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34,239 public-domain books, summarised. Page 299 of 714.

Cover of The History of Sandford and Merton

The History of Sandford and Merton

Thomas Day

Two boys from vastly different worlds learn that true nobility resides in character, industry, and kindness rather than in wealth or social rank. This enduring moral fable uses a series of nested parables to contrast the spoiled, sheltered upbringing of a wealthy heir with the rugged, virtuous life of a farmer’s son.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The history of the Bastile, and of its principal captives

The history of the Bastile, and of its principal captives

R. A. (Richard Alfred) Davenport

The Bastille stands in history as a symbol of arbitrary tyranny, a fortress where the king’s whim could bury a man without hope of justice. This chronicle examines the lives of those who vanished behind its walls, offering a stark portrait of the fragile line between power and ruin in pre-revolutionary France.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)7 min read
Cover of The Jews of Barnow: Stories

The Jews of Barnow: Stories

Karl Emil Franzos

A collection of stark, piercing narratives explores the cloistered lives of Eastern European Jews, capturing the collision between ancient tradition and the encroaching modern world. These stories document the price of forbidden knowledge and the quiet endurance of those living in the shadow of rigid social boundaries.

German Literature6 min read
Cover of The Last Secrets: The Final Mysteries of Exploration

The Last Secrets: The Final Mysteries of Exploration

John Buchan

This chronicle captures the twilight of great geographical discovery, documenting the final, arduous efforts to map the world’s most forbidding corners before the "morning freshness" of exploration gave way to the routine of modern survey. It is a record of human endurance against the vast, indifferent power of the…

History - Modern (1750+)6 min read
Cover of The life of the emperor Francis Joseph

The life of the emperor Francis Joseph

Francis Henry Gribble

The long, shadowed reign of the last great Habsburg monarch reveals a life caught between the crushing weight of imperial tradition and the inexorable rise of modern nationalism. It is a study of a man defined by the tragedy he could not escape.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of The Mayor's Wife

The Mayor's Wife

Anna Katharine Green

A young woman seeking employment enters a household shrouded in secrets, only to discover that the greatest mysteries are not ghostly hauntings, but the hidden sins of the living.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Volume 09: the False Nun

The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Volume 09: the False Nun

Giacomo Casanova

A charismatic adventurer navigates the perilous, glittering intrigues of 18th-century Venice, where every pleasure masks a potential trap and every romance carries the weight of inevitable ruin.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of The Monarchs of the Main

The Monarchs of the Main

Walter Thornbury

This historical chronicle maps the rise and eventual ruin of the buccaneers, exploring how displaced hunters and escaped servants transformed from isolated survivalists into the most feared maritime predators of the seventeenth-century Spanish Main.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Norwegian Fjords

The Norwegian Fjords

A. Heaton (Alfred Heaton) Cooper

The majestic, deep-cut fjords of Norway offer a window into an ancient, rugged way of life where nature and folklore remain inextricably linked.

Art6 min read
Cover of The Old Willow Tree, and Other Stories

The Old Willow Tree, and Other Stories

Carl Ewald

The natural world is not a backdrop for human affairs, but a bustling, competitive, and often ruthless society where every blade of grass and ancient tree has a voice, a grudge, and a story to tell.

Short Stories6 min read
Cover of The Other World

The Other World

Unknown

Beyond the veil of our physical perception lies a realm of spectral shadows and spiritual intelligence, challenging the materialist boundaries of the Victorian age. This collection serves as a formal bridge between the ancient traditions of the unseen and the burgeoning, often controversial, science of modern…

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898

Unknown

This collection of primary documents offers an unvarnished look at the administrative, religious, and military machinery of the Spanish Philippines at the close of the sixteenth century. Through letters, reports, and royal decrees, the text reveals the day-to-day struggle to maintain a colonial outpost on the far…

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)6 min read
Cover of The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 44, 1700-1736: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 44, 1700-1736: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century

Unknown

Archival records from the early eighteenth century reveal a colonial frontier defined by fragile religious missions, volatile political violence, and the relentless, often corrupt, machinery of trans-Pacific trade. These documents illuminate the friction between imperial mandates and the harsh realities of life in…

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)6 min read
Cover of The place of magic in the intellectual history of Europe

The place of magic in the intellectual history of Europe

Lynn Thorndike

Magic is not merely a collection of ancient superstitions, but a foundational thread woven into the development of Western intellectual life. This survey traces how magical beliefs persisted alongside, and often within, the most sophisticated scientific systems of antiquity and the Middle Ages.

History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)6 min read
Cover of The Poems of Alice Meynell

The Poems of Alice Meynell

Alice Meynell

The heart of this collection lies in the quiet, precise tension between the human soul’s yearning for the infinite and the inescapable constraints of mortal life. These poems are meditations on memory, faith, and the natural world, crafted with a restraint that renders every syllable essential.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of The Romany Rye: A Sequel to 'Lavengro'

The Romany Rye: A Sequel to 'Lavengro'

George Borrow

This sprawling, idiosyncratic narrative follows a wandering scholar and smith as he navigates the wilder fringes of English society. It is a work of defiant individualism, blending autobiography, linguistic obsession, and social commentary.

