This book relates "somewhat random sketches of life in the early settlements and country districts of Upper Canada" , as well as a bit of history of the Conant family from its beginnings in England, to their emigration to what was to become Oshawa, Ontario in 1792. This book is especially interesting to the reader since it speaks a lot of the area near which she resides. - Summary by TriciaGThe Gutenberg text has the pictures referenced in the text. They're a treat to look at.

This recording contains two original documents. 1) Life of James Mars, a Slave Born and Sold in Connecticut, by James Mars . James Mars was born in Connecticut in 1790 and spent the better part of his youth a slave working for various owners—once fleeing to the woods with his family to avoid being relocated to the South. At age twenty-five he became a free man and moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where he became a leader in the local African American community. His memoir is one of the more famous accounts of slave life in early New England...

Arthur Young, an English agriculturist, set out to write a travelogue on the state of agriculture in France and found himself in the midst of the French Revolution. His report on life in the capital and in the countryside in the years 1787, 1788, and 1789, replete with droll traveler's mishaps, becomes an eyewitness account of a society on the brink of catastrophe. From the court scene at Versailles to backroads villages comes this astonishing record of unfolding events, conspiracy theories about the queen, jubilation, and mass hysteria.

This collection is dedicated to recordings of short mythical or legendary works which are in the Public Domain. The stories tell of legends, heroes, myths, and ancient lore from many different cultures.

The story of Innocencia, an 18-year-old girl who lives in the prairies of Brazil, is a twist on the traditional love triangle. The plot has been compared to the more famous "Paul and Virginie" and "Romeo and Juliet", but it takes place on the dropback of the loneliness of the sparsely populated backregions in 19th century Brazil, visited by a German naturalist in search of new species of insects, Dr. Meyer, who unsuspectedly finds himself caught in a complicated maze of jealousy, love and distrust. Inocencia was the first book by a Brazilian writer to be translated into English, as the translator states in his preface. - Summary by Leni

Rev. Thomas Beames was a preacher at St. James, Westminster in London. He compiled his own eye-witness accounts of the most notorious of the slum areas, the Rookeries. In this essay, he passionately discusses the effects of poverty and the mistreatment of the poor and working classes. Much of what he says is still valid today; for example, in discussing over-population and emigration, he mentions the mis-use of land in Britain: "... large tracts of land, such as in Derbyshire, seem only valuable as grouse preserves...

Lt. Gustavus Doane was a member of the 1870 Yellowstone Expedition led by Henry Washburn. Washburn requested military support from General Hancock of the US Army who selected Doane to lead a detail of five soldiers from Fort Ellis in Montana to accompany the expedition. This is Doane's journal submitted by the War Department to the US Senate reporting on the observations of the expedition. The record kept by Doane is recognized as a significant contribution to the subsequent creation of Yellowstone National Park. - Summary by Fritz

In a small space the Oxford-educated historian, Mary Hollings, provides a panoramic view of a tumultuous age. We meet Cesare Borgia and Savonarola, the universal spider, Louis XI, Henry IV, France's best-beloved king, Sweden’s wise and courageous Queen Christina, and great generals, like Albrecht von Wallenstein and Gustavus Adolphus. The twin ideals of imperial unity and of one true church led to two centuries of unremitting warfare from the fertile plains of Italy, through the alpine passes, across France, the Netherlands, the German states, to Poland and Bohemia...

This collection is dedicated to recordings of short mythical or legendary works which are in the Public Domain. The stories tell of legends, heroes, myths, and ancient lore from many different cultures.

Rev. Stephen D Peet describes the fatal railroad disaster on December 29, 1876 in Ashtabula, Ohio due to a bridge failure. He was a resident of the town and at the scene on the night of the disaster. This book is based upon his work at the crash site, interviews with survivors, information from the press and the coroner's jury, His intent is not to describe the disaster but rather to focus on "the religious lessons of the occasion" and to provide the reader with "comfort from a view of the lovely characters and the Christian hopes which span this dark cloud with a bow of promise". - Summary by mleigh

“The Federalist Papers” are a collection of 85 linked essays that explain the construction of the U.S. government and why it was built that way. The Papers are regarded as the best pipeline into understanding the U.S. Constitution and the founding principles of the government it would establish. I have endeavored here to present these essays, not as articles in a newspaper, but as you might have experienced them if you had sat in a comfortable tavern with a tankard in hand, and listened while these ardent men ranged in front of a friendly fireplace as they attempted to convince you of their arguments...

