War and Peace Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy http://www.feedbooks.com/book/83 urn:isbn:067003469X en 1869 Novels History War War and Peace is a novel by Leo Tolstoy, first published from 1865 to 1869 in Russkii Vestnik, which tells the story of Russian society during the Napoleonic Era. It is usually described as one of Tolstoy's two major masterpieces (the other being Anna Karenina) as well as one of the world's greatest novels. War and Peace offered a new kind of fiction, with a great many characters caught up in a plot that covered nothing less than the grand subjects indicated by the title, combined with the equally large topics of youth, marriage, age, and death. Though it is often called a novel today, it broke so many conventions of the form that it was not considered a novel in its time. Indeed, Tolstoy himself considered Anna Karenina (1878) to be his first attempt at a novel in the European sense. This work is available for countries where copyright is Life+70 and in the USA. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/83.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/83.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/83.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/83.mobi The Three Musketeers Alexandre Dumas http://www.feedbooks.com/book/398 urn:isbn:0670037796 en 1844 Novels History Romance Adventure The Three Musketeers (Les Trois Mousquetaires) is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. It recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to become a musketeer. D'Artagnan is not one of the musketeers of the title; those are his friends Athos, Porthos, and Aramis—inseparable friends who live by the motto, "One for all, and all for one". The story of d'Artagnan is continued in Twenty Years After and The Vicomte de Bragelonne. Those three novels by Dumas are together known as the D'Artagnan Romances. The Three Musketeers was first published in serial form in the magazine Le Siècle between March and July 1844. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/398.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/398.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/398.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/398.mobi A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens http://www.feedbooks.com/book/81 urn:isbn:0553211765 en 1859 Novels History A Tale of Two Cities (1859) is the second historical novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. It depicts the plight of the French proletariat under the brutal oppression of the French aristocracy in the years leading up to the revolution, and the corresponding savage brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries toward the former aristocrats in the early years of the revolution. It follows the lives of several protagonists through these events, most notably Charles Darnay, a French once-aristocrat who falls victim to the indiscriminate wrath of the revolution despite his virtuous nature, and Sydney Carton, a dissipated English barrister who endeavours to redeem his ill-spent life out of love for Darnay's wife, Lucie Manette. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/81.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/81.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/81.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/81.mobi The Man in the Iron Mask Alexandre Dumas http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3601 urn:isbn:0192838423 en 1850 Novels History Romance Adventure The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later (Le Vicomte de Bragelonne ou Dix ans plus tard) is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. It is the third and last of the d'Artagnan Romances following The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After. It appeared first in serial form between 1847 and 1850. The Man in the Iron Mask is the fourth and final volume. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3601.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3601.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3601.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3601.mobi The Hunchback of Notre Dame Victor Hugo http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3580 urn:isbn:0451527887 en 1831 Novels History Romance The Hunchback of Notre Dame (French: Notre-Dame de Paris) is an 1831 French novel written by Victor Hugo. It is set in 1482 in Paris, in and around the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. The book tells the story of a poor barefoot Gypsy girl (La Esmeralda) and a misshapen bell-ringer (Quasimodo) who was raised by the Archdeacon (Claude Frollo). The book was written as a statement to preserve the Notre Dame cathedral and not to 'modernize' it, as Hugo was thoroughly against this. The story begins during the Renaissance in 1482, the day of the Festival of Fools in Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer, is introduced by his crowning as Pope of Fools. Esméralda, a beautiful 16-year-old gypsy with a kind and generous heart, captures the hearts of many men but especially Quasimodo’s adopted father, Claude Frollo. Frollo is torn between his lust and the rules of the church. He orders Quasimodo to get her. Quasimodo is caught and whipped and ordered to be tied down in the heat. Esméralda seeing his thirst, offers him water. It saves her, for she captures the heart of the hunchback. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3580.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3580.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3580.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3580.mobi The Federalist Papers Publius http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2674 urn:isbn:1596052473 en 1787 Non-Fiction History Essay Politics The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 articles advocating the ratification of the United States Constitution. Seventy-seven of the essays were published serially in The Independent Journal and The New York Packet between October 1787 and August 1788. A compilation of these and eight others, called The Federalist, was published in 1788 by J. and A. McLean. The Federalist Papers serve as a primary source for interpretation of the Constitution, as they outline the philosophy and motivation of the proposed system of government. The authors of the Federalist Papers wanted to both influence the vote in favor of ratification and shape future interpretations of the Constitution. According to historian Richard B. Morris, they are an "incomparable exposition of the Constitution, a classic in political science unsurpassed in both breadth and depth by the product of any later American writer." http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2674.