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By: Elisha Gray (1835-1901)

Nature's Miracles: Familiar Talks on Science by Elisha Gray Nature's Miracles: Familiar Talks on Science

Elisha Gray (August 2, 1835 – January 21, 1901) was an American electrical engineer who co-founded the Western Electric Manufacturing Company. Gray is best known for his development of a telephone prototype in 1876 in Highland Park, Illinois and is considered by some writers to be the true inventor of the variable resistance telephone, despite losing out to Alexander Graham Bell for the telephone patent.

By: Cyrus MacMillan (1880-1953)

Book cover McGill and its Story, 1821-1921

By: Santa Teresa de Jesus (Avila) (1515-1582)

Book cover The Way of Perfection

El Camino de Perfección (trans.: The Way of Perfection) is a method for making progress in the contemplative life written by St. Teresa of Ávila for the sisters of her reformed convent of the Carmelite Order (Discalced). St. Teresa was a major figure of the Catholic Reformation in 16th Century Spain.

By: Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)

The Quest of the Historical Jesus by Albert Schweitzer The Quest of the Historical Jesus

In this book, Schweitzer traces the historical progress of 'Historical Jesus' research, from Hermann Reimarus in the mid 18th century, to William Wrede at the turn of the 20th. Schweitzer showed how Jesus' image had changed with the times and with the personal proclivities of the various authors. He concluded with his own synopsis and interpretation of what had been learned over the course of the previous century. He took the position that the life of Jesus must be interpreted in the light of Jesus' own convictions, which he characterized as those of late Jewish eschatology. (Introduction from Wikipedia, modified by JoeD)

By: Wright, Orville and Wilbur (1871-1948 / 1867-1912)

The Early History of the Airplane by Wright, Orville and Wilbur The Early History of the Airplane

The Brothers Orville (1871 - 1948) and Wilbur (1867 – 1912) Wright made the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air flight, on 17th December 1903. They were not the first to build and fly aircraft, but they invented the controls that were necessary for a pilot to steer the aircraft, which made fixed wing powered flight possible. The Early History of the Airplane consists of three short essays about the beginnings of human flight. The second essay retells the first flight: "This...

By: Peter C. Welsh

Book cover Woodworking Tools 1600-1900

By: Basil Joseph Mathews (1879-1951)

Paul the Dauntless by Basil Joseph Mathews Paul the Dauntless

“We shall in this book try to go in the footsteps of Paul. It will not be all easy traveling for any of us, to journey with this daring explorer of the Unseen; there is some steep hill-climbing, some scrambling over boulders, long flat tramps over the plain, and dangerous sea-journeys for anyone who will attempt really to follow the life of this man whose eager brain was ever ‘Voyaging on strange seas of thought/Alone!’ But, if you will … trudge by him till you really know him, you will have found for yourself one of the great companions of the world.” (From the Introduction)

By: Edward Streeter (1891-1976)

Dere Mable by Edward Streeter Dere Mable

Bill is in training camp, preparing to go off to World War I. This book is a collection of love letters written to his sweetheart, Mable. The letters are humorous, mis-spelled, and have many stories of life in an army camp – all from Bill’s unique perspective.

By: Mamie Dickens (1838-1896)

My Father As I Recall Him by Mamie Dickens My Father As I Recall Him

“If, in these pages, written in remembrance of my father, I should tell you, my dear friends, nothing new of him, I can, at least, promise you that what I shall tell will be told faithfully, if simply, and perhaps there may be some things not familiar to you.” So begins chapter one of My Father as I Recall Him, the personal recollections of Mary Dickens, (Mamie, as she was called), the oldest daughter of the great novelist, Charles Dickens.

By: Gaius Sallustius Crispus (Sallust) (86-34 BC)

The Catiline Conspiracy and the Jugurthine War by Gaius Sallustius Crispus (Sallust) The Catiline Conspiracy and the Jugurthine War

The Catiline Conspiracy and The Jugurthine War are the two separate surviving works of the historian commonly known as “Sallust”. Nearly contemporary to the events he describes, he is supposed to have been a retired officer of Caesar’s army. “Catiline” contains the history of the memorable year 63. Sallust describes Catiline as the deliberate foe of law, order and morality (although party politics may have influenced his view). Still, Sallust does recount Catiline’s noble traits, including his courage in the final battle...