The title of this historical fiction could as well have been "A Soldier’s Mother" or “An Unknown Soldier”. There are indeed butterflies, and there is a small boy who grows into a fine, strapping young man who goes to war. But this moving novella centers squarely on the young man's mother, her love for him and her abiding faith.

The American Civil War battle at Antietam, Maryland, on 17 September 1862, has been called the bloodiest day of that conflict. Confederate General Lee’s invasion of the North was repulsed, and when the fighting ended, the course of the Civil War had been greatly altered. This victory by the North moved President Abraham Lincoln to issue The Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves in states then in rebellion against the Union. This 1960 publication is number 31 in the Historical Handbook series put out by the U...

Pre-European arrival history of Wisconsin's Native American tribes, with discussions of their way of life, crafts, clothing, shelter, hunting, fishing and farming. Their activity and battles during French, British and U.S. rule of the territory. Extermination and forced removal of tribes to agencies and reservations. Numbers of survivors from original tribes and plight of those remaining in the 20th century. Popular Science Handbook No. 6, published by the Milwaukee Public Museum in 1954. Summary by Verla Viera

On the gently rolling farm lands surrounding the little town of Gettysburg, Pa., was fought one of the great decisive battles of American history. For 3 days, from July 1 to 3, 1863, a gigantic struggle between 75,000 Confederates and 88,000 Union troops raged about the town and left 51,000 casualties in its wake. Heroic deeds were numerous on both sides, climaxed by the famed Confederate assault on July 3 which has become known throughout the world as Pickett’s Charge. The Union victory gained on these fields ended the last Confederate invasion of the North and marked the beginning of a gradual decline in Southern military power...

Possibly no part in the world is more connected in our minds to hauntings, ghost sightings and gruesome legends than Great Britain with its numerous castles, old manors, shady streets and remote country abodes. Who hasn't yet thought of maybe one day visiting one of those places, only to feel for themselves the thrill of the creepy atmosphere in their rooms and dungeons, enhanced by the chilling stories surrounding them? In this compilation, John Henry Ingram is offering the reader some 150 such places, gathering interesting, sometimes horrifying or even supernatural facts about the history and legends of these parts of Great Britain. - Summary by Sonia

This book contains a number of famous speeches and addresses from continental Europe between 300 CE to 1900 CE, organized around the following themes: Early Christianity, The Reformation, Modern France, Italy, Modern Germany, Hungary and Spain. - Summary by Chris Badenoch

This work describes conditions and forces the black population of the South faced after freedom was brought by the Civil War. As Sinclair puts it at the outset of his book, ". . . the chief efforts of Southern leadership have been to curtail the freedom of the colored people, to minimize their liberty and reduce them as nearly as possible to the condition of chattel slaves." - Summary by Jim Locke

It meant little to most Americans on 25 June 1950 to read in their Sunday newspapers that civil strife had broken out in Korea. They could hardly have suspected that this remote Asiatic peninsula was to become the scene of the fourth most costly military effort of American history, both in blood and money, before the end of the year. With a reputation built largely on amphibious warfare, Marines of the 1st Brigade were called upon to prove their versatility in sustained ground action. On three separate occasions within the embattled Perimeter—south toward Sachon and twice along the Naktong River—these Marine units hurled the weight of their assault force at the enemy...

This short history of the Normans in Europe opens with the invasions of the Vikings, who came from Scandinavian villages among rugged rocks and deep fiords. Johnson recounts how their myths of strife and woe, of the frost giants and of the crafty Loki, expressed their twin ideals of resourcefulness and war. These restless bands ravaged England, Germany, and France, penetrating the continents in their shallow-draft, half-decked ships. He writes that wherever they went they showed "themselves great warriors, founders, organizers, and administrators...

This collection is dedicated to recordings of short mythical or legendary works which are in the Public Domain. The stories tell of legends, heroes, myths, and ancient lore from many different cultures.

