cover of View of the State of Europe during the Middle Ages, Vol. 3

View of the State of Europe during the Middle Ages, Vol. 3

Henry Hallam

A long, slow movement carried European life out of feudal fragmentation into governed states, transforming custom into statutory law and local violence into civic order.

History - British10 min read
Cover of Women and Economics: A Study of the Economic Relation Between Men and Women as a Factor in Social Evolution

Women and Economics: A Study of the Economic Relation Between Men and Women as a Factor in Social Evolution

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

A bold reexamination of human history reveals how making woman economically dependent on man altered her biology, constrained her social potential, and distorted the natural evolution of the entire human species.

Economics5 min read
Cover of A Study of Hawthorne

A Study of Hawthorne

George Parsons Lathrop

An elusive American master is brought into focus by a fellow writer who balances psychological insight, literary genealogy, and historical context to illuminate the genius behind New England's most enduring, dark-hued romances.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of An Introduction to the History of Japan

An Introduction to the History of Japan

Katsuro Hara

A clear, sweeping overview reveals how Japan shaped its national identity through centuries of internal conflict, cultural assimilation, and rigorous institutional trials.

History - Other7 min read
Cover of Arthur O'Leary: His Wanderings And Ponderings In Many Lands

Arthur O'Leary: His Wanderings And Ponderings In Many Lands

Charles Lever

A roving Irishman drifts across nineteenth-century Europe, sampling local life, listening to the tragic or absurd stories of strangers, and observing human vanity with detached, ironic amusement.

British Literature9 min read
Cover of Drinks of the World

Drinks of the World

John Ashton

A thirst older than history drives humanity to turn whatever grows, flows, or ferments into a bowl, a glass, or a goblet.

Cooking & Drinking5 min read
Cover of Dryden's Palamon and Arcite

Dryden's Palamon and Arcite

John Dryden

Two imprisoned cousins fall instantly in love with the same captive princess, turning their lifelong brotherhood into an unrelenting duel of honor, destiny, and martial glory.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Frederick Law Olmsted

Frederick Law Olmsted

Frederick Law Olmsted

An intimate glimpse into the formative experiences and vast professional achievements of America’s premier landscape architect, revealed through personal papers, autobiographical fragments, and archival correspondence.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of History of Friedrich II of Prussia

History of Friedrich II of Prussia

Thomas Carlyle

Across a vast European landscape, a lone monarch fights a relentless multi-front war against overwhelming odds, holding a fragile kingdom together through sheer intellect, iron resolve, and stubborn endurance.

History - European7 min read
Cover of John G. Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides, volume 1 (of 3)

John G. Paton, missionary to the New Hebrides, volume 1 (of 3)

John Gibson Paton

A fiery Victorian faith meets the perils of the South Pacific in an astonishing true narrative of survival, loss, and unyielding religious conviction.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Knock Three Times!

Knock Three Times!

Marion St. John Webb

A mysterious birthday parcel leads twin siblings out of their everyday garden and into a hidden, enchanted realm threatened by a terrible magic.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of Love in chief

Love in chief

R. K. (Rose Kirkpatrick) Weekes

A quiet rural community in twentieth-century England becomes the stage for a young woman navigating love, pride, and the conflicting claims of two very different men.

Novels5 min read
Cover of Mystics and Saints of Islam

Mystics and Saints of Islam

Claud Field

A path to the divine unfolds not through rigid dogma, but through terror of judgment, ecstatic devotion, and the complete surrender of the self in the relentless pursuit of spiritual truth.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Northern Nut Growers Association, report of the proceedings at the sixth annual meeting: Rochester, New York, September 1 and 2, 1915

Northern Nut Growers Association, report of the proceedings at the sixth annual meeting: Rochester, New York, September 1 and 2, 1915

Unknown

A handful of devoted growers and scientists gather to reimagine American agriculture, proposing a future where productive nut-bearing trees replace fragile grain crops and revitalize abandoned lands across the North.

Reports & Conference Proceedings5 min read
Cover of Perkins of Portland: Perkins The Great

Perkins of Portland: Perkins The Great

Ellis Parker Butler

An eccentric copywriter and a pragmatic partner hawk ridiculous products across America, turning raw enthusiasm and relentless catchphrases into a booming empire.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Red Eve

Red Eve

H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard

In 14th-century England, a young woman's forbidden love becomes entangled with war, deadly rivalries, and the march of the Black Death.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Revolution, and Other Essays

Revolution, and Other Essays

Jack London

A fiery socialist vision clashes with raw personal narrative, revealing how systemic greed crushes the human spirit while championing collective rebirth.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
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