By: Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935)

Book cover The Path of the Law
Book cover Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Works

By: Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809-1894)

Book cover My Hunt After 'The Captain'

Holmes describes his frantic search through Civil War torn landscapes for his wounded son, the future Supreme Court Justice. Originally published in The Atlantic Magazine, 1862. Holmes, Sr. (1809 -1894) was an American physician, poet, professor, lecturer, and author. He was regarded by his peers as one of the best writers of the 19th century. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast Table" series, which began with The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table (1858). He is also recognized as an important medical reformer.

By: Samuel Smiles (1812-1904)

Lives of the Engineers (George and Robert Stephenson) by Samuel Smiles Lives of the Engineers (George and Robert Stephenson)

George Stephenson did not invent the steam engine, that was due to Newcomen and later to James Watt. He did not invent the steam locomotive, that was due to a number of people including Cugnot, Trevithick and others. He did not invent the Railway. Railways or tramways had been in use for two hundred years before Stephenson.The reason why Stephenson was known as ‘The father of the steam locomotive’ was that he took a primitive, unreliable and wholly uneconomic device and turning it into an efficient...

Book cover Men of Invention and Industry

By: Elinore Pruitt Stewart (1878-1933)

Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart Letters of a Woman Homesteader

The writer of the following letters is a young woman who lost her husband in a railroad accident and went to Denver to seek support for herself and her two-year-old daughter, Jerrine. Turning her hand to the nearest work, she went out by the day as house-cleaner and laundress. Later, seeking to better herself, she accepted employment as a housekeeper for a well-to-do Scotch cattle-man, Mr. Stewart, who had taken up a quarter-section in Wyoming. The letters, written through several years to a former employer in Denver, tell the story of her new life in the new country...

By: Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912)

The Journals of Robert Falcon Scott by Robert Falcon Scott The Journals of Robert Falcon Scott

Capt. Robert F. Scott's bid to be the leader of the first expedition to reach the South Pole is one of the most famous journeys of all time. What started as a scientific expedition turned out to be an unwilling race against a team lead by R. Admunsen to reach the Pole. The Norwegian flag already stood at the end of the trail when Scott's party reached their target. All the five men of the Scott expedition who took part in the last march to the Pole perished on their way back to safety. Robert F. Scott kept a journal throughout the journey, all the way to the tragic end, documenting all aspects of the expedition...

By: A. Hyatt (Alpheus Hyatt) Verrill (1871-1954)

Book cover Knots, Splices and Rope Work A Practical Treatise

By: Horatio Nelson

The Letters of Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton by Horatio Nelson The Letters of Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was an English flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He won several victories, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, during which he was killed. These are the letters that he wrote to Lady Hamilton, with whom he was having a notorious affair until his death in 1805.

By: Adin Ballou (1803-1890)

Christian Non-Resistance, In All Its Important Bearings by Adin Ballou Christian Non-Resistance, In All Its Important Bearings

In this short book, Ballou defends the notion that non-resistance (today we call it non-violence) is the superior Christian method, and the one practiced by Jesus himself.

By: Walter Wood (1866-?)

Survivors' Tales of Famous Crimes by Walter Wood Survivors' Tales of Famous Crimes

In this anthology of true crime tales, editor Walter Wood interviews those who were touched by the crimes recounted, sometimes as an acquaintance of the deceased or criminal or in the course of their professional duties. This work provides a personal look at some of the most sensational crimes and scandals of late 19th and early 20th century Britain.

By: Ward Muir (1878-1927)

Observations of an Orderly by Ward Muir Observations of an Orderly

Ward Muir brings us into the heart of an English war hospital, describing scenes of cleanliness, triumph, order and sadness. Through the eyes of the orderly we get to see the processes that kept the wards running, and relive some tales from within the hospital walls.

By: Katharine Elizabeth Dopp (1863-1944)

The Tree-Dwellers by Katharine Elizabeth Dopp The Tree-Dwellers

Katharine E. Dopp was well-known as a teacher and writer of children’s textbooks at the turn of the 20th Century. She was among the first educators to encourage the incorporation of physical and practical activity into the elementary school curriculum at a time when such activities were becoming less commonplace in a child’s home environment. The Tree-Dwellers – The Age of Fear is the first in a series of elementary school texts written by Ms. Dopp that focus on the anthropological development of early human groups...

By: S. Baring-Gould (1834-1924)

The Book of Werewolves: Being an Account of a Terrible Superstition by S. Baring-Gould The Book of Werewolves: Being an Account of a Terrible Superstition

A survey of the myths and legends concerning lycanthropy from ancient times to the Victorian Era.