Rabbi Loeb creates a clay man to house a perfect soul that he hopes will not be blighted by human prejudices. The plan does not go as he hoped... This is one of many stories about the golem, all of which involve Rabbi Loeb , a 16th-century talmudic scholar known as The Maharal. Rodolf Lother was an Austrian writer. This story was published in the B'nai Brith journal The Menorah in 1896 and subsequently included in the author's German language book Der Golem: Phantasien und Historien . - Summary by Adrian Praetzellis

This poem celebrates Christmas by exploring the mystery of Christ's mission on earth: his death, resurrection, and second coming as judge of all human souls. Sir Gawain is cast in the role of Everyman. At the feast of the New Year, an unarmed green giant rides his green horse into the banqueting hall of King Arthur and challenges any member of the assembled company to behead him with a huge axe and then to submit to the same treatment from his victim the next year. Gawain volunteers to prevent Arthur from accepting this challenge, fairly confident that the challenger will be unfit to return the blow...

Count Almaviva's heart is stolen when he lays eyes on Rosine, but he worries that she will only love him for his money. Can Figaro help him? This comedy is the first play in Beaumarchais' Figaro trilogy. It was written in 1773, but because of political and legal problems, Beaumarchais could not stage the play until 1775. The Barber of Seville was adapted into at least five operas, the best-known being by Rossini. The other plays in the trilogy are The Follies of a Day: or the Marriage of Figaro and The Guilty Mother...

Puerto Rico was acquired by the United States in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. This volume was written in 1903 as Book XII in the series “The World and Its Peoples.” The series was intended for young people, but this work would be fun listening for those of any age interested in what Puerto Rico was like in the early 20th century. Intended to familiarize people in the U.S. with their new territory, topics include the island’s people, geography, climate, flora, fauna, and schools. There is also some coverage of Puerto Rican history and the new government established under U.S. rule.

Theria is a young Delphian woman who becomes an oracle. Persian wars, a doomed love affair, and a strong woman make up this well-researched novel set in Ancient Greece. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

The study of the origin and history of popular customs and beliefs affords an insight, otherwise unattainable, into the operations of the human mind in early times. Superstitions, however trivial in themselves, relics of paganism though they be, and oftentimes comparable to baneful weeds, are now considered proper subjects for scientific research. While the ignorant savage is a slave to many superstitious fancies which dominate his every action, the educated man strives to be free from such a bondage, yet recognizes as profitable the study of those same beliefs...

This panoramic history of the last days of Bourbon France opens with the death of Louis XIV in 1715 and the minority of the ill-educated, Louis XV. The financial genius, John Law, precipitates a market bubble, with speculators frantic to buy and sell shares. The King, indolent and sensual, is content to leave the government to his cardinals and his mistresses. Meanwhile, France loses India and North America in the Seven Years' War. In 1774, Louis XVI succeeds his grandfather. Well-intentioned, but ineffectual, he falls under the sway of Marie-Antoinette and her favorites, so that when at last competent ministers are found to confront France's problems, it is too late.

Following the chaos of the Wars of the Roses, the reigns of Henry VII and VIII were autocratic and centralized to an unprecedented degree. This slim volume by the British historian and educator, Charles Moberly, provides many interesting details about the reigns of these two monarchs. But the author also offers a clear picture of the European context in which they acted: the Reformation struggle, the rivalry between the King Francis I and Emperor Charles V, the influence of the Popes, and the struggle for Italy.

This collection is dedicated to recordings of short mythical or legendary works which are in the Public Domain. The stories tell of legends, heroes, myths, and ancient lore from many different cultures.

Short Stories in Prose and Verse” is Henry Lawson’s first published book ; his first published poem appeared in 1887. The volume is a snapshot of his writing style up to the start of his career. His first published poem appeared at age 20, his first published book at age 27. This volume is a good sample of Henry Lawson’s poetry and prose and makes a good stepping-stone towards the enjoyment of his later works. Summary by Chris Greaves

Hawai'i: land of wonder and beauty and a culture rich in history and mythology. Dr. Westervelt settled in Hawai'i as a young man and collected stories and myths from his adopted home. Here we have a collection dedicated to the largest city, Honolulu. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

A fictionalized biography of the famous frontiersman aimed at a juvenile audience.

