Published in 1916, this is the third collection of thirteen humorous short stories about English school boys in a boarding school in the fictitious village Merivale. This book, of course, has World War I as a backdrop. Each story is told in the voice of a different boy at the school. The author wrote two other books in this series: The Human Boy and The Human Boy Again . Eden Phillpotts was popular with the reading public and wrote prolifically novels, short stories, poetry, plays, and nonfiction.

In typical Gilbert and Sullivan "Topsy Turvy" style, the King of Barataria has gone missing! He was stolen as a baby and raised in secrecy as one of two gondoliers and his wife would like very much to know where he is! The Grand Inquisitor appears in Venice to take both Gondoliers to a life of luxury and rulership - but is dismayed to discover that both are reluctant to leave their wives behind. Somehow two husbands have managed to acquire three wives, and nobody is happy at the idea of marrying a vulgar fraction! This is a spoken "poetic" version of the libretto written by W...

volunteers bring you 18 recordings of An Autumn Invitation by Edward Capern. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for October 21, 2018. ------ In 1848 Capern secured appointment with the Post Office as a letter-carrier. His first route between Bideford and Appledore, later between Bideford and Westleigh. His job required him to make a return trip between the two towns with a wait for two hours, to allow time for people to reply to letters he had just delivered . He used this time for his writings. Capern became known as "the Rural Postman of Bideford" - Summary by Wikipedia

One of the earlier works on brain science, relating what was then known or conjectured about the connection between the physical brain and the individual personality, including the ability of speech and language. As this is an early work , some of the information related is, of course, outdated; but much of it is still relevant today.

A group of upper class men and women gather together in an English country house to discuss their ideas for a utopia . The novel is a satire mocking most of the important figures at Oxford University at the time of publication, with regards to aestheticism and Hellenism. Some of the famous characters that are depicted are Violet Fane/Lady Mary Montgomery Currie , Thomas Huxley , William Money Hardinge , Thomas Carlyle , and Walter Pater . The latter is of particular interest, as his characterisation in this novel helped ruin his reputation as well as his career at Oxford University...

In order to recover her health, Mildred Keith goes to visit her mother's extended family, the Dinsmores, in the South. Mildred makes new friends while at Roselands, learns important lessons and grows in her faith in Christ.

Seventeen short nonfiction works in the public domain independently chosen by the readers. Volume 61 features articles and essays on both current and timeless topics, ranging from whether marijuana is addictive to what constitutes foolish behavior . Sermons in Stone, an essay by Oscar Wilde on classic sculptures displayed at the British Museum, is complemented by an actual sermon , while Frederick William Shelton muses on the fleeting beauty of a ripe peach . Truth and lies, luck, and individuality are essay topics by Mark Twain and John Stuart Mill...

Book 10 of Commentary on St John's Gospel covers John 14:21 - 16:13 - Summary by The Reader

Mark Twain wrote this fairytale style story about 3 boys who meet Satan's cousin and they experience many things during this time. The story is narrated by one of the boys many years later. Mark Twain ends the story expressing the idea that will blow you away. Ideas that can be traced back thousands of years in many religions. What is existence really ... to quote that well known song by Eliphalet Oram Lyte ... Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream, Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream .... so dream on. - Summary by Patrick79

volunteers bring you 15 recordings of The Hearse-Horse by Bliss Carman. This was the Weekly Poetry project for October 28, 2018. ------- Bliss Carman, FRSC was a Canadian poet who lived most of his life in the United States, where he achieved international fame. He was acclaimed as Canada's poet laureate during his later years. Richard Hovey was an American poet.. He collaborated with Canadian poet Bliss Carman on three volumes of "tramp" verse: Songs from Vagabondia , More Songs from Vagabondia , and Last Songs from Vagabondia , the last being published after Hovey's death...

A World War 1 spy vs spy novel. Oh! And perhaps I should also mention, a bit of romance? "I am sorry,” he said coolly, "awfully sorry. As you know, I would have had things different. You may still doubt me when I say that what I have done is the hardest task that I ever undertook in my life. But that is true. You were the only person in England who jeopardized my existence there. I had to take you away. I regret the necessity of having to use force. I shall do what I can here upon the Sylph to counteract the unpleasant impression of my brutality...