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2674.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2674.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2674.mobi Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Lewis Wallace http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3540 urn:isbn:1404185712 en 1880 Novels History Religion Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a novel by Lew Wallace published on November 12, 1880 by Harper & Brothers. Wallace's work is part of an important sub-genre of historical fiction set among the characters of the New Testament. The novel was a phenomenal best-seller; it soon surpassed Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) as the best-selling American novel and retained this distinction until the 1936 publication of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. The central character is Judah, prince of the Hebrew house of Hur. Judah grows up in Jerusalem, during the turbulent years around the birth of Christ. His best friend is Messala, a Roman. As adults Judah and Messala become rivals, each hating the other, which leads to Judah's downfall and eventual triumph. Elements of the story include leprosy, naval battles among galleys, the Roman hippodrome, Roman adoption, Magus Balthasar, the Arab sheikh Ilderim. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3540.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3540.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3540.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3540.mobi Twenty Years After Alexandre Dumas http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3586 urn:isbn:0192838431 en 1845 Novels History Romance Adventure The fantastic adventures of the Three Musketeers continue - starting with an intrigue surrounding D'Artagnan who has, for twenty years, remained a lieutenant. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3586.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3586.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3586.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3586.mobi Tales of Old Japan Lord Redesdale http://feedbooks.com/book/2726 urn:isbn:0804833214 en 1871 Short Fiction History Collections Tales of Old Japan is an anthology of short stories, compiled by Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford, Lord Redesdale, writing under the better known name of A.B. Mitford. These stories focus on the varying aspects of Japanese life in centuries past. The book, which was written in 1871, is still regarded as an excellent introduction to Japanese literature and culture, by virtue of its ease of access and supplemental notes by the writer. Also included are the author's eyewitness accounts of a selection of Japanese rituals, ranging from the harakiri and marriage to a selection of sermons. This book had a lasting influence on the Western perception of Japanese history, culture and society, particularly because of just one widely known tale about samurai revenge. This work is available for countries where copyright is Life+70 and in the USA. http://feedbooks.com/book/2726.png http://feedbooks.com/book/2726.pdf http://feedbooks.com/book/2726.epub http://feedbooks.com/book/2726.mobi Quo Vadis Henryk Sienkiewicz http://www.feedbooks.com/book/350 urn:isbn:1934169064 en 1896 Novels History Romance Religion Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero, commonly known as Quo Vadis, is a historical novel written by Henryk Sienkiewicz. Quo vadis is Latin for "Where are you going?" and alludes to a New Testament verse (John 13:36). The verse, in the King James Version, reads as follows, "Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards." Quo Vadis tells of a love that develops between a young Christian woman, Ligia (or Lygia), and Marcus Vinicius, a Roman patrician. It takes place in the city of Rome under the rule of emperor Nero around AD 64. Sienkiewicz studied the Roman Empire extensively prior to writing the novel, with the aim of getting historical details correct. As such, several historical figures appear in the book. As a whole, the novel carries a powerful pro-Christian message. Published in installments in three Polish dailies in 1895, it came out in book form in 1896 and has since been translated into more than 50 languages. This novel contributed to Sienkiewicz's Nobel Prize for literature in 1905. This work is available for countries where copyright is Life+70 and in the USA. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/350.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/350.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/350.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/350.mobi Kidnapped Robert Louis Stevenson http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3578 urn:isbn:0141441798 en 1886 Novels History Adventure Politics Being memoirs of the adventures of David Balfour in the year 1751: how he was kidnapped and cast away; his sufferings in a desert isle; his journey in the wild highlands; his acquaintance with Alan Breck Stewart and other notorious highland Jacobites; with all that he suffered at the hands of his uncle, Ebenezer Balfour of Shaws, falsely so called. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3578.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3578.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3578.