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34,239 public-domain books, summarised. Page 76 of 714.

Cover of The Tragedies of Seneca: Translated into English Verse, to Which Have Been Appended Comparative Analyses of the Corresponding Greek and Roman Plays, and a Mythological Index

The Tragedies of Seneca: Translated into English Verse, to Which Have Been Appended Comparative Analyses of the Corresponding Greek and Roman Plays, and a Mythological Index

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

The only complete, surviving examples of Roman tragedy, these intense plays offer a direct, visceral link to the ancient world. They represent a bridge from the Greeks to the Elizabethans, blending philosophical inquiry with the macabre.

Classics of Literature7 min read
Cover of The Door in the Wall, and Other Stories

The Door in the Wall, and Other Stories

H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

These narratives explore the thin, permeable veil between the mundane world and the terrifying or transcendent sublime. They map the quiet desperation of individuals haunted by glimpses of a reality they can never fully reclaim.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 54, No. 334, August 1843

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 54, No. 334, August 1843

Various

This August 1843 issue offers a panoramic window into the Victorian mind, blending scholarly literary criticism, biting political commentary, and serialized fiction into a singular, sprawling mosaic of the era’s intellectual life.

Essays, Letters & Speeches5 min read
Cover of Tudor and Stuart Love Songs

Tudor and Stuart Love Songs

Unknown

This collection captures the golden age of English lyric verse, gathering the voices of poets who turned the experience of desire into refined, musical art. It serves as a bridge to a time when wit and longing were inseparable.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of Are the Effects of Use and Disuse Inherited?: An Examination of the View Held by Spencer and Darwin

Are the Effects of Use and Disuse Inherited?: An Examination of the View Held by Spencer and Darwin

W. P. (William Platt) Ball

Does the exercise of a muscle or the practice of a craft during a lifetime leave a permanent mark on the bloodline? This rigorous examination challenges the long-held assumption that acquired habits and physical modifications are passed to the next generation.

Philosophy & Ethics6 min read
Cover of The Reign of Tiberius, Out of the First Six Annals of Tacitus;: With His Account of Germany, and Life of Agricola

The Reign of Tiberius, Out of the First Six Annals of Tacitus;: With His Account of Germany, and Life of Agricola

Cornelius Tacitus

A haunting study of power’s corruption, this collection captures the steady erosion of Roman liberty under the shadow of its first emperors and the resilience of those living in its wake.

History - Ancient6 min read
Cover of Quotes and Images From The Works of Michel De Montaigne

Quotes and Images From The Works of Michel De Montaigne

Michel de Montaigne

To navigate the complexities of human existence, one must look inward, embracing the contradictions of the self and the inevitability of death with a cheerful, skeptical, and profoundly honest spirit.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles

The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles

Jean-Henri Fabre

A patient observer finds that the most profound mysteries of existence are often hidden within the humble labor of insects inhabiting a neglected field.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of The Officer's Manual: Napoleon's Maxims of War

The Officer's Manual: Napoleon's Maxims of War

Emperor of the French Napoleon I

Command is a heavy burden, and victory is rarely a matter of luck. These collected insights into the art of war provide a foundational guide for those who seek to master the deliberate, cold-blooded science of command.

History - Warfare6 min read
Cover of The Honourable Mr. Tawnish

The Honourable Mr. Tawnish

Jeffery Farnol

A dandy of delicate manners masks a resolute spirit to win the woman he loves, confounding the hardened, brawling squires who dismiss him as a mere fop.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Magna Carta

The Magna Carta

Anonymous

Born from the friction between an embattled monarch and his defiant nobility, this foundational document outlines the essential rights and legal constraints that would eventually shape the course of modern governance.

History - British7 min read
Cover of Unwise Child

Unwise Child

Randall Garrett

This taut, clever piece of mid-century science fiction follows an unconventional engineer drafted into a high-stakes mission to secure an unstable, world-altering artificial intelligence. It is a brisk, dialogue-driven mystery that explores the collision of human fallibility and machine logic.

Crime, Thrillers and Mystery5 min read
Cover of Lives of the Engineers: The Locomotive. George and Robert Stephenson

Lives of the Engineers: The Locomotive. George and Robert Stephenson

Samuel Smiles

This is a portrait of the pioneers who shrank the globe, turning the industrial grit of the nineteenth century into the iron arteries of modern travel.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of A History of French Literature: Short Histories of the Literatures of the World: II

A History of French Literature: Short Histories of the Literatures of the World: II

Edward Dowden

The soul of a nation’s letters is not found in a mere catalog of titles, but in the unfolding drama of its changing thought. This volume traces that evolution from medieval courtly verses to the modern democratic spirit.

French Literature7 min read
Cover of The Ambassadors

The Ambassadors

Henry James

A middle-aged man travels to Europe to retrieve a young friend from a decadent life, only to find that his own rigid worldview is the thing truly in need of rescue.