This book is best described by its subtitle: “DETAILING the Adventures, Comic and Pathetic of one Jimmy Martin, Purveyor of Publicity, a Young Gentleman Possessing Sublime Nerve, Whimsical Imagination, Colossal Impudence, and, Withal the Heart of a Child.” Jimmy, press agent extraordinaire, conjures up outlandish and truth-stretching publicity stunts for an amusement park, theaters and performers, often with unexpected and amusing results. Despite his foibles, Jimmy presses on in pursuit of career success and of pretty Lolita Murphy of Cedar Rapids, Iowa...

"In the following Letters I have endeavoured to exhibit in their true light the singular natural phenomena of which old superstition and modern charlatanism in turn availed themselves—to indicate their laws, and to develop their theory." In 14 letters, British physiologist Herbert Mayo is giving the reader an overview of popular superstitions of previous times, like vampirism, somnambulism or even ghost sightings, and exposing how in previous times they were treated with fear, ignorance and intolerance, often leading to crime, while he endeavours to give rational explanations for the phenomena with the goal to find treatments and cures for the afflicted. - Summary by Sonia

To get what we want is often the greatest curse of all. The fisherman here accidentally catches a mermaid in his net. He falls in love with the Mermaid and tells her that he wants to marry her. She tells him that he can only marry her if he sends away his soul. From a Witch, the Fisherman learns how to send his soul away. The Soul makes several attempts to persuade the Fisherman to take him back, eventually convincing him to do so with the tale of a beautiful dancer who lives nearby. Too late does the Fisherman discover that the soul which he sent out into the world without a heart has become evil...

This is the first issue of a wonderful weekly magazine aimed at young women. They each contain a novella following the adventures of Marion Marlowe, "Only a Farmer's Daughter" who went from "Farm to Fortune" and all written by the prolific :Lurana Sheldon using various pen names, usually Grace Shirley. The story is quite entertaining and well written. The chapters are short and easy to read and suited to those just getting their feet wet in. Besides the main novella, each issue contains an Advice Column, where she responds to anguished letters from young ladies with a myriad of personal problems...

This is a collection of poems by American poet Irene Curtis. These poems were collected by friends and family after her death in 1916, at only 26 years of age. This book of poems is divided into two parts. The first is a collection of poems in dialect, lending an extra voice to the community of people of colour with which she grew up in the South of the United States. The second is a collection of miscellaneous poems. All of the poems shine with a special warmth and love, which make it a pleasure to read them. - Summary by Carolin

This is a collection of poetry and prose by Howard Saxby. These pieces are the sort of stories and poems that can be enjoyed by children because the humour in them is universal, but they are more geared towards adults. The themes and intent of the pieces are varied, with humour prevailing in most items. - Summary by Carolin

This is a volume of poetry by the influential Lebanese American author Ameen Rihani. In these poems, the author playfully introduces the American public of the early 1920's to the environment in which he grew up, embellishing the poems with folklore and fairy tale romance. - Summary by Carolin

This is an elaborate treatise on how to brew beer. That art is as noble today as it was in 1761, when this book was first published, and Mr. Combrune was a master of his art. After reading his work on this topic, a glass of beer can be enjoyed on quite a different level. - Summary by Carolin

Would it not be beneficial, were the average American to substitute fish for the everlasting steak and chop of the breakfast-table?For the sake of variety, if for no other reason, we should eat more fish; and it need not always be fried or broiled. A well-made fish stew or a curry should be acceptable to the majority of us, and undoubtedly would be if appetizingly prepared.This little work does not by any means propose to exhaust the subject of sea-food, for the subject is almost inexhaustible; but it places within the reach of all a series of recipes and suggestions extremely valuable to the average housewife. - Summary by Thomas J. Murrey

A short biography of Saint Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, from the time of his persecution of the Christians to his martyrdom.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. Its narrative course, structure, characters, and imagery have been enormously influential in both popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre.

This is a young person's biography of Abigail Adams that will appeal to readers of all ages. In the author's own words, "I am not writing a history; far from it. I am merely throwing on the screen, in the fashion of today, a few scenes to make a background for my little pen-picture-play. " - Summary by Ciufi Galeazzi

The Arctic has always been a fascinating area for us. This is true today just as much as in Adolphus Greely's time. In 1912, Greely published this volume of notable Arctic explorations and the explorers. The modern reader can follow a very readable account of the successes and failures of these early explorers comfortably from the armchair, and learn a lot of history in the processes. - Summary by Carolin

volunteers bring you 14 recordings of Any Woman To A Soldier by Grace Ellery Channing. This was the Weekly Poetry project for November 4, 2018. Grace Ellery Channing was a writer and poet who published often in The Land of Sunshine. Channing began her career as a writer by editing her grandfather's memoirs, Dr. Channing's Notebook . She became an associate editor of The Land of Sunshine , and in her tenure as a writer and poet contributor to the publication, advocated for an increased reliance on Mediterranean practices for Los Angelenos. This included embracing the sun instead of avoiding it, eating lighter food, and taking in wine and afternoon naps. - Summary by Wikipedia

volunteers bring you 9 recordings of Christy and The Pipers by Jean McKishnie Blewett. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for November 4, 2018. ------ This poem, set in Scotland, tells of a woman's reaction to the Pipes .