By: Oliver Lodge (1851-1940)

Pioneers of Science by Oliver Lodge Pioneers of Science

This book takes its origin in a course of lectures on the history and progress of Astronomy arranged for Sir Oliver Lodge in the year 1887. The first part of this book is devoted to the biographies and discoveries of well known astronomers like Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Galileo and Newton. In the second part, the biographies take a back seat, while scientific discoveries are discussed more extensively, like the discovery of Asteroids and Neptune, a treatise on the tides and others.

By: Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences

Book cover Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume 1: Essentials of Cookery; Cereals; Bread; Hot Breads

By: Robert Buist

The Family Kitchen Gardener by Robert Buist The Family Kitchen Gardener

The Family Kitchen Gardener contains plain and accurate descriptions (ca 1847) of all the different species and varieties of specifically American culinary vegetables, fruit, and herbs in alphabetical order. It includes the best mode of cultivating, propagating, and managing them in the garden or under glass, and a description of the best implements used in maintaining such gardens.

By: Thomas Frost (1821-1908)

In Kent with Charles Dickens by Thomas Frost In Kent with Charles Dickens

By his own admission, Thomas Frost found it hard to make a living from his writing, and no doubt he used the name of Dickens in the title of this book to boost sales. Frost tells a good tale, and the book is not only of interest to enthusiasts of Dickens and the county of Kent.He includes some of Dickens’ own descriptions of locations, as well as regaling us with anecdotes about towns and villages which he visits, including an account of the last armed rising on British soil – the Battle of Bossenden Wood...

By: Alexander Kinglake

Eothen, or Impressions of Travel brought Home from the East by Alexander Kinglake Eothen, or Impressions of Travel brought Home from the East

A classic of Victorian travel writing, Kinglake’s book describes his journey through the Ottoman empire to Cairo, and his residence there in time of plague.

By: Frédéric Bastiat

Sophisms of the Protectionists by Frédéric Bastiat Sophisms of the Protectionists

"To rob the public, it is necessary to deceive them," Bastiat said and believed. He reasoned, employing repetition to various applications, against fallacious arguments promoting the "Protection" of industries to the detriment of consumers and society. (Introduction by Katie Riley)

By: Maria Gentile

Book cover The Italian Cook Book

One of the beneficial results of the Great War has been the teaching of thrift to the American housewife. For patriotic reasons and for reasons of economy, more attention has been bestowed upon the preparing and cooking of food that is to be at once palatable, nourishing and economical.In the Italian cuisine we find in the highest degree these three qualities. That it is palatable, all those who have partaken of food in an Italian trattoria or at the home of an Italian family can testify, that it is healthy the splendid manhood and womanhood of Italy is a proof more than sufficient...

By: Eva K. Betz (1897-1968)

Knight of Molokai by Eva K. Betz Knight of Molokai

Hurricane! Volcano eruptions and fire! Leprosy! Nothing deterred Father Damien from doing the work to which he had been called. Outstandingly big and strong as a boy, he was notably kind as a young man. He needed all his strength and kindness when he went to live at the leper colony of Molokai.This children’s biography of Father Damien of Molokai was written by Eva K. Betz, a prolific Catholic writer of history and biography books for children. (Introduction from an original dust jacket and Maria Therese)

Priest on Horseback - Father Farmer: 1720 - 1786 by Eva K. Betz Priest on Horseback - Father Farmer: 1720 - 1786

A historical novel for children, which tells the story of several months in the life of the then famous Father Farmer, as he traveled a Mass circuit in Pre-Revolutionary, Colonial America. He faced much danger and and adventure, in order to provide the Mass and the Sacraments to Catholics who had not seen a priest in years.Father Farmer was a real life missionary priest during the 1700’s in what is now New England. In 1779 he was appointed as one of the first trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. He also had a reputation as a philosopher and astronomer in his time, and was a member of the American Philosophical Society. (Introduction by Maria Therese)No on-line text available.

By: Pliny the Elder

The Natural History by Pliny the Elder The Natural History

"Naturalis Historia" (Latin for "Natural History") is an encyclopedia published circa AD 77-79 by Pliny the Elder. It is one of the largest single works to have survived from the Roman empire to the modern day and purports to cover the entire field of ancient knowledge, based on the best authorities available to Pliny. The work became a model for all later encyclopedias in terms of the breadth of subject matter examined, the need to reference original authors, and a comprehensive index list of the contents...