American Literature7 min read
Cover of Tin Foil and Its Combinations for Filling Teeth

Tin Foil and Its Combinations for Filling Teeth

Henry Lovejoy Ambler

This technical manual serves as an essential guide for the nineteenth-century practitioner, arguing that tin foil remains a superior, life-saving material for dental restorations. It offers a practical defense of a humble, often overlooked metal.

Health & Medicine6 min read
Cover of A guide book of art, architecture, and historic interests in Pennsylvania

A guide book of art, architecture, and historic interests in Pennsylvania

Unknown

This is a meticulous, state-wide catalog of the Commonwealth’s physical legacy, serving as a time capsule of early 20th-century civic pride. It functions as both a traveler’s companion and a scholarly record of Pennsylvania’s architectural and historical milestones.

Architecture6 min read
Cover of Poems on various subjects, religious and moral

Poems on various subjects, religious and moral

Phillis Wheatley

HOOK This collection of verse captures a singular voice in eighteenth-century literature, blending classical refinement with a profound, urgent focus on spiritual transcendence and the nature of human grief.

American Literature6 min read
Cover of A History of Greek Economic Thought

A History of Greek Economic Thought

Albert Augustus Trever

A scholarly exploration of ancient economic theory, this work traces how the Greeks wrestled with the ethics of wealth, the nature of labor, and the foundations of a just society.

Economics6 min read
Cover of Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry

Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry

Unknown

This anthology serves as a vital record of a vanishing oral tradition, capturing the supernatural landscape of Ireland through the voices, superstitions, and imaginations of its rural people.

Mythology, Legends & Folklore6 min read
Cover of France in the Nineteenth Century

France in the Nineteenth Century

Elizabeth Wormeley Latimer

This historical survey documents the rapid-fire political volatility of France from 1830 to 1890, capturing a century defined by the constant, clashing ambitions of monarchs, presidents, and revolutionaries.

History - European8 min read
Cover of A Defence of Poesie and Poems

A Defence of Poesie and Poems

Philip Sidney

An impassioned argument for the power of the creative imagination, this seminal work contends that literature does more than merely reflect the world; it transforms it into something golden.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine

An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine

John Henry Newman

A profound exploration of how religious truths evolve over centuries, this work argues that the development of Christian dogma is a natural, logical, and vital process of historical maturation.

History - Religious7 min read
Cover of Little Folks (December 1884): A Magazine for the Young

Little Folks (December 1884): A Magazine for the Young

Various

A Victorian miscellany weaves together serial dramas of stolen children and lost inheritances with practical craft guides, historical sketches, and natural history lessons for young readers.

Children & Young Adult Reading7 min read
Cover of Manalive

Manalive

G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton

A man who has traveled the world arrives at a quiet boarding house, only to be accused of a series of bizarre crimes that he treats as cosmic jokes. This story explores whether life is a tragedy to be endured or a divine adventure to be reclaimed.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Years Between

The Years Between

Rudyard Kipling

The weight of a world at war presses through every line, offering a somber, unflinching look at the cost of duty and the fragility of peace. This collection of verse captures the sharp, bitter transition of an era defined by sacrifice.

British Literature5 min read
Cover of Poems

Poems

Mary Baker Eddy

Poetry is the language of a soul reaching for the divine, reflecting a life of profound spiritual search and quiet, persistent hope. These verses capture the turning points of a century, mapping a journey from personal grief toward an unwavering trust in a higher, healing power.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of The Continental Monthly, Vol. 6, No 3, September 1864: Devoted To Literature And National Policy

The Continental Monthly, Vol. 6, No 3, September 1864: Devoted To Literature And National Policy

Various

This collection of essays and commentary captures the intellectual and political fever of the American Civil War, offering a window into the preoccupations of a nation in the midst of a transformative, violent crisis.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of A Journey from Prince of Wales's Fort in Hudson's Bay to the Northern Ocean in the Years 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772: New Edition with Introduction, Notes, and Illustrations

A Journey from Prince of Wales's Fort in Hudson's Bay to the Northern Ocean in the Years 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772: New Edition with Introduction, Notes, and Illustrations

Samuel Hearne

A relentless trek across the unforgiving Canadian North, this record tracks an explorer’s struggle to bridge the gap between indigenous knowledge and the ambitions of a colonial trading company.

Archaeology & Anthropology7 min read
Cover of Blazed trail stories, and Stories of the wild life

Blazed trail stories, and Stories of the wild life

Stewart Edward White

The harsh beauty and relentless morality of the American frontier find a voice in these sharp, unvarnished snapshots of life in the logging camps and mining outposts of the West.

Adventure6 min read
Cover of On The Principles of Political Economy, and Taxation

On The Principles of Political Economy, and Taxation

David Ricardo

Wealth is generated by labor and divided among three distinct classes: the landlord, the capitalist, and the laborer. This foundational inquiry reveals how the laws governing rent, profit, and wages dictate the stability and progress of nations.

Economics6 min read
Cover of Style in Singing

Style in Singing

W. E. Haslam

Singing is not merely the production of beautiful sound; it is the sophisticated fusion of music and poetry, requiring an artist to master both technical precision and the nuance of human expression.

