myebooksbuy
My Books

The whole shelf

All free summaries — page 264

34,239 public-domain books, summarised. Page 264 of 714.

Cover of Architecture and Democracy

Architecture and Democracy

Claude Fayette Bragdon

A treatise on the spiritual and geometric foundations of design, this work argues that the true architecture of a democratic age must emerge from the soul, not from the imitation of historical styles.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of California Athabascan Groups

California Athabascan Groups

Martin A. Baumhoff

This scholarly monograph reconstructs the territorial boundaries, village placements, and population counts of the Athabascan-speaking peoples in Northwestern California. It serves as a definitive synthesis of previously scattered ethnographic records and field notes.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Crayon portraiture

Crayon portraiture

Jerome A. Barhydt

Mastering the tactile, precise art of enhancing photographic prints with crayon, pigment, and light, this manual serves as a bridge between industrial photography and fine art portraiture.

Art6 min read
Cover of Crocker's Hole: From "Slain By The Doones" By R. D. Blackmore

Crocker's Hole: From "Slain By The Doones" By R. D. Blackmore

R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore

The pursuit of a legendary trout provides a lens through which to view the singular, focused intensity of youth. This account captures the singular obsession of an angler and his companion as they match wits with a master of the stream.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Famous Islands and Memorable Voyages

Famous Islands and Memorable Voyages

Anonymous

This collection of maritime historical sketches chronicles the daring exploits and tragic fates of explorers, castaways, and mutineers across the globe's most isolated islands. It serves as a somber meditation on human endurance and moral consequence.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of History of Friedrich II of Prussia

History of Friedrich II of Prussia

Thomas Carlyle

The weight of a crown is never light, but for one eighteenth-century monarch, it becomes a burden measured in territory, shifting alliances, and the relentless, grinding machinery of European war.

History - European6 min read
Cover of History of the Great Reformation of the Sixteenth Century in Germany, Switzerland, &c., Volume 4

History of the Great Reformation of the Sixteenth Century in Germany, Switzerland, &c., Volume 4

J. H. (Jean Henri) Merle d'Aubigné

The Reformation is not merely a theological shift, but a dramatic struggle for the soul of Europe, where the clash of kings and the conviction of reformers decide the fate of nations.

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

Ishmael

Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte Southworth

The journey of a self-made man rises from the humblest of origins to the heights of legal triumph, proving that nobility is a matter of character rather than birth.

American Literature9 min read
Cover of Mr. Spaceship

Mr. Spaceship

Philip K. Dick

A dying professor merges his consciousness with a spaceship to escape a war-torn system, ultimately kidnapping his former student and the student's estranged wife to seed a peaceful new colony in the stars.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of Mushrooms on the Moor

Mushrooms on the Moor

Frank Boreham

The ordinary, often-overlooked details of daily existence serve as gateways to the infinite, transforming a quiet life into a journey of profound discovery. Through a series of reflective essays, the author invites readers to find the extraordinary within the mundane, arguing that the true measure of character is…

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Music, and Other Poems

Music, and Other Poems

Henry Van Dyke

These verses offer a serene refuge, celebrating the quiet dignity of daily labor, the healing power of nature, and the enduring strength of human love.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of Seven Men [Excerpts]

Seven Men [Excerpts]

Beerbohm, Max, Sir

This collection of portraits explores the vanity and fragility of those who hover on the fringes of artistic greatness. With a sharp, quiet wit, the sketches examine the lives of men whose desperate hunger for significance ultimately reveals the emptiness of their ambitions.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Sir Francis Drake Revived

Sir Francis Drake Revived

Unknown

A daring Elizabethan captain seeks to recover his lost fortune by raiding the Spanish Main, transforming personal vengeance into a landmark voyage of discovery. The account captures the raw ambition and high-stakes maneuvering of a man who would eventually claim the world for his Queen.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Structure and Functions of the Body: A Hand-Book of Anatomy and Physiology for Nurses and Others Desiring a Practical Knowledge of the Subject

Structure and Functions of the Body: A Hand-Book of Anatomy and Physiology for Nurses and Others Desiring a Practical Knowledge of the Subject

Annette Fiske

This manual offers a clear, systematic guide to the human body, bridging the gap between clinical anatomy and functional physiology for students and healthcare practitioners. It remains a valuable historical example of early 20th-century medical pedagogy.

Health & Medicine6 min read
Cover of Studies in Civics

Studies in Civics

J. T. (James Thompson) McCleary

Understanding the machinery of government requires examining both the foundational principles and the practical, daily operations of public life. This guide demystifies the structure of American civic institutions for the student and the citizen alike.

Politics7 min read
Cover of The Argentine Republic: Its Development and Progress

The Argentine Republic: Its Development and Progress

Pierre Denis

A comprehensive study of Argentina’s transformation from a frontier society into an agricultural powerhouse, this work meticulously maps the physical and economic forces that defined a nation at the turn of the twentieth century.

