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30,104 public-domain books, summarised. Page 78 of 628.
How it Works: Dealing in simple language with steam, electricity, light, heat, sound, hydraulics, optics, etc., and with their applications to apparatus in common use
Archibald Williams
This practical guide demystifies the mechanical wonders of the early twentieth century, translating complex engineering principles into clear, accessible language for the curious layperson. It serves as a foundational survey of the inventions that shaped the modern world.
The Stones of Venice, Volume 1 (of 3)
John Ruskin
A passionate argument for the moral significance of architecture, this foundational work asserts that the stones of a city are the living record of the character, faith, and vitality of the people who shaped them.
Asser's Life of King Alfred
John Asser
This foundational biography offers an intimate portrait of a ninth-century monarch, documenting his struggle to defend his realm against invading forces while cultivating a legacy of scholarship, religious reform, and enlightened governance.
Nero: Makers of History Series
Jacob Abbott
A fragile boy becomes the most powerful man on earth, only to find that absolute authority provides no shield against his own unraveling paranoia and the cycles of blood that defined his family.
Progress and Poverty, Volumes I and II: An Inquiry into the Cause of Industrial Depressions and of Increase of Want with Increase of Wealth
Henry George
The enigma of persistent poverty amidst unprecedented industrial advancement finds a provocative, singular answer in this foundational work of nineteenth-century political economy. By challenging the orthodox belief that wages are drawn from capital, the text proposes a radical restructuring of society centered on…
Separation and Service
James Hudson Taylor
A profound reflection on the biblical laws of consecration, transforming dry liturgical ritual into an intimate, living experience of divine love and personal devotion.
The Bet, and other stories
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
The human spirit is a fragile vessel, often cracking under the weight of its own unspoken desires, intellectual pride, and the relentless, creeping indifference of time. These stories map the geography of that internal collapse.
The immoralist
André Gide
The journey toward self-discovery often demands the destruction of everything one holds dear. In this stark narrative, a man’s recovery from a brush with death triggers an insatiable, reckless hunger to experience life in its most primal, unfiltered state.
True Stories of Wonderful Deeds: Pictures and Stories for Little Folk
Anonymous
Great deeds of history and legend come to life in these brisk accounts of heroes, queens, and pioneers who shaped the past through courage and sacrifice.
VC — A Chronicle of Castle Barfield and of the Crimea
David Christie Murray
A young man’s quest for redemption on the battlefields of the Crimea forces a reckoning with his father’s dark secrets and the shifting nature of honor. This sweeping narrative captures the collision between personal integrity and the harsh realities of Victorian-era warfare.
The London pleasure gardens of the eighteenth century
Warwick William Wroth
London once hummed with the music of open-air orchestras and the clatter of teacups, as thousands flocked to pleasure gardens that have since vanished into the city’s brick and mortar. These once-vibrant retreats, now largely forgotten, offer a window into the leisure and social habits of a bygone era.
Double jeopardy
Martin M. Goldsmith
A man is convicted and imprisoned for a murder he did not commit, only to find himself legally untouchable when he actually kills the person he was accused of slaying years prior.
Indian Palmistry
Dale, J. B., Mrs.
The human hand serves as a map of destiny, where every line and marking reveals a secret history of character, fortune, and potential. This guide bridges ancient Eastern wisdom with Western tradition to decode the silent language of the palm.
Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern
Unknown
A vast, panoramic gateway into the literary history of the world, this collection preserves the voices of ancient myth, classic drama, and foundational philosophy. It functions as a curated bridge between the forgotten wisdom of antiquity and the evolving landscape of modern thought.
Selected Poems
Robert Frost
This collection captures the quiet, persistent tension between a person’s need for home and the urge to lose themselves in the vast, indifferent wild. It is a portrait of rural life that finds profound human truths hidden in the mundane rituals of farming, mending, and waiting.
American Prisoners of the Revolution
Danske Dandridge
The suffering of American prisoners during the Revolutionary War remains a harrowing, often overlooked chapter of history, marked by the systematic cruelty of British captors and the desperate, quiet defiance of those they held.
Selections from the Speeches and Writings of Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke
A profound intellect examines the precarious balance between tradition and progress, arguing that the stability of a nation relies on the preservation of its foundational institutions against the volatile impulses of revolutionary fervor.
The New Morning: Poems
Alfred Noyes
In a world fractured by the shadow of the First World War, these verses serve as a steadying beacon, tracing a path from the immediate, visceral pain of the front lines toward a resilient, enduring hope.
The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle
Beatrix Potter
A young girl’s search for her missing laundry leads her to a hidden, magical world where the local woodland animals keep their wardrobes in perfect order.
American Indian Stories
Zitkala-Sa
Through a blend of memoir, folklore, and sharp political critique, a Native American woman recounts the loss of her cultural identity and the subsequent struggle to navigate a world hostile to her heritage.
Five Little Friends
Sherred Willcox Adams
Five children navigate the joys of school and the adventures of summer vacation, learning the value of kindness and community along the way.
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 5, No. 5, May, 1864: Devoted To Literature And National Policy
Various
This collection offers a rare, panoramic view of American thought at a turning point in history, balancing urgent political advocacy with the quiet, earnest literary interests of the mid-nineteenth century.
U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1957 January - June
Library of Congress. Copyright Office
This formal register serves as a permanent record of the literary and intellectual property that authors and publishers sought to protect during the spring of 1957. It provides a fascinating, granular snapshot of mid-century American culture.