Adventure8 min read
Cover of The Secrets of the Great City: A Work Descriptive of the Virtues and the Vices, the Mysteries, Miseries and Crimes of New York City

The Secrets of the Great City: A Work Descriptive of the Virtues and the Vices, the Mysteries, Miseries and Crimes of New York City

James Dabney McCabe

This panoramic study of mid-nineteenth-century New York exposes the stark friction between the city’s soaring commercial ambition and the entrenched corruption lurking within its bustling streets. It captures a metropolis defined as much by its grand potential as by its systemic moral decay.

History - American6 min read
Cover of The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle [vol. 3 of 5]

The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle [vol. 3 of 5]

John Gould

This technical record preserves the avian findings of a landmark expedition, offering a precise, firsthand look at the biodiversity of South America and the Galapagos Islands.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of Thinking as a Science

Thinking as a Science

Henry Hazlitt

Most people mistake reading for thinking, mistakenly believing that consuming information is the same as processing it. This guide argues that true intellectual independence requires a disciplined, active method for solving problems rather than merely memorizing facts.

Philosophy & Ethics6 min read
Cover of Trial of Mary Blandy

Trial of Mary Blandy

Unknown

The trial of an eighteenth-century woman accused of poisoning her father serves as a stark, enduring anatomy of a domestic tragedy. This historical account meticulously reconstructs the legal proceedings and the surrounding social fallout of a case that captivated the British public in 1752.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery6 min read
Cover of U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1951 January - June

U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1951 January - June

Library of Congress. Copyright Office

This register reveals the legal pulse of the mid-century American literary landscape, meticulously documenting which works from the early 1920s earned a second life through copyright renewal.

Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference5 min read
Cover of Ultima Thule

Ultima Thule

Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

The northern horizon beckons with the promise of "Ultima Thule," an island of fire, ice, and ancient sagas. This meticulous exploration documents a rugged landscape where the physical extremes of the earth meet the endurance of a resilient people.

Travel Writing7 min read
Cover of Undine

Undine

La Motte-Fouqué, Friedrich Heinrich Karl, Freiherr de

A water spirit enters the human world to gain a soul through marriage, only to find that love among mortals is a fragile, often tragic, endeavor.

German Literature6 min read
Cover of Virgin Spain

Virgin Spain

Waldo David Frank

A search for the soul of a nation, this expansive inquiry captures the geography, history, and spiritual temperament of a country caught between medieval devotion and modern rebirth. It has endured as a seminal, lyrical portrait of a land that is as much a state of mind as a physical place.

History - European6 min read
Cover of Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 09

Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 09

Unknown

The stories of the Borders breathe with the quiet, persistent pulse of history, capturing the triumphs, heartbreaks, and moral tests of a people living on the edge of memory.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of Zanzibar Tales: Told by Natives of the East Coast of Africa

Zanzibar Tales: Told by Natives of the East Coast of Africa

George W. Bateman

Wise animals and cunning humans navigate a world of shifting fortunes, where the smallest creatures often outwit the strongest predators in these classic tales from the East African coast.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of A boys' life of Booker T. Washington

A boys' life of Booker T. Washington

Walter Clinton Jackson

Born into slavery, a young boy finds a path to literacy, founds a world-renowned institution, and becomes a defining voice for his people. This biography chronicles a life of relentless industry and service.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of A Christmas Faggot

A Christmas Faggot

Alfred Gurney

The humblest hearth finds warmth in this collection, where the sacred mystery of the Nativity is gathered into a small, flickering bundle of verse. These pages invite the reader to sit by a winter fire and contemplate the simple, profound grace of the Incarnation.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents. Volume 5, part 1: Presidents Taylor and Fillmore

A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents. Volume 5, part 1: Presidents Taylor and Fillmore

Unknown

This archival volume documents the pivotal transition of American executive power during the years leading up to the Civil War, capturing the official records of two presidents struggling to maintain a fragile national union.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of A Dream of Empire

A Dream of Empire

William Henry Venable

This historical novel dramatizes the downfall of a visionary aristocrat and the seductive, ruinous ambition of a political outcast. It is a story of how grand designs, when detached from reality, collapse into the ashes of private lives.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of A little cook book for a little girl

A little cook book for a little girl

Caroline French Benton

A young girl refuses to wait for adulthood to master the kitchen, turning her grandmother’s and aunts' expertise into a practical, step-by-step guide for making real food from scratch.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil

A New Conscience and an Ancient Evil

Jane Addams

A profound awakening to the systemic exploitation of young women, this work examines how urban industrial life creates the traps that ensnare the vulnerable. It remains a foundational text in the history of social reform.