This is the fifth volume of the 15-volume series of The World’s Story: a history of the World in story, song and art, edited by Eva March Tappan. Each book is a compilation of selections from prose literature, poetry and pictures and offers a comprehensive presentation of the world's history, art and culture, from the early times till the beginning of the 20th century. Topics in Part V include Italian painters and poets, the French Revolution, the Spanish Inquisition and Portuguese explorers. - Summary by Sonia Cast list for A supposed street scene in Verona in the fourteenth century: Gregory: Nemo / Sampson: Tomas Peter / Abraham: Monika M...

This is the eighteenth Coffee Break Collection, in which readers select English language public domain works of about 15 minutes or less in duration -- perfect to listen to during commutes, workouts or coffee breaks. The topic for this collection is pirates... a rich source of material. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose, essays... the romance of a life on the ocean waves and the danger posed by the 'bad boys '; but sometimes the law catches up with them.

The Mysteries of London was a best-selling novel in mid-Victorian England, published in four volumes. This is the fourth and final volume. Initially serialized in weekly installments, they were the forerunners of today's soap operas. Known as "Penny Dreadfuls", they had no claim to literary brilliance but offered readers entertainment and excitement in the form of vice, poverty, wealth, virtue, mystery, romance and scandal in every combination and reached a mass audience. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

The book follows the journey of five children who discover a mysterious creature who grants them their wishes. Join in as they ask for the craziest of wishes, which are granted true for a day! - Summary by bhavya

In 1888, George Broke with Harold Topham and William Williams, made the first exploration of the Alaskan Mt. St. Elias range, including the crossing of the great Malaspina Glacier and an attempt on the S.E. face of Mt. St. Elias itself. The journey is described in the interesting work With Sack and Stock in Alaska, vividly detailing the country visited and the characters met along the way. - Summary by Fritz

A collection of 35 essays by G.K. Chesterton originally published in his weekly columns in "The Illustrated London News" and the "New Witness". The subjects vary greatly from lamp posts to Jane Austen's Emma, from "On Pigs as Pets" to Mormonism and Christian Science.

History is dominated by war, battles, and sieges. Our history books are full of these. But history books usually don't explain sieges in such an accessible and at times entertaining way as Tudor Jenks manages in this 1909 volume. The text and explanations are directed at children, but interested adults will profit from them in the same way. - Summary by Carolin

Tommy Smith is a wicked little boy, who would harm animals for sport. He would catch them if he could, throw stones if he could not, and generally disturb all animals around him. He became such a nuissance to everyone at last that the animals hold a meeting to discuss what to do. The wise owl has an idea: "Let the next animal that he is going to kill or throw stones at, call out to him, and tell him not to do so. This will surprise him so much that he will be sure to leave off, and then each of us can tell him something about ourselves in turn...

A group of poems about life centered around a southbound train ride to Cincinnati.

EXCERPT: In all things that he did, Flora's well-being was the doctor's paramount consideration. He brought pleasant people to his house; men of professional standing, and their wives. He sought to win friends for her, and the gentle charm of her manner endeared her to the people he brought about her, almost in spite of herself. To know her was to love her. To Cuthbert Ollivant's small circle of intimates Flora was known only as his ward.

Vicki Barr is a popular mystery series for girls published by Grosset & Dunlap from 1947 to 1964. This book is volume 12 of The Vicki Barr Air Stewardess Series. When a shipment of priceless gold doubloons being transported on her flight from New York to Tampa goes missing, Federal Airline's stewardess Vicki Barr is unwittingly dragged into a sinister conspiracy spanning two countries. Vicki faces a determined group of criminals willing to go to any lengths to stop her from discovering their secret...