By: Charles Johnson

Book cover A General History of the Pyrates

A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates is a 1724 book containing biographies of contemporary pirates. It's author uses the name Captain Charles Johnson, generally considered a pseudonym. The real identity of the author was thought by some scholars to be Daniel Defoe, although this has since been disputed. The publisher Nathaniel Mist or somebody working for him are other suggested authors. In the first volume, "Johnson" sticks fairly close to the available sources, though he embellishes the stories somewhat...

By: Friedrich Engels (1820-1895)

Book cover Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844

This is Engels' first book (since considered a classic account of England's working class in the industrial age), which argues that workers paid a heavy price for the industrial revolution that swept the country. Engels wrote the piece while staying in Manchester from 1842 to 1844, based on th bohis observations and several contemporary reports conducted over the period.

By: Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin (1856-1923)

Book cover The Girl and the Kingdom Learning to Teach

By: Arthur R. Harding (1871-1930)

Fox Trapping A Book of Instruction Telling How to Trap, Snare, Poison and Shoot - A Valuable Book for Trappers by Arthur R. Harding Fox Trapping A Book of Instruction Telling How to Trap, Snare, Poison and Shoot - A Valuable Book for Trappers
Mink Trapping A Book of Instruction Giving Many Methods of Trapping—A Valuable Book for Trappers. by Arthur R. Harding Mink Trapping A Book of Instruction Giving Many Methods of Trapping—A Valuable Book for Trappers.
Book cover Fur Farming A book of Information about Fur Bearing Animals, Enclosures, Habits, Care, etc.

By: John S. C. Abbott (1805-1877)

David Crockett: His Life and Adventures by John S. C. Abbott David Crockett: His Life and Adventures

David "Davy" Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was a celebrated 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet “King of the Wild Frontier.” He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives, served in the Texas Revolution, and died at the Battle of the Alamo. This narrative attempts faithfully to record the influences under which David Crockett was reared and the incidents of his wild and wondrous life...

Book cover Empire of Russia from the Remotest Periods to the Present Time

A history of Russia from 500 B.C. to 1855 A.D., written by John Stevens Cabot Abbott, the brother of Jacob Abbott.

By: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716)

The Monadology by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz The Monadology

The Monadology (La Monadologie, 1714) is one of Gottfried Leibniz’s best known works representing his later philosophy. It is a short text which sketches in some 90 paragraphs a metaphysics of simple substances, or monads. What he proposed can be seen as a modification of occasionalism developed by latter-day Cartesians. Leibniz surmised that there are indefinitely many substances individually ‘programmed’ to act in a predetermined way, each program being coordinated with all the others. This is the pre-established harmony which solved the mind body problem at the cost of declaring any interaction between substances a mere appearance, something which Leibniz accepted...

By: Anges Strickland, Elisabeth Strickland (1796-1874)

The Lives of the Queens of England by Anges Strickland, Elisabeth Strickland The Lives of the Queens of England

The Lives of the Queens of England is a multi-volumed work attributed to Agnes Strickland, though it was mostly researched and written by her sister Elizabeth. These volumes give biographies of the queens of England from the Norman Conquest in 1066. Although by today's standards, it is not seen as a very scholarly work, the Stricklands used many sources that had not been used before.Volume one includes the biographies of Matilda of Flanders, Matilda of Scotland, Adelicia of Louvaine, Matilda of Boulogne and Eleanora of Aquitaine.(Introduction by Ann Boulais)

By: Sara Ware Bassett (1872-1968)

Book cover The Story of Silk
Book cover Steve and the Steam Engine
Book cover Story of Wool

Mr. Clark and Donald spend a year out west to the Crescent Ranch in Idaho learning about raising sheep.

Book cover The Story of Sugar

By: Arthur Graeme West (1891-1917)

The Diary of a Dead Officer by Arthur Graeme West The Diary of a Dead Officer

Published posthumously in 1919, this collection of diary entries presents a scathing picture of army life and is said to be one of the most vivid accounts of daily life in the trenches. It chronicles West's increasing disillusion with war and his move toward pacifist and atheist beliefs. The final part consists of his powerful war poems, including God, How I Hate You, You Young Cheerful Men, and Night Patrol. West was killed by a sniper in 1917. In view of some of his poems, one wonders if death was not unwelcome. (Introduction adapted from Wikipedia by Ruth Golding)

By: Estelle M. Hurll (1863-1924)

Child-life in Art by Estelle M. Hurll Child-life in Art

The poetry of childhood is full of attractiveness to the artist, and many and varied are the forms in which he interprets it. The Christ-child has been his highest ideal. All that human imagination could conceive of innocence and purity and divine loveliness has been shown forth in the delineation of the Babe of Bethlehem. The influence of such art has made itself felt upon all child pictures. It matters not whether the subject be a prince or a street-waif; the true artist sees in him something which is lovable and winning, and transfers it to his canvas for our lasting pleasure.