Gender & Sexuality Studies6 min read
Cover of A Source Book of Australian History

A Source Book of Australian History

Unknown

A journey through the foundational documents of a nation, this volume invites readers to witness the development of Australia not through secondary interpretation, but through the raw, unfiltered voices of the men who shaped it.

History - Other6 min read
Cover of A Thief in the Night: Further adventures of A. J. Raffles, Cricketer and Cracksman

A Thief in the Night: Further adventures of A. J. Raffles, Cricketer and Cracksman

E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung

A charmingly amoral portrait of high-stakes larceny, this collection captures the thrill of the chase and the quiet, desperate bond between an aging gentleman burglar and his loyal, if long-suffering, accomplice.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Acton's Feud: A Public School Story

Acton's Feud: A Public School Story

Frederick Swainson

This is a story of intense rivalries and shifting loyalties within an elite Victorian public school, where a single grudge can simmer for years and a moment of heroism can redefine a reputation.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of Adventures in the Rifle Brigade, in the Peninsula, France, and the Netherlands: from 1809 to 1815

Adventures in the Rifle Brigade, in the Peninsula, France, and the Netherlands: from 1809 to 1815

J. (John) Kincaid

A soldier’s account of the Napoleonic Wars, capturing the grit, exhaustion, and camaraderie of the front lines through the eyes of an officer in the legendary Rifle Brigade.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Against Home Rule: The Case for the Union: (1912)

Against Home Rule: The Case for the Union: (1912)

Unknown

A collection of arguments from the year 1912, this work outlines the political and economic case against granting Ireland a separate parliament. It serves as a historical document of the Unionist perspective during a pivotal moment of constitutional debate.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Alice Wilde: The Raftsman's Daughter. A Forest Romance

Alice Wilde: The Raftsman's Daughter. A Forest Romance

Metta Victoria Fuller Victor

A young woman’s quiet life in the Michigan wilderness is shattered by the arrival of a city-bred stranger and the dangerous, obsessive jealousy of a local woodsman.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lichfield: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal See

Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Lichfield: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Espicopal See

A. B. Clifton

This study of Lichfield Cathedral offers a meditative, detailed walk through the history and architecture of one of England’s most storied religious sites. It serves as a bridge between the medieval devotion that built the structure and the modern anxieties over its restoration.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of Burlesque Plays and Poems

Burlesque Plays and Poems

Unknown

This collection gathers the sharpest wits of the English stage, proving that the best way to honor a great tradition is to tear it down with a smile. It is an essential guide to the art of being pointedly ridiculous.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Charles Lamb: A Memoir

Charles Lamb: A Memoir

Barry Cornwall

A quiet, steady life defined by immense devotion, this memoir explores the spirit of a man who transformed personal tragedy into a legacy of gentle, enduring humor.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Cliges: A Romance

Cliges: A Romance

Chrétien, de Troyes, active 12th century

In this medieval tale, a young knight navigates the treacherous intersection of duty and desire, risking everything to reclaim the woman he loves from a false marriage.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Climbing on the Himalaya and Other Mountain Ranges

Climbing on the Himalaya and Other Mountain Ranges

Norman Collie

The high-altitude explorer traverses the world’s most formidable ranges, finding both sublime beauty and profound loss in the thin air of the Himalayas and the rugged wilderness of the North American Rockies.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of Clotel

Clotel

William Wells Brown

The tragedy of systemic enslavement is laid bare through the fractured lives of those seeking freedom, revealing a nation haunted by the contradiction between its professed Christianity and its brutal commerce in human bodies.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Crotchet Castle

Crotchet Castle

Thomas Love Peacock

A sharp, conversational satire on the intellectual fashions of the early nineteenth century, this novel captures the absurdity of a world obsessed with progress, paper money, and pedantic disagreement. It remains a sparkling example of how to make a dinner party, a boat trip, and a philosophical lecture into a…

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Diary of Samuel Pepys

Diary of Samuel Pepys

Samuel Pepys

A candid, obsessive, and remarkably intimate account of 17th-century life, this record captures the daily textures of a man navigating the corridors of power and the quiet corners of his own home.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Divine Songs

Divine Songs

Isaac Watts

These simple verses, designed to furnish a child’s mind with devotion and moral clarity, transform the heavy weight of theological instruction into the rhythmic ease of song.

Children & Young Adult Reading6 min read
Cover of Dorothy Payne, Quakeress: A Side-Light Upon the Career of 'Dolly' Madison

Dorothy Payne, Quakeress: A Side-Light Upon the Career of 'Dolly' Madison

Ella K. (Ella Kent) Barnard

This biographical study traces the life of Dolley Madison, moving from her strict Quaker upbringing in colonial Virginia to her central role in the social and political life of the early American republic.

Biographies6 min read
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