volunteers bring you 14 recordings of To The Duchesse of Newcastle, On Her New Blazing-World by William Cavendish. This was the Weekly Poetry project for November 11, 2018. ------ Margaret Cavendish's book, "Blazing World" is a fanciful depiction of a satirical, utopian kingdom in another world that can be reached via the North Pole. It is "the only known work of utopian fiction by a woman in the 17th century, as well as an example of what we now call 'proto-science fiction'. The book inspired this notable sonnet by her husband, William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which celebrates her imaginative powers, and was included in her book. ~ Summary from Wikipedia

One of the most notorious Restoration comedies in existence, William Wycherley’s The Country Wife is a lively and riotous exploration of courtly and city life in the seventeenth century, which was rife with unremitting sexual intrigue and conquest. For the basis of his plot, Wycherley here borrows heavily from the work of Molière, but abandons the French master’s unity and economy by introducing several interlocking storylines and characters, all of them clamoring for attention amidst Wycherley’s hard-hitting colloquial dialogue and double entendres...

Throughout the First World War, members of the Royal Army Medical Corps provided constant support for British and Allied military troops whether they were fighting on the frontline or engaged in other operations within all areas of the conflict. With the Great War continuing unabated and the battlefront extending through Europe into the Middle East and beyond, a rapid increase in military medical support facilities and infrastructure was urgently implemented to handle the ever increasing number of wounded, maimed and sick troops evacuated from the combat zone that needed to receive urgent medical and life-saving care...

A diverse collection of short stories selected and read in English by readers. This time, we delve into the annals of Arthur Conan Doyle's detective stories, Robert Louis Stevenson's cynical observations on life, a classic tale from The Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night, adventures on the high seas by Bessie Chandler and more to bring you excitement, mystery and maybe a smile. So sit back and enjoy the 76th Short Story Collection!

Children's Short Works Collection 037: a collection of 15 short works for children in the public domain read by a variety of members.

Frederick II , under whose reign the Holy Roman Empire reached its greatest territorial extent, was called by his contemporaries "Stupor Mundi," the "astonishment of the world." Frequently at war with the papacy, which was hemmed in between Frederick's northern and southern Italian lands, he was excommunicated four times. Frederick spoke six languages and was an avid patron of the arts. He negotiated a peace treaty ending the sixth crusade, reigned over a cosmopolitan court at Palermo, and entrusted the administration of his southern kingdom to an efficient Muslim and Jewish bureaucracy...

Written to complement Tales of Mean Streets and A Child of the Jago, and the final book in the trilogy, To London Town examines the mean streets and tough lives of the inhabitants of the East End of London. The novel described in graphic detail living conditions in the East End, including the permeation of violence into everyday life.

Oliver Twist was published in 1838 as a three volume book. The novel was the first of Dickens' works to realistically portray the degradation and impoverishment of the London underworld and its denizens. Dickens utilises the environment and characters to illustrate his belief that poverty leads to crime. The plot of this novel centres around and follows the journey of the parish boy "Oliver Twist." Oliver has been in the parish orphanage all his short life, a place overcrowded and constantly short of food...

.Mrs. Warren's Profession is a play written by George Bernard Shaw in 1893, and first performed in London in 1902 but was banned after two performances because of the profession talked about. The play is about a former prostitute, now a madam , who attempts to come to terms with her disapproving daughter. It illustrates Shaw's belief that the act of prostitution was not caused by moral failure but by economic necessity. It also has a lot to say about the hypocrisy of English society that profited from many despised and illegal professions and used people in despicable ways but pretended to look down on them...

A doll tells the story of her adventuresome life in rural England. This story, written by an 11 year old girl in the style of a dolls autobiography these stories are delightfully fresh and childlike at the same time. We follow her from her start in a long box in a store in Soho through several 'mothers', travels, illnesses and adventures. Enjoy. - Summary by phil chenevert

This work has been considered the "go-to" bio of Mark Twain for over a hundred years. Albert Bigelow Paine was an American author and biographer best known for his work with Mark Twain. These recordings of Paine's exhaustive biography cover Twain's personal and literary life in detail, heretofore, unapproached. The published work is divided into 7 sections, on three separate recordings: Recording #1 -VOLUME I, Part 1: 1835-1866 -VOLUME I, Part 2: 1866-1875 Recording #2 -VOLUME II, Part 1: 1875-1886 -VOLUME II, Part 2: 1886-1900 Recording #3 -VOLUME III, Part 1: 1900-1907 -VOLUME III, Part 2: 1907-1910 -Appendixes