How To ...6 min read
Cover of Fruit-Gathering

Fruit-Gathering

Rabindranath Tagore

The harvest of a life is gathered not in the abundance of one’s store, but in the willingness to offer oneself entirely to the light. This collection of poems maps the interior geography of a soul learning to discard the heavy burden of worldly pride in favor of a profound, humble union with the divine.

Poetry6 min read
Cover of Reminiscences of Anton Chekhov

Reminiscences of Anton Chekhov

Maksim Gorky

A portrait of a quiet, singular genius, this collection gathers the intimate observations of those who stood closest to the man who redefined the possibilities of the short story.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Plain Facts for Old and Young

Plain Facts for Old and Young

John Harvey Kellogg

This guide offers a clinical, moralistic, and physiological examination of sexual health, aiming to curb what the author deems the widespread, dangerous consequences of sexual excess and ignorance in late nineteenth-century American society.

Health & Medicine6 min read
Cover of Sesame and Lilies

Sesame and Lilies

John Ruskin

To read these lectures is to invite a demanding, eloquent mentor into your library to challenge your reading habits, your social conscience, and your understanding of duty.

British Literature7 min read
Cover of The Georgics

The Georgics

Virgil

The earth yields its bounty only to the hand that is willing to shape it, offering a partnership between the soil, the seasons, and the soul.

Classics of Literature7 min read
Cover of Character

Character

Samuel Smiles

True greatness is not found in genius or in rank, but in the quiet, consistent cultivation of the individual spirit. This work serves as an enduring manual on how to build a life of purpose, integrity, and self-mastery.

Philosophy & Ethics7 min read
Cover of A History of Norwegian Immigration to the United States: From the Earliest Beginning down to the Year 1848

A History of Norwegian Immigration to the United States: From the Earliest Beginning down to the Year 1848

George T. (George Tobias) Flom

The westward movement of early Norwegian pioneers transformed the American landscape, turning isolated wilderness into flourishing rural communities. These accounts chronicle the courageous journey of those who left their ancestral homes to build anew in the nineteenth-century Northwest.

History - American6 min read
Cover of Apologia pro vita sua

Apologia pro vita sua

John Henry Newman

A man of profound intellect defends the integrity of his life and conscience after a public accusation of dishonesty threatens to dismantle his reputation.

Biographies7 min read
Cover of Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling: Illustrated by numerous incantations, specimens of medical magic, anecdotes and tales

Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling: Illustrated by numerous incantations, specimens of medical magic, anecdotes and tales

Charles Godfrey Leland

An exhaustive exploration of Romani occult traditions, this work bridges the gap between ancient Shamanic roots and the pragmatic, often deceptive, arts of fortune-telling. It serves as an essential, if idiosyncratic, historical record of European folk-magic.

Archaeology & Anthropology6 min read
Cover of The Craft of Fiction

The Craft of Fiction

Percy Lubbock

A novel is not merely a story told; it is a structure built. This guide examines how the greatest masters of fiction have engineered their worlds to hold the reader’s attention.

Essays, Letters & Speeches6 min read
Cover of Parmenides

Parmenides

Plato

The abstract nature of reality is often hidden in plain sight, waiting for the mind to untangle the knotted threads of unity and difference. This dialogue serves as a rigorous, if dizzying, exercise in testing the absolute limits of logic.

Classics of Literature6 min read
Cover of Poems of Paul Verlaine

Poems of Paul Verlaine

Paul Verlaine

This collection gathers the essence of a singular voice, capturing the movement from restless, shadowy melancholy to a hard-won, meditative peace. It offers a glimpse into a soul that learns to trade the turbulence of youth for the quietude of grace.

French Literature6 min read
Cover of Jane Austen and her works

Jane Austen and her works

Sarah Tytler

A literary guide that bridges the gap between a classic novelist and a modern reader, offering a thoughtful, condensed pathway into the heart of English domestic fiction.

Biographies6 min read
Cover of Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the 13th Annual Meeting: Rochester, N.Y. September, 7, 8 and 9, 1922

Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the 13th Annual Meeting: Rochester, N.Y. September, 7, 8 and 9, 1922

Unknown

Nut trees are not merely ornaments but vital, untapped sources of protein and fat, waiting for a more widespread adoption in the American agricultural landscape.

Nature/Gardening/Animals6 min read
Cover of The Mark of Cain

The Mark of Cain

Andrew Lang

A man of noble birth, desperate to protect a dark secret, finds himself ensnared in a web of his own lethal deception. This Victorian mystery tracks the tragic intersection of a scholar’s philanthropy and a criminal’s cold calculation.

British Literature6 min read
Cover of The Uncommercial Traveller

The Uncommercial Traveller

Charles Dickens

An observant wanderer traverses the hidden corners of Victorian England, documenting the dignity, absurdity, and quiet suffering of those overlooked by a rapidly industrializing society.

British Literature7 min read
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