The Planet Strappers
Raymond Z. (Raymond Zinke) Gallun
The frontier of space is not a romantic destination but a vast, unforgiving void that demands the ultimate price from those who dare to claim it. This is a story of how ordinary people trade their humanity for the cold, dangerous promise of the stars.
The Playboy of the Western World: A Comedy in Three Acts
J. M. (John Millington) Synge
A cowardly drifter finds his voice and his courage when he wanders into a remote Irish village, only to discover that the price of becoming a local legend is far higher than he imagined. This play captures the volatile intersection of myth-making and reality, exposing how easily a community can fall in love with a…
How to make rugs
Candace Wheeler
Elevating the modest farmhouse rag rug from a utilitarian necessity to an object of deliberate artistic expression, this guide provides a blueprint for finding purpose through traditional craft. It frames domestic production as both a source of individual creative fulfillment and a vital path toward regional…
Joe Strong, the Boy Fish
Vance Barnum
A talented young circus performer risks his life to master the impossible, finding that true strength lies not in the spotlight, but in the quiet sacrifices made for those in need.
Lady Cadogan's Illustrated Games of Solitaire or Patience: New Revised Edition, including American Games
Cadogan, Adelaide, Lady
This collection of card games serves as a rigorous, Victorian-era manual for the solitary player, detailing the mechanics of patience games that range from the elegant to the maddeningly complex. It provides a structured lexicon for the enthusiast, transforming a pack of cards from a simple pastime into a precise,…
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D
Clara Erskine Clement Waters
This historical survey catalogs the lives and professional achievements of female painters and sculptors across centuries, documenting their struggles for recognition and their significant contributions to the fine arts.
Is Tomorrow Hitler's? 200 Questions on the Battle of Mankind
H. R. (Hubert Renfro) Knickerbocker
A sharp, urgent interrogation of the global crisis in 1941, this work challenges American isolationism by dissecting the mechanics of Nazi power and the necessity of direct intervention.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Forty-Second Annual Meeting: Urbana, Illinois, August 28, 29 and 30, 1951
Unknown
This record documents the collective wisdom of mid-century horticulturists, detailing the technical challenges and persistent joys of cultivating nut trees in the American Midwest. It captures a specific moment when professional science met amateur passion in the field.
The Octopus
Frank Norris
When a ruthless railroad monopoly squeezes the wheat farmers of California, an idyllic valley turns into a battleground between human ambition, corporate greed, and the unyielding forces of nature.
Julius Caesar
William Shakespeare
A political thriller about the high cost of idealism, this tragedy explores how noble intentions can descend into chaos when a conspiracy to save a republic destroys the very stability it seeks to preserve.
Modern American Poetry
Unknown
Poetry is the language of the human spirit, capturing the fleeting intensity of American life across a century of profound transformation. These collected voices preserve the heartbeat of a nation finding its own rhythm.
The Children's Bible
Charles Foster Kent
This collection gathers the foundational narratives and poetic wisdom of the Old and New Testaments, distilled into clear, accessible prose designed for young readers to encounter the richness of the biblical heritage.
At the Back of the North Wind
George MacDonald
A fragile, ethereal journey follows a young boy who discovers that the fierce, howling North Wind is not a force of destruction, but a purposeful, protective guide.
Micromegas
Voltaire
HOOK A giant from Sirius and his dwarfish companion from Saturn traverse the galaxy, only to discover that the most inconsequential speck in the universe is home to the most puffed-up, arrogant creatures of all.
Stephen Arnold Douglas
William Garrott Brown
This account examines the life of a titan of American politics, tracing his meteoric rise in the West and his pivotal, ultimately tragic role in the fracturing of a nation.
The Æneid of Virgil, Translated into English Verse
Virgil
Driven by fate from the ashes of Troy, a hero navigates gods, storms, and war to secure a new future for his people in the promised land of Italy.
The Golden Treasury: Selected from the Best Songs and Lyrical Poems in the English Language and arranged with Notes
Unknown
This curated collection offers a timeless journey through the heart of the English lyrical tradition, gathering the finest songs and short poems of three centuries into a single, enduring volume. It serves as both a private companion for the solitary reader and a vibrant record of the human spirit’s capacity for…
The letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett, Vol. 1 (of 2) 1845-1846
Robert Browning
In the quiet gloom of a sickroom in Victorian London, two extraordinary poets begin a secret conversation that slowly rewrites both of their lives.
U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1969 January - June
Library of Congress. Copyright Office
This volume serves as a formal, bureaucratic record documenting the legal extension of intellectual property claims during the first half of 1969.
U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1965 January - June
Library of Congress. Copyright Office
A vast catalog of intellectual survival records how mid-century creators, heirs, and publishing houses laid claim to the literary and practical works of the late 1930s.
Architects of Fate
Orison Swett Marden
Every human life contains an ideal self striving against daily weakness, waiting for a focused will to turn obstacle and hardship into moral strength.
Enthusiasm and Other Poems
Susanna Moodie
A soul kindled by natural wonder and spiritual fervor confronts the inevitable decay of human fame, finding ultimate peace only in the eternal promise of the Divine.
Fathers and Sons
Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev
A radical young intellect challenges the refined traditions of the Russian landed gentry, igniting a fierce clash between progressive cynicism and traditional elegance that alters two families forever.
Irish Fairy Tales
James Stephens
A shape-shifter tells ten thousand years of history to a saint, and a young hero leaps over hares to master his own strength.
The Greater Love
George T. McCarthy
In the shadow of the Great War, a military chaplain steps onto the muddy, shell-cratered battlefields of Western Europe to minister to the souls of American soldiers facing mortal peril.