This recording of the 1931 book about Yosemite National Park comprises the narrative text about the Park from its discovery by non-natives in the Indian War of 1851 to the mid-twentieth century. The printed book contains dozens of early photographs and drawings, as well as an extensive timeline and bibliography, which are not here recorded. The author was an ecologist, historian, and administrator. He was an officer of the U.S. National Park Service for thirty four years, serving as the Chief Naturalist of Yosemite from 1923-1929 and later as Park Superintendent. - Summary by David Wales

volunteers bring you 10 recordings of Please Buy My Verses by Anonymous. This was the Weekly Poetry project for November 18, 2018. ------ PLEASE BUY MY VERSES. PRICE: WHAT YOU PLEASE The Bearer Lost His Eyesight While Blasting in December, 1868. - Summary by text

Seeing himself as "unequal to so great a task", St. Bonaventure nevertheless endeavored to introduce his readers to the practice of "the most beneficial of all devout exercises, and that which is most capable of leading [them] to the summit of Christian perfection": the contemplation of the life of Our Lord. By "frequent and habitual meditations on that divine subject" even "very illiterate persons" have been raised to such "familiarity, confidence, and love of him" that they have become "profoundly versed in the most sublime mysteries of God"...

Philip Max Raskin was a Jewish poet about whose life not much can be found today. His poetry, however, lives on, and some poems are still well-known today. This volume contains a series of love-poems, sometimes conveying hope and happiness, sometimes longing and disappointment. - Summary by Carolin

This is the original ‘Buck Rogers’ SF classic. Thrill to the adventures of Anthony "Buck" Rogers, one of the most celebrated characters in the history of science fiction. Famed in comic strips, television, in movies, and even radio, this is the first novel to introduce Buck Rogers to the reading public. In Armageddon – 2419 A.D., Buck, a victim of accidental suspended animation, awakens five hundred years later to discover America groaning under the tyranny of the villainous Han, ruling from the safety of their armored machine-cities...

An 1883 selection of Lewis Carroll's satirical and comic verse. The collection ranges from the well-known and well-loved The Hunting Of The Snark, to lesser-known gems such as Phantasmagoria, a tale of the difficulties encountered by an inexperienced phantom in his first domestic haunting, and Hiawatha’s Photographing, a brilliant satire of Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha.

volunteers bring you 19 recordings of Thou Shalt Not Kill by G. K. Chesterton. This was the Weekly Poetry project for November 25, 2018. ------ This Weekly Poem is taken from The Wild Knight and Other Poems by G. K. Chesterton - Summary by David Lawrence

This short overview of the Roman Empire from AD 96-180 opens as the murderers of Domitian raise to power the wise old senator, Nerva. Ignoring assassination rumors, his successor, the brave soldier Trajan, "went about the streets almost unguarded" and was easy of access to all classes. He was followed by the brilliant, gay emperor, Hadrian, who "revised the imperial budget with the skill of a trained accountant." We meet the immortal Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor who spent his life fighting barbarians along the Danube. The book closes with chapters on the religions of the empire, on the state's response to Christianity, and on imperial administration.

This book records Bertrand Russell's impressions of the new regime after a 1920 visit to Russia following the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, including his meetings with Lenin, Trostky, and Gorky. It includes a chapter that was authored by Dora Black, educational theorist and feminist author, and Russell's spouse. This chapter was unfortunately removed in the second edition, which was issued after Dora and Bertrand divorced. This recording is dedicated to my darling wife, Jill. Happy Hanukkah and Happy 2020! - Summary by Landon D. C. Elkind

A doll, given to a young girl for her birthday, goes through adventures and faults to get her new mother to love her. - Summary by Emma Hatton

"In this book I have sought to trace the course of our religious poetry from an early period of our literary history. ... [I]f its poetry be the cream of a people's thought, some true indications of the history of its religious feeling must be found in its religious verse, and I hope I have not altogether failed in setting forth these indications. My chief aim, however, will show itself to have been the mediating towards an intelligent and cordial sympathy betwixt my readers and the writers from whom I have quoted. In this I have some confidence of success. Heartily do I throw this my small pebble at the head of the great Sabbath-breaker Schism." - From the Preface

volunteers bring you 12 recordings of Said and Did by George MacDonald.. This was the Weekly Poetry project for December 2, 2018. ------ George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet and Christian minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of fantasy literature and the mentor of fellow writer Lewis Carroll. His writings have been cited as a major literary influence by many notable authors, including W. H. Auden, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Walter de la Mare, E. Nesbit, and Madeleine L'Engle. C. S. Lewis wrote that he regarded MacDonald as his "master". - Summary by Wikipedia