Environmental Issues6 min read
Cover of The Autobiography of Phineas Pett

The Autobiography of Phineas Pett

Phineas Pett

These records offer an unvarnished, firsthand account of life and labor within the seventeenth-century English naval administration, detailing the high-stakes politics behind the construction of the King’s ships. They provide a rare window into the technical and personal struggles of a master shipwright navigating…

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Baronial Halls, and Ancient Picturesque Edifices of England

The Baronial Halls, and Ancient Picturesque Edifices of England

S. C. (Samuel Carter) Hall

These silent stone witnesses of English history preserve the architectural triumphs and domestic rhythms of a vanished gentry. Each structure serves as a vessel for the stories of the families who built, occupied, and eventually departed them.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of The Criminal Imbecile: An Analysis of Three Remarkable Murder Cases

The Criminal Imbecile: An Analysis of Three Remarkable Murder Cases

Henry Herbert Goddard

A pioneering examination of three murder cases, this study argues that many offenders are not morally "evil" but are instead individuals with the mental age of children, trapped in adult bodies.

Law & Criminology6 min read
Cover of The English Lakes

The English Lakes

William T. Palmer

A contemplative guide to the English Lake District, capturing the quiet grandeur of its waters, the resilience of its mountain folk, and the enduring legacy of the poets who called these valleys home.

Travel Writing6 min read
Cover of The Expositor's Bible: The Epistles of St. Paul to the Colossians and Philemon

The Expositor's Bible: The Epistles of St. Paul to the Colossians and Philemon

Alexander Maclaren

This commentary bridges the distance between ancient epistolary correspondence and the modern soul, offering a measured, theological exploration of two of the Bible’s most intimate letters. It serves as a guide for those seeking to understand the intersection of high doctrine and everyday conduct.

Religion/Spirituality6 min read
Cover of The Heroine

The Heroine

Eaton Stannard Barrett

A young woman, intoxicated by the tropes of Gothic fiction, abandons her quiet life to inhabit a world of castles, abductions, and high-born drama.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The History of Emily Montague

The History of Emily Montague

Frances Brooke

This epistolary novel captures the shifting landscapes of 18th-century Canada and England through the intimate, observant correspondence of two spirited women and their suitors.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The History of Tom Thumb: To Which Are Added the Stories of the Cat and the Mouse and Fire! Fire! Burn Stick!

The History of Tom Thumb: To Which Are Added the Stories of the Cat and the Mouse and Fire! Fire! Burn Stick!

Unknown

Born from a magical wish and no larger than a thumb, a courageous boy navigates a world of giants, kings, and perilous kitchen accidents. This enduring English folktale traces the extraordinary life and final, tragic fate of a diminutive hero.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Prophet of Berkeley Square

The Prophet of Berkeley Square

Robert Hichens

The celestial gaze of a Berkeley Square gentleman turns into a chaotic farce when he finds his quiet, aristocratic life invaded by a desperate, self-styled prophet and his eccentric family.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The Red Man's Continent: A Chronicle of Aboriginal America

The Red Man's Continent: A Chronicle of Aboriginal America

Ellsworth Huntington

This exploration examines how the North American landscape—its climate, soil, and topography—shaped the development of indigenous cultures long before the arrival of European settlers.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The Renaissance: studies in art and poetry

The Renaissance: studies in art and poetry

Walter Pater

The Renaissance lives in the vibrant, fleeting space between the pulse of human emotion and the enduring perfection of art. It argues that beauty is not a fixed formula, but a series of rare, intensified moments to be savored.

Art6 min read
Cover of The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His People

The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His People

L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum

In a kingdom where heads are made of wood and rivers flow with root beer, a benevolent ruler navigates the peculiar consequences of his own magic.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Wit and Humor of America, Volume V. (of X.)

The Wit and Humor of America, Volume V. (of X.)

Unknown

This collection captures a fleeting, boisterous era of American life, gathering short stories, sketches, and verses that revel in the absurdities of human nature. It presents a mosaic of a country in the midst of rapid transformation, balancing sharp social critique with the gentle, rhythmic vernacular of the time.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Told by the Northmen: Stories from the Eddas and Sagas

Told by the Northmen: Stories from the Eddas and Sagas

E. M. (Ethel Mary) Wilmot-Buxton

These sweeping legends of gods, giants, and heroes capture the elemental spirit of the North, where wisdom is bought with sacrifice and bravery is tested against the inevitable tide of fate.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Venezuela

Venezuela

Leonard V. (Leonard Victor) Dalton

A detailed, scholarly overview of Venezuela’s geography, history, and development, providing a comprehensive portrait of the nation at the turn of the twentieth century.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of A Castle in Spain: A Novel

A Castle in Spain: A Novel

James De Mille

A chaotic, romantic romp through the rugged Spanish landscape, where a band of travelers finds their paths tangled with bandits, revolutionaries, and a self-proclaimed king in an ancient, crumbling fortress.

Adventure7 min read
Cover of A Corner of Spain

A Corner of Spain

Walter Wood

This evocative travelogue reveals the verdant, rugged landscapes and enduring traditions of Galicia, inviting modern readers to explore an unspoiled corner of North-West Spain that remains largely untouched by the passage of time.