Campbell Stuart, a Canadian, was involved in British efforts of propaganda during the two World Wars. His most active work was done during the first World War. This book is a detailed and illustrated account of his work during WWI, and more generally the efforts of British persons to direct propaganda campaigns against Germany and their allies with the intent of weakening German morale and shortening the war. Translations of some of the propaganda materials appear in the appendix and are read . - Summary by Patrick McHaffie

Buffalo Bill Cody is one of the most colorful figures of the early American West. In these adventures we find Billy Cody at age 13 earning a man’s wage as an extra on a wagon train when he meets Davy, two years younger. Together they are in one adventure after another, fighting with Indians, and pressing on to Pike's Peak. They both prove themselves courageous in the face of danger as they ride side-by-side and grow into manhood. - Summary by Larry Wilson

James Green was a Methodist minister who was a chaplain to Australian troops in the Boer War and in the Australian Imperial Force in World War I. This memoir was published 1917, while the war was on-going. “In spite of necessary suppression, or vagueness of names of localities, my comrades of the Fifty-fifth Battalion, to which I was attached, will recognize many of the incidents described, and I can only hope that reading what the padre has to say may cheer them in some lonely places, or help them to be happy though miserable in some indifferent billets...

“…I have charged Dame M. Columban to give a detailed account of all that has befallen the Community, since the coming of the Germans to Ypres till our safe arrival at Oulton Abbey. I can therefore certify that all that is in this little book, taken from the notes which several of the nuns had kept, is perfectly true, and only a simple narrative of our own personal experiences of the War.” The Abbey of the Irish Dames of Ypres was established in 1665. It was a favorite Abbey for the daughters of Irish nobility and was supported by influential Irish families living in exile...

The Counter-Reformation, also called the Catholic Reformation, and remembered for its infamous Inquisition, was the period of Catholic resurgence which was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. Adolphus Ward writes, that it was "a movement pursuing two objects...the regeneration of the Church of Rome, and the recovery of the losses inflicted upon her by the early successes of Protestantism...The onset of the combat is marked by the formal establishment of the Jesuit Order as a militant...

The author of this work was the daughter of the British ambassador to Russia. She was in St. Petersburg from before World War I to after the Bolshevik Revolution, leaving in January 1918. Rather than a dry retelling of the history of this period, the author gives a more personal view of the events, as she lived through them. - Summary by TriciaG

This collection is dedicated to recordings of short mythical or legendary works which are in the Public Domain. The stories tell of legends, heroes, myths, and ancient lore from many different cultures.

One of the earliest histories of the Cossacks to appear in English, with an emphasis on the exploits of famous Cossack leaders and Cossack struggles for political autonomy. Originally published in 1919. From the Foreword: "It is the proudest boast of the Cossacks of today -- as of their forbears of the Ukraine -- that they have never been classed as serfs nor for a moment lost their freeman's instinct for the principles of liberty. While the peasants of North Russia were bowed in shameful submission...

Gildas was a well-informed and definitely opinionated 6th century commentator on the topic of the era of the Roman occupation of Britain beginning in AD 43, the subsequent desertion of Britain by the legions in AD 410, and then invasions by the Scots, Picts and Saxons. Gildas was critical of his fellow Britons, accusing them of unwarranted rebellion against the beneficial rule of Roman law, and of then pusillanimously calling upon Rome to help them defend against the invading Picts and Scots from the north...

A short history of Ukrainian national aspirations, written by one of the most prominent Ukrainian historians. Published in the early months of World War I. - Summary by Kazbek

In 1837, the Danish Royal Society of Sciences offered a prize to any essayist who could satisfactorily answer the question, "Is the fountain and basis of Morals to be sought for in an idea of morality which lies directly in the consciousness , and in the analysis of the other leading ethical conceptions which arise from it? Or is it to be found in some other source of knowledge?" The Basis of Morality is the essay submitted in 1840 by German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. In it, he first mercilessly...