By: George Morang (1866-1937)

The Copyright Question by George Morang The Copyright Question

This is a letter to the Toronto Board of Trade regarding Canadian copyrights. Morang requested an appearance before the Toronto Board of Trade but was denied. This is his letter in response. He wished to make clear his position.

By: Lavinia Honeyman Porter

By Ox Team to California - A Narrative of Crossing the Plains in 1860 by Lavinia Honeyman Porter By Ox Team to California - A Narrative of Crossing the Plains in 1860

Imagine a young, twenty-something woman in 1860, reared “in the indolent life of the ordinary Southern girl” (which means she has never learned to cook); married to a professional man who knows “nothing of manual labor;” who is mother to a young son; and who has just found out she is pregnant with their second child. Imagine that this couple has become “embarrassed financially” by “imprudent speculations,” and that they are discussing what to do. They decide to buy a wagon and three yoke of unbroke oxen and head overland to California...

By: James E. Seaver (1787-1827)

A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison by James E. Seaver A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison

Mrs. Mary Jemison was taken by the Indians, in the year 1755, when only about twelve years of age, and has continued to reside amongst them to the present time. Containing an account of the murder of her father and his family; her sufferings; her marriage to two Indians; her troubles with her children; barbarities of the Indians in the French and Revolutionary Wars; the life of her last husband, and many historical facts never before published.

By: Francis Fisher Browne (1843-1913)

Book cover Every-day Life of Abraham Lincoln

This detailed biography covers the places in Lincoln's life: Indiana, Illinois, Washington. It also traces his various roles as storekeeper, serviceman, state legislator, lawyer, politician, Republican Party leader, and of course President. Along the way we learn about his days of hardship as a beginning lawyer, his love for Anne Rutledge, such myths as "Honest Abe," and his deep concerns over the issue of slavery. The author uses Lincoln's correspondence with others to show his personality traits and opinions about topics of his world.

By: Henry Vizetelly

California by Henry Vizetelly California

Vizetelly, writing under the pseudonym J. Tyrwhitt Brooks, recalls an expedition to California he took between 1847-1848 . Originally, he planned to enlist as a surgeon for the US Army during the Mexican war, but conflicts had ended by the time he applied. In a quick change of plans, he joined a group of prospectors on their way to the newly found gold fields of California. While he might not find service in the military, his training as a physician made him a valuable addition to the ragtag team of explorers...

Book cover Facts About Champagne and Other Sparkling Wines

By: John S. Jenkins (1818-1852)

The Heroines of History by John S. Jenkins The Heroines of History

A look at some of the famous women in European history. Includes biographies on Cleopatra; Isabella of Castile; Joan of Arc; Maria Theresa; Josephine; Elizabeth of England; Mary of Scotland; Catherine of Russia; Marie Antoinette; and Madame Roland. Mr. Jenkins, whose name remains on the title-page of this volume, was prevented from finishing the work for a long time by sickness, and finally by death. The first chapter is from his pen, and the rest has been written according to his instructions by one whom he selected, and who has had access to works rare in this country, such as Monstrelet's Chronicles, Tooke's Life of Catherine II...

By: Watkin Tench (1758-1833)

A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany-Bay by Watkin Tench A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany-Bay

Watkin Tench was an officer of the British Marines in the First Fleet to settle NSW. This is an interesting and entertaining account of his experiences during that time (Introduction by Tabithat)

By: Michael Faraday (1791-1867)

The Chemical History of a Candle by Michael Faraday The Chemical History of a Candle

The Chemical History of a Candle is a series of 6 lectures on chemistry presented to a juvenile audience in 1848. Taught by Michael Faraday - a chemist and physist, and regarded as the best experimentalist in the history of science - it is probably the most famous of the Christmas Lectures of the Royal Society. Taking the everyday burning of a candle as a starting point, Faraday spans the arc from combustion and its products, via the components of water and air (oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon), back to the type of combustion that happens in the human body when we breathe...

By: Dudley Landon Vaill (1873-?)

The County Regiment by Dudley Landon Vaill The County Regiment

A sketch of the second regiment of Connecticut volunteer heavy artillery, originally the Nineteenth Volunteer Infantry, in the Civil War.


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