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3578.mobi The Last of the Mohicans James Fenimore Cooper http://feedbooks.com/book/3347 en 1826 Novels History Adventure War The Last of the Mohicans is a historical novel by James Fenimore Cooper, first published in January 1826. It was one of the most popular English-language novels of its time. Its narrative flaws were criticized from the start, and its length and elaborately formal prose style have reduced its appeal to later readers. Regardless, The Last of the Mohicans is widely read in American literature courses. This second book of the Leatherstocking Tales pentalogy is the best known. The Pathfinder, written 14 years later in 1840, is its sequel. Cooper named a principal character Uncas after the most famous of the Mohicans. The real Mohicans lived in the colony of Connecticut in the mid-seventeenth century, and not in the New York frontier a century later. Uncas was a Mohegan, not a Mohican, and Cooper's usage has helped to confuse the names of two tribes to the present day. When John Uncas, his last surviving male descendant died in 1842, the Newark Daily Advertiser wrote "Last of the Mohegans Gone" lamenting the extinction of the tribe. The writer was not aware that Mohegans still existed then and to the present day. The story takes place in 1757 during the Seven Years' War (known in America as the French and Indian War), when France and the United Kingdom battled for control of the American and Canadian colonies. During this war, the French often allied themselves with Native American tribes in order to gain an advantage over the British, with unpredictable and often tragic results. Source: Wikipedia http://feedbooks.com/book/3347.png http://feedbooks.com/book/3347.pdf http://feedbooks.com/book/3347.epub http://feedbooks.com/book/3347.mobi Scaramouche Rafael Sabatini http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2168 urn:isbn:B0017XOCZI en 1921 Novels History Adventure A romantic tale of a young aristocrat's adventures during the French Revolution. At one point the hero joins a theater troupe to portray ''Scaramouche''. He also becomes a lawyer, a politician, and a lover, confounding his enemies with his elegant oration and precise swordsmanship. An excellent swashbuckler! This work is available for countries where copyright is Life+50 or in the USA (published before 1923). http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2168.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2168.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2168.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2168.mobi The Scarlet Pimpernel Baroness Emma Orczy http://feedbooks.com/book/3568 urn:isbn:014037454X en 1905 Novels History Adventure In this historical adventure set during the French Revolution, the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel sets out to rescue men, women and children facing the horrors of the guillotine, while evading the relentless pursuit of his arch enemy, Chauvelin. This work is available for countries where copyright is Life+50 or in the USA (published before 1923). http://feedbooks.com/book/3568.png http://feedbooks.com/book/3568.pdf http://feedbooks.com/book/3568.epub http://feedbooks.com/book/3568.mobi Saint Joan George Bernard Shaw http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3255 urn:isbn:B000EO9TJA en 1923 History Plays Saint Joan is a 1923 play by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw depicting the life of Joan of Arc. This work is available for countries where copyright is Life+50 or in the USA (published before 1923). http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3255.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3255.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3255.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3255.mobi Henry V William Shakespeare http://feedbooks.com/book/3029 urn:isbn:0199536511 en 1599 History Plays Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in 1599. It is based on the life of King Henry V of England, and focuses on events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War. The play is the final part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II, Henry IV, part 1 and Henry IV, part 2. The original audiences would thus have already been familiar with the title character, who was depicted in the Henry IV plays as a wild, undisciplined lad known as "Prince Hal." In Henry V, the young prince has become a mature man and embarks on an attempted conquest of France. http://feedbooks.com/book/3029.png http://feedbooks.com/book/3029.pdf http://feedbooks.com/book/3029.epub http://feedbooks.com/book/3029.mobi Henry VIII William Shakespeare http://feedbooks.com/book/3040 urn:isbn:0199537437 en 1603 History Plays The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth is a history play by William Shakespeare, based on the life of Henry VIII of England. An alternative title, All is True, is recorded in contemporary documents, the title Henry VIII not appearing until the play's publication in the First Folio of 1623. Stylistic evidence indicates that the play was written by Shakespeare in collaboration with, or revised by, his successor, John Fletcher. It is also somewhat characteristic of the late romances in its structure. http://feedbooks.com/book/3040.png http://feedbooks.com/book/3040.pdf http://feedbooks.com/book/3040.epub http://feedbooks.com/book/3040.mobi Ten Years Later Alexandre Dumas http://feedbooks.com/book/3596 urn:isbn:1605896160 en 1848 Novels History Romance Adventure The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later (Le Vicomte de Bragelonne ou Dix ans plus tard) is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. It is the third and last of the d'Artagnan Romances following The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After. It appeared first in serial form between 1847 and 1850. Ten Years Later is the second volume. http://feedbooks.com/book/3596.png http://feedbooks.com/book/3596.pdf http://feedbooks.com/book/3596.epub http://feedbooks.com/book/3596.mobi The Adventures of Brigadier Gerard Arthur Conan Doyle http://www.feedbooks.com/book/366 urn:isbn:0940322730 en 1903 Novels History War This work is available for countries where copyright is Life+70 and in the USA. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/366.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/366.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/366.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/366.mobi Richard III William Shakespeare http://feedbooks.com/book/3045 urn:isbn:190427109X en 1591 History Plays Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. The play is an unflattering depiction of the short reign of Richard III of England. While generally classified as a history, as grouped in the First Folio, the play is sometimes called a tragedy (as in the first quarto). It picks up the story from Henry VI, Part 3 and concludes the historical series that stretches back to Richard II. http://feedbooks.com/book/3045.png http://feedbooks.com/book/3045.pdf http://feedbooks.com/book/3045.epub http://feedbooks.com/book/3045.mobi