An account of the origins of the wine industry in Victoria, Australia. Born in Neuchatel, Switzerland, Hubert de Castella was one of a number of friends of Governor Latrobe's wife to emigrate to Victoria. Finding the soil and climate suited to the production of fine wines, de Castella pioneered the growth of the wine industry in the state. - Summary by Philip Benson

This recording comprises two narratives. One is by Cora Mitchel who in 1861 was a girl in her mid-teens. Her Unionist family escaped the Confederacy from their home in south Georgia to Rhode Island. This is her story written about 1916. The second narrative is by Charlotte St. Julien Ravenel of South Carolina, a contemporary journal written in the closing months of the civil war in 1865. - Summary by David Wales

A children’s book that describes the life of ten boys in different historical time periods. The book shows the reader what the daily life of an average boy living in these various time periods would have been like, with descriptions of the kinds of houses they lived in, the food they ate, their education, clothing, religion, cultural customs, etc. The book begins in the ancient Indus River Valley, and moves along chronologically all the way up to the modern industrial era. - Summary by Virginia Neville

The book is dedicated to the island of Guernsey, where Victor Hugo spent 15 years in exile. Hugo uses the setting of a small island community to convert seemingly mundane events into drama of the highest caliber. Set just after the Napoleonic Wars, Toilers of the Sea deals with the impact of the Industrial Revolution upon the island. The story concerns a Guernseyman named Gilliatt, a social outcast who falls in love with Deruchette, the niece of a local shipowner, Mess Lethierry. When Lethierry's ship is wrecked on a perilous reef, Deruchette promises to marry whoever can salvage the ship's steam engine...

A fairly scholarly, short survey of religious sexual symbols and practices from ancient times to the near-present, and within various countries and religions. The essay is coloured by liberality and acceptance of common themes between different religions. Note: "phallic" in the context of this work refers to both male and female genitalia.

Colonel Archibald Gracie was the first survivor of the sinking of the Titanic to die, and this first-hand account was published posthumously. He attempts to dispel some of the rumors surrounding the tragic event and gives his personal observations and an account of his survival clinging to the hull of an overturned collapsible lifeboat after helping many others to escape safely. A large portion of the book is given to personal accounts of other survivors from both the American and British boards of inquiry, boat by boat. - Summary by Larry Wilson

David Hume justly takes rank as the most distinguished member of that brilliant circle of literary men whose names gave such a lustre to the second half of the eighteenth century in Scotland. His speculations were the most profound, and, with the possible exception of Adam Smith in a particular department, his influence was the widest and most deeply felt, of any. But even his warmest friends could scarcely have predicted the influence he was destined to exercise, or the important results that were to spring from his thoughts...

The Appeal grabbed readers’ attention in as dramatic a manner as Walker could have possibly imagined. In her book, Maria W. Stewart and the Roots of Black Political Thought, Kirsten Waters writes about how the pamphlet itself was viewed as dangerous by pro-slavery forces, while Walker actively worked to get his text in the hands of Black readers. He did not direct his writing to White audiences, and in the third edition added a special message to Black readers, saying that: It is expected that...

This delightful little book is one of many titles in The Little Cousin Series. The author narrates details in the life of a fictional Russian girl named Petrovna. In doing so she introduces children to Russian life and culture at the turn of the 20th century. - Summary by Marie Christian

A history of the Longest March of Military in History. The Mormon Battalion was the only religious unit in United States military history in federal service, recruited solely from one religious body and having a religious title as the unit designation. In 1847, as the Mormons were in Iowa heading West, after being driven out of their homes in Nauvoo, Illinois, the U.S. Army requested 500 volunteers to assist in the Mexican-American War effort. From July 1847 to July 1848 the battalion made a grueling march of nearly 2,100 miles from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to San Diego, California...

This collection is dedicated to recordings of short mythical or legendary works which are in the Public Domain. The stories tell of legends, heroes, myths, and ancient lore from many different cultures.

Written in the aftermath of Word War I, Viscountess Snowden recounts her travels in post war Europe in, as she describes it, "an attempt to do what one person might do, or at least attempt, to restore good feeling between the nations and the normal course of life as quickly as possible." An outspoken pacifist, socialist, and feminist who nonetheless strongly denounced the Bolsheviks, Snowden was a controversial and polarizing figure. whose views and observations offer a unique perspective on Europe in the '20s. - Summary by Ciufi Galeazzi

Harriet Robinson was a frequent contributor to the famous monthly periodical, "The Lowell Offering", which featured poetry, essays and fiction written between 1840-1845 by the young female textile workers known as Lowell Mill Girls, living in the innovative Lowell, Massachusetts textile mills communities. Articles published therein describe their living conditions, where they came from, how they felt about their jobs, challenges met, bosses, new experiences and education they received. Rev. A.C...

