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34,239 public-domain books, summarised. Page 411 of 714.

Cover of Pagan Papers

Pagan Papers

Kenneth Grahame

The spirit of the wayfarer—the restless, dreaming soul who prefers a green lane to a railway carriage—finds its most eloquent champion in these pages. A collection of essays celebrating the art of the detour, this work champions the noble, unhurried pursuit of observation over the frantic pace of modern life.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Patty's Summer Days

Patty's Summer Days

Carolyn Wells

A spirited teenager navigates the social whirlwind of a busy household, finding joy in the simple pleasures of a long, sun-drenched summer of friendship and discovery.

American Literature5 min read
Cover of Photogravure

Photogravure

Henry R. Blaney

This technical manual offers a precise window into the late-nineteenth-century craft of translating light into permanent copper-plate engravings. It serves as both a historical record of a sophisticated artistic process and a practical guide for the dedicated practitioner.

Art5 min read
Cover of Potash and Perlmutter Settle Things

Potash and Perlmutter Settle Things

Montague Glass

Two garment-trade partners navigate the bewildering landscape of post-WWI diplomacy, applying the sharp, pragmatic logic of the New York business world to the grand, often incomprehensible stage of international peace negotiations.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of "Prison Life in Andersonville": With Special Reference to the Opening of Providence Spring

"Prison Life in Andersonville": With Special Reference to the Opening of Providence Spring

John Levi Maile

The harrowing silence of a prisoner’s starvation is broken only by the prayers of the desperate and the eventual gush of a life-saving spring. This account bridges the brutal reality of the Civil War’s most infamous site with a lasting, reflective search for divine intervention.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Real Folks

Real Folks

A. D. T. (Adeline Dutton Train) Whitney

HOOK This story explores the quiet, often overlooked connections that turn a collection of houses into a genuine community. It finds the extraordinary in the everyday lives of those who choose to live with intention.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of Richard III: Makers of History

Richard III: Makers of History

Jacob Abbott

A portrait of a king forged by cruelty and circumstance, this account traces the collapse of an era through one man’s relentless pursuit of the crown.

History - British6 min read
Cover of Roden's Corner

Roden's Corner

Henry Seton Merriman

A charitable facade masks a lethal industrial secret, drawing a group of well-meaning socialites into a dangerous confrontation with a cold, calculating mastermind.

Novels6 min read
Cover of Sir Christopher Wren

Sir Christopher Wren

Lawrence Weaver

This concise biography offers a measured, appreciative look at the man who rebuilt London, framing his architectural genius as the natural extension of a brilliant scientific mind. It avoids myth-making in favor of a portrait of a versatile, modest, and tireless English gentleman.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of Stained Glass Tours in France

Stained Glass Tours in France

Charles Hitchcock Sherrill

This is a practical, enthusiastic guide for the traveler who wishes to move beyond the surface of French cathedrals to study the hidden, shifting brilliance of their medieval and Renaissance stained glass.

Art6 min read
Cover of Story of Aeneas

Story of Aeneas

Michael Clarke

This retelling of an ancient epic follows a Trojan hero’s arduous journey to establish a new home, guided by destiny and hindered by divine wrath. It serves as an accessible gateway to the foundational myth of the Roman people.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of Sunday Under Three Heads

Sunday Under Three Heads

Charles Dickens

The Sabbath was intended as a day of rest and restorative joy, not a tool for legislative tyranny against the working class. This passionate defense of human happiness argues that true morality is found in compassion rather than mandated gloom.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of Tales of Daring and Danger

Tales of Daring and Danger

G. A. (George Alfred) Henty

Even a small, seemingly insignificant threat can carry a lethal sting, much like the deceptive dangers faced by those venturing into the wild unknown. These accounts of peril illustrate that true character is forged only when the margin between survival and disaster vanishes.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Aran Islands

The Aran Islands

J. M. (John Millington) Synge

The Aran Islands are a stark, treeless expanse of limestone and sea, where life is lived on the edge of the Atlantic and the brink of modernity. This narrative captures a vanishing world through the eyes of an outsider who finds himself drawn into the intimate, rhythmic cycles of an ancient, resilient people.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore7 min read
Cover of The Arts and Crafts of Ancient Egypt

The Arts and Crafts of Ancient Egypt

W. M. Flinders (William Matthew Flinders) Petrie

Surrounded by vast deserts and harsh sunlight, ancient artisans turned stone, metal, and clay into enduring monuments of human character.