Travel Writing6 min read
Cover of A History of Booksellers, the Old and the New

A History of Booksellers, the Old and the New

Henry Curwen

This expansive chronicle traces the rise of the British publishing industry, transforming the dry ledger of commerce into a vivid, human story of the men who built the nation’s literary landscape.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of A Little Pilgrimage in Italy

A Little Pilgrimage in Italy

Olave M. (Olave Muriel) Potter

A sweeping, sensory-rich travelogue, this work follows three companions on a leisurely exploration of Italy’s hill towns, seeking the spirit of the Middle Ages in landscapes where history and nature remain inextricably intertwined.

Travel Writing6 min read
Cover of A Visit to the Holy Land, Egypt, and Italy

A Visit to the Holy Land, Egypt, and Italy

Ida Pfeiffer

An intrepid traveler from Vienna defies the social conventions of her time, venturing alone across the Middle East and Egypt to witness the cradle of civilization with her own eyes.

Travel Writing6 min read
Cover of Babylonian-Assyrian Birth-Omens and Their Cultural Significance

Babylonian-Assyrian Birth-Omens and Their Cultural Significance

Morris Jastrow

This scholarly examination explores the ancient Babylonian and Assyrian practice of interpreting birth abnormalities as divine messages, tracing their profound influence on the development of Western superstition and early scientific thought. It bridges the gap between the clay tablets of Mesopotamia and the…

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of Bat Wing

Bat Wing

Sax Rohmer

A man of singular intellect investigates the dark secrets of a remote estate, where a supposedly supernatural "death-token" masks a web of human obsession and long-simmering vengeance.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Beautiful Gardens in America

Beautiful Gardens in America

Louise Shelton

This survey of early 20th-century landscape design celebrates the personal passion of home gardeners who transformed American soil into private sanctuaries of color and serenity.

History - American5 min read
Cover of Border Raids and Reivers

Border Raids and Reivers

Robert Borland

The Scottish Borderlands were once a land of perpetual fire and steel, where the only law was the swift, lethal justice of the sword and the reiver’s midnight raid.

History - British7 min read
Cover of British Policy in the Illinois Country, 1763-1768

British Policy in the Illinois Country, 1763-1768

Clarence Edwin Carter

The Illinois Country served as a pivotal, yet unstable, frontier in the mid-18th century, where the transition from French to British rule exposed the profound disconnect between imperial ambition and the realities of colonial administration.

History - American6 min read
Cover of Buchanan's Journal of Man, February 1887: Volume 1, Number 1

Buchanan's Journal of Man, February 1887: Volume 1, Number 1

Unknown

A collection of essays and editorial commentary, this periodical serves as a manifesto for a nineteenth-century scientific movement that claimed to unify the physical, psychic, and moral aspects of human existence. It stands as a historical artifact of a time when fringe science and social reform were often…

Archaeology & Anthropology7 min read
Cover of Buchanan's Journal of Man, October 1887: Volume 1, Number 9

Buchanan's Journal of Man, October 1887: Volume 1, Number 9

Unknown

A radical shift in how science and spirit intersect, this periodical offers a window into the late nineteenth-century obsession with mapping the human brain and soul.

Archaeology & Anthropology7 min read
Cover of Charlestown Navy Yard: Boston National Historical Park, Massachusetts

Charlestown Navy Yard: Boston National Historical Park, Massachusetts

United States. National Park Service

From its 1800 founding to its 1974 closure, the Charlestown Navy Yard served as the backbone of American maritime defense, evolving alongside the nation’s warships from timber sailing vessels to complex steel engines of war.

History - American6 min read
Cover of Dealings with the Dead, Volume 2 (of 2)

Dealings with the Dead, Volume 2 (of 2)

Lucius M. (Lucius Manlius) Sargent

An aging sexton observes the passing of Boston’s old aristocracy, using the solemnity of the graveyard to meditate on the foibles, follies, and fading fashions of the living.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of Educational Toys: Consisting Chiefly of Coping-Saw Problems for Children in School and the Home

Educational Toys: Consisting Chiefly of Coping-Saw Problems for Children in School and the Home

Louis Christian Petersen

This manual provides a practical, step-by-step guide to woodworking for children, teaching them to transform simple scraps of wood into functional toys through the precision of the coping saw.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Egypt (La Mort de Philae)

Egypt (La Mort de Philae)

Pierre Loti

A haunting meditation on an ancient landscape, this work captures the fleeting beauty of Egypt’s crumbling temples as they face the encroaching tide of modernization and loss.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of Frederick Chopin, as a Man and Musician

Frederick Chopin, as a Man and Musician

Frederick Niecks

The life of Frédéric Chopin is a study in the intersection of fragile genius and complex human connection. This biography meticulously documents the composer’s artistic evolution and his often-troubled personal history with clinical, grounded detail.

Biographies7 min read
Advertisement