An overview of the life of Shri Dnyaneshwar and his devoted family. Dnyaneshwar was a 13th-century Indian poet and yogin. He commentated the Bhagavad Gita in a timeless manner while in his teens, and wrote an original book of verse. He was an inspirational speaker with many followers. - Summary by Czandra

This novel investigates the black urban community of the early twentieth century, highlighting the base degradation and violence there. But the story also focuses on the white man's obsession with black women. The issue of miscegenation is at the center of the plot, involving the two central characters, both black, but light skinned. They are Sydney Wyeth and Mildred Latham. Sydney is the author of a book that he tries to sell to members of the black community, especially, because he is interested in advancing the race through education...

“We are not the same nation with Russian people,” the statement which all Ukrainians wish to convey to the whole world for centuries. The striving for freedom and independence is what these people shed much of their blood on Ukrainian lands for. “The Ukraine” by Bedwin Sands describes Ukrainian problem, which exacerbated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, by looking back at the Ukrainian history, the development of Ukrainian literature and its influence, and by considering its relations with Austria and Russia.

This book consists of simple biographies of the first 23 Presidents of the United States written chiefly in words of one syllable. Books such as this one were popular around the turn of the 20th century as a way to help children learn to read. A book like this could also be useful for ESL learners as well. - Summary by Mark Dykshoorn

Henry David Thoreau was a fascinating man, contributing vast amounts of information on nature history, leading the way for environmentalism. He also was a philosopher, abolitionist, anarchist, writer, poet, and a bit of a mystery. He is best known for his book 'Walden', and his essay on 'Civil Disobedience'. This early biography by Henry Salt is highly regarded by Thoreau scholars. - Summary by Phyllis Vincelli

The 19th century was the Golden Age of Nationalism in Europe. By the end of the century many countries achieved their national self-determination. But the asunder of the territories was still a cause of dispute which led to the Great War in 1914. Ukrainian nationalism reached its peak in the early years of the 20th century. The Great War was the opportunity of the nation to obtain its unification and liberty from Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary which kept Ukraine under their reign for decades...

The Rebellions of 1837–1838 were two armed uprisings that took place in Lower Canada and Upper Canada . The rebellions were motivated by frustrations over lack of political reform. A key goal was responsible government, which was eventually achieved in the incidents' aftermath. The Upper Canada Rebellion took place in December 1837. The "Family Compact" in the title wasn't familial at all, but rather a group of political elites - not all gifted or savvy; simply the "in" people - who had firm control of the government of Upper Canada at the time. - Summary by TriciaG

At a time when diseases termed "consumption" were among the leading cause of death in the county, physicians such as Edward Delafield began to publish observations, research, and studies on the topic. The hope of such works was to share gained knowledge with all physicians with faith that causes and treatments would be found to stop these devastating maladies. This is one such work. - Summary by afutterer

A collection of nine letters written by the sixth president of the United States, John Quincy Adams, to his teenage son. "Their purpose is the inculcation of love and reverence for the Holy Scriptures, and a delight in their perusal and study." - Summary by Dale Barkley

Compiled by William Coleman the first editor of the New York Evening Post, this book includes items that trace a path leading to the death of Alexander Hamilton. Additionally, it includes orations, sermons, and eulogies written about Hamilton's life and character. - Summary by Kristin Hand

A woman and her daughter take refuge in a cabin deep in the Canadian forest. This is a tale of survival from the land, friendship and love. - Summary by Czandra

A message from the past from a former Cape Cod resident who delves in all things that make Cape Cod special. From explaining the adventures of hunting clams, to neighbor picnics and the food served, to boating, antique scavenging, and the beautiful rustic Cape houses...just everything that makes the Cape the ideal place, the place that he lived and was so proud of.

Noted weird fiction author Seabury Quinn brings to life true tales of witch trial persecution within the pages of Weird Tales magazine! - Summary by Ben Tucker