Art6 min read
Cover of The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter

The Boy Apprenticed to an Enchanter

Padraic Colum

A young fisherman and a clever girl navigate a world of ancient magic, fleeing a dangerous master while seeking their own destinies across mythic landscapes. This lyrical tale blends folklore with a classic coming-of-age journey.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Chase of the Golden Plate

The Chase of the Golden Plate

Jacques Futrelle

A high-stakes masquerade ball, a daring heist, and an impossible romantic entanglement collide, leaving a young man wrongly accused and a brilliant, prickly scientist to dismantle the web of deception.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Chautauquan, Vol. 03, June 1883

The Chautauquan, Vol. 03, June 1883

Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle

The Chautauquan, Vol. 3, serves as a portal into the intellectual rigor of late 19th-century self-improvement. It captures a moment where global history, classical literature, and moral philosophy converged to shape the American mind.

History - European6 min read
Cover of The Children's Own Longfellow

The Children's Own Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This collection gathers the most enduring verses of a celebrated nineteenth-century American poet, serving as an accessible introduction to the rhythmic storytelling and moral clarity that defined his literary legacy. It offers readers a window into a bygone era of American verse, where history, folklore, and the…

American Literature7 min read
Cover of The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume 11: Antepenultimata

The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume 11: Antepenultimata

Ambrose Bierce

The nineteenth-century satirist turns his gaze toward the fraying fabric of American life, offering a collection of essays that dissects the political, social, and moral decay of a nation rushing toward its own obsolescence.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Devil's Pool

The Devil's Pool

George Sand

A widowed farmer, urged by his community to seek a new wife, finds himself unexpectedly drawn to the young shepherdess tasked with helping him on his journey. This gentle narrative explores the intersection of duty and sudden, natural affection.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 04

The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 04

Unknown

The American Revolution was won not only on the battlefield but through a grueling, precarious marathon of international diplomacy. These pages reveal the intimate mechanics of how a fragile new republic secured its standing among the empires of the world.

Essays, Letters & Speeches7 min read
Cover of The Engineering Contributions of Wendel Bollman

The Engineering Contributions of Wendel Bollman

Robert M. Vogel

The transition from timber to iron in American bridge design marks a pivot point where engineering shifted from intuitive craftsmanship to a rigorous, science-based discipline. This account documents that evolution through the life and work of a self-taught pioneer.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of The Garden of Swords

The Garden of Swords

Max Pemberton

A young English bride in Alsace finds her newly wedded life shattered when the Franco-Prussian War erupts around her.

Historical Novels6 min read
Cover of The Gilded Chair: A Novel

The Gilded Chair: A Novel

Melville Davisson Post

A traveler finds himself caught in a web of obsession and destiny, where the boundaries between ancient myth and modern life dissolve into a desperate pursuit of an impossible love.

Novels5 min read
Cover of The Great Frozen Sea: A Personal Narrative of the Voyage of the "Alert"

The Great Frozen Sea: A Personal Narrative of the Voyage of the "Alert"

Markham, Albert Hastings, Sir

In the crushing grip of the Arctic, a crew battles shifting floes and the onset of the polar night to push the limits of human endurance and geographical discovery.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Haunted Pajamas

The Haunted Pajamas

Francis Perry Elliott

A gentleman’s mundane life is upended by a mysterious, unwanted gift from China that triggers a series of surreal, identity-blurring transformations.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Historical Christ

The Historical Christ

F. C. (Frederick Cornwallis) Conybeare

The study of early Christianity often sits between the poles of uncritical faith and total skepticism. This examination offers a rigorous, scholarly defense of the historical reality of Jesus against the claims of his non-existence.

History - Religious6 min read
Cover of The honey-bee: its nature, homes and products

The honey-bee: its nature, homes and products

William Hetherington Harris

This study of the honey-bee offers a detailed window into the Victorian era’s fascination with natural history, blending meticulous anatomical observation with the practical techniques of nineteenth-century apiculture. It remains a valuable historical record of how humanity has sought to understand and work…

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of The humour of Russia

The humour of Russia

E. L. (Ethel Lillian) Voynich

The melancholy of the Russian soul finds its most piercing expression in these pages, where laughter acts not as a relief from misery, but as a sharp, necessary witness to the absurdities of life under autocracy.

Humour6 min read
Cover of The Invasion

The Invasion

William Le Queux

A chilling, meticulously detailed warning of national vulnerability, this narrative depicts a sudden, overwhelming German invasion of the British Isles that strips away the veneer of imperial security.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Last Egyptian: A Romance of the Nile

The Last Egyptian: A Romance of the Nile

L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum

Set along the banks of the Nile, this tale of obsession and ancient secrets follows an ambitious archaeologist who discovers a man claiming royal Egyptian descent. It weaves together colonial-era rivalry, buried treasure, and a complicated high-stakes romance.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Life of St. Paul

The Life of St. Paul

James Stalker

A man transformed from a zealous persecutor into the world’s most influential missionary, whose tireless travels and profound writings altered the course of history forever.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of The Naturalist in Nicaragua

The Naturalist in Nicaragua

Thomas Belt

A professional engineer traverses the dense forests and rugged mountains of Nicaragua, turning the keen, methodical eye of a scientist toward the complex mysteries of the natural world. This enduring work of travel and observation remains a masterclass in curiosity and clear-eyed field reporting.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of The New Adam and Eve (From "Mosses from an Old Manse")

The New Adam and Eve (From "Mosses from an Old Manse")

Nathaniel Hawthorne

In a world suddenly emptied of humanity, two new, unspoiled beings emerge to wander through the silent, abandoned ruins of human civilization. Their first day becomes a profound reflection on the wreckage left behind by our predecessors.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of The Ocean Wireless Boys on the Atlantic

The Ocean Wireless Boys on the Atlantic

John Henry Goldfrap

A teenage radio operator finds his sea legs on a turbulent Atlantic crossing, testing his courage and technical skill against storms, mutiny, and the skepticism of old-school sailors.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Pearl of the Antilles, or An Artist in Cuba

The Pearl of the Antilles, or An Artist in Cuba

Walter Goodman

This vibrant travelogue captures a world on the brink of collapse, mapping the social customs and political tensions of 1860s Cuba through the discerning eyes of a visiting artist. It is a vivid portrait of a fading colonial society.

Travel Writing6 min read
Cover of The pretender: A story of the Latin Quarter

The pretender: A story of the Latin Quarter

Robert W. (Robert William) Service

The life of a writer is a messy collision between the cold arithmetic of survival and the overheated world of the imagination. This story follows an American author who plunges into the bohemian life of Paris, only to find that his creative obsessions and his domestic reality are increasingly difficult to reconcile.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Robinson Telegraphic Cipher

The Robinson Telegraphic Cipher

Stephen L. (Telegrapher) Robinson

Telegrams were once the heartbeat of the grain industry, but every word sent over the wire cost a premium. This specialized lexicon transformed complex agricultural negotiations into concise, single-word commands to ensure both economy and absolute clarity in a volatile market.

Business/Management6 min read
Cover of The Romance of War Inventions: A Description of Warships, Guns, Tanks, Rifles, Bombs, and Other Instruments and Munitions of Warfare, How They Were Invented & How They Are Employed

The Romance of War Inventions: A Description of Warships, Guns, Tanks, Rifles, Bombs, and Other Instruments and Munitions of Warfare, How They Were Invented & How They Are Employed

Thomas W. Corbin

This survey of early twentieth-century military technology transforms the cold mechanics of destruction into a narrative of human ingenuity, exploring the scientific principles behind the tools that reshaped modern warfare.

Engineering & Technology6 min read
Cover of The story of Cairo

The story of Cairo

Stanley Lane-Poole

He who has not seen Cairo has not seen the world, for this medieval metropolis remains a living monument to centuries of shifting power, faith, and architectural splendor.

General6 min read
Cover of The Texan Star: The Story of a Great Fight for Liberty

The Texan Star: The Story of a Great Fight for Liberty

Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler

A young man’s harrowing journey from a Mexican dungeon to the front lines of the Texas Revolution defines this narrative of courage and the high stakes of liberty.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of The Unpopular Review, Volume II Number 3

The Unpopular Review, Volume II Number 3

Various

This collection of essays and social commentary serves as an intellectual chronicle of early twentieth-century American thought, challenging the prevailing populist trends of its era with a staunch defense of individual merit and tradition.

Economics6 min read
Cover of The vow

The vow

Paul Trent

A hardened millionaire finds his soul at stake when he vows to expose the atrocities of the Congo, forcing him to choose between the love of his wife and the demands of his conscience.

Novels6 min read
Cover of The Wanderer

The Wanderer

Fanny Burney

A woman stripped of her status must navigate a world of suspicion and prejudice, forced to survive by her wits while concealing her identity to escape a dangerous, hidden past.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The White Sister

The White Sister

F. Marion (Francis Marion) Crawford

A profound struggle between earthly love and religious devotion, this narrative explores the boundaries of sacrifice. Set against the backdrop of turn-of-the-century Rome, it examines whether a heart once given to another can truly belong to God.

Novels7 min read
Cover of Under Six Flags: The Story of Texas

Under Six Flags: The Story of Texas

M. E. M. (Mollie Evelyn Moore) Davis

The spirit of a vast territory is captured here through the bold deeds of those who sought to master it. It is a chronicle of a frontier transformed by courage, ambition, and the relentless tides of history.

History - American6 min read
Cover of What's He Doing in There?

What's He Doing in There?

Fritz Leiber

An extraterrestrial visitor arrives on Earth and seeks out a private room, only to cause a night of agonizing suspicion and mounting domestic dread for his well-meaning academic host and his family.

Humour6 min read
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