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A Book-Lover’s Holidays in the Open

2026-09-04T20:20:13Z

A Book-Lover’s Holidays in the Open is a travelogue written by former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt about his expeditions through the Americas following his presidency in the early twentieth century. In it, Roosevelt takes readers on a cougar hunt in the Grand Canyon, through the Andes and Northern Patagonia, to a Mississippi River bird reserve, and to a Hopi snake dance, among other exotic and beautiful locations.

Roosevelt blends his love for reading and literature with these adventures, giving readers a glimpse into the books he would have brought on his outdoor journeys.

Brigadier Gerard Stories

2026-09-03T20:55:01Z

When Arthur Conan Doyle’s gallant French cavalryman Brigadier Gerard first appeared in print, the reading public was still reeling from the “death” of Conan Doyle’s most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes, the previous year. What they found in Brigadier Gerard was someone very different from the intense, emotionless consulting detective: a courageous and skilled, but vain and emotional, soldier-adventurer in search of glory for himself and for France, devoted to his elderly mother and the Emperor Napoleon in the extreme, and witness to some of the greatest events in European history as he fought the men and wooed the women of countless countries during the Napoleonic Wars. The Gerard of these stories is aged and retired, but vividly recounts the grand adventures of his youth, weaving romance and adventure, conflict and cunning, and world-changing events of military and political history with the human drama of those caught up in a turbulent era of war. His tales are thrilling ones in which he—of course—plays the leading role.

In writing the Brigadier’s tales of his adventures, Conan Doyle brought to bear his own knowledge of Napoleonic history, informed by the insights on warfare he gained in South Africa during the Boer War. His interest in sport is displayed in the tales which touch upon boxing, fox-hunting, and cricket. His keen eye as a social observer is evident in a number of stories where the Brigadier’s misperceptions of English society, prejudices from his own French viewpoint, and errors from his limited perspective of some events, highlight the idiosyncrasies of English life in both the upper and lower classes during the late Georgian and Regency eras.

In the dozen and a half stories collected here, readers will experience the Napoleonic Era from a perspective very unlike that of War and Peace or other Napoleonic memoirs, histories, or works of fiction.

The Trap

2026-08-31T21:31:29Z

The Trap is the eighth “chapter volume” of Dorothy M. Richardson’s pioneering semi-autobiographical series, Pilgrimage.

Series protagonist Miriam Henderson impulsively takes a flat in Flaxman Court with the very prim Selina Holland. Miriam struggles to introduce a disapproving Miss Holland to her bohemian London. Their apartment is across the way from that of a famous poet, E. W. Sayce—and Miss Holland is not impressed. (In later editions, Sayce is instead identified by Richardson as W. B. Yeats.)

As is typical in the Pilgrimage volumes, this is a story in which nothing much “happens”—Richardson herself dismissed the notion of plot as “lollipops for children”—but which paints a vivid and intimate portrait of a young writer’s mind, and brings to life the world that shaped her.

Malleus Maleficarum

2026-08-31T21:09:56Z

Malleus Maleficarum, often translated as The Hammer of Witches, is a treatise on witchcraft by Heinrich Kramer published in 1486. At that time, witchcraft was not widely believed to be real, and prosecutions were rare. Many churchmen considered it to be a fairly harmless superstition and any actual punishment was light. Kramer felt the danger from witches must be taken more seriously, and so he responded with this manual on witch hunting.

The first part outlines why witchcraft is a real and persistent danger, citing philosophers and church fathers from Aristotle to St. Augustine to St. Thomas Aquinas. The second part deals with the methods and effects of witchcraft, and how to counter those effects. The third part gives procedures for the accusation and trial of witches, how torture may be used to exact confessions, and finally how to pronounce and execute sentences against the guilty. The text varies between the finer points of theology and canon law, and sensational descriptions of sexual liaisons with devils.

Kramer’s reasoning is extensively based on church canon law and Catholic theology, but his views were not shared by much of the church, and he even faced some opposition. He did, however, secure a papal bull from Innocent VIII approving of his work. Kramer also includes a “letter of approbation” from university faculty who supposedly endorsed his work, though this is thought to be forged.

This translation, published in 1928, includes a lengthy introduction by Montague Summers, who seems sympathetic to the text. He added copious footnotes that give some context to the ancient and medieval references. Also included is the papal bull, and a bibliography of this book’s publishing history.

The Fall of Robespierre

2026-08-26T16:02:59Z

The French revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre has risen to prominence within the new French National Convention. A radical Jacobin, he oversees the draconian planning and implementation of the Reign of Terror, including mass arrests and summary executions. But as his policies result in more and more bloodshed, he begins to fear that a conspiracy is afoot—one that will eventually turn the Convention, and the very policies he champions, against him.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey wrote this poetic drama less than three months after Robespierre was guillotined in the Place de la Révolution. Originally Coleridge was to write the first act, Southey the second, and Robert Lovell the third; but Southey was displeased with Lovell’s contribution, so Southey rewrote it himself.

The Wheels of Chance

2026-08-25T17:37:55Z

The Wheels of Chance is one of H. G. Wells’ comic novels, published in 1896. It satirizes the era's craze for cycling in Britain, soon after bicycles became easily available and affordable, and before the rise of the automobile.

The novel features the experiences of a humble draper’s assistant, Mr. Hoopdriver, who buys a second-hand bicycle and sets off on a touring holiday. Partway through his trip he encounters an attractive young woman dressed in cycling gear: that is, with pants rather than a skirt. When it appears that the young lady is in trouble, Hoopdriver comes to the rescue, and a series of amusing incidents ensue. As part of its comedy, the book makes some sharp observations about British class structure.

The Wheels of Chance was published shortly after Wells’ first venture into science fiction with The Time Machine. Because they were both short works, some early editions paired the two books into one volume.

The Mummy!

2026-08-24T16:50:07Z

In the twenty-second century, under a government headed by female sovereigns, England finds itself in an age of relative tranquility after three centuries of political volatility. Edric Montagu, the younger son of a baronet, finds himself the subject of a scheme to arrange his marriage to the niece of the Duke of Cornwall—a scheme in which he wants no part. Disillusioned and restless, Edric finds himself enticed by the strange theories proposed by Dr. Entwerfen, a scientist who believes that by using the power of electricity, it may be possible to reanimate a sufficiently well-preserved corpse. Defying his father, Edric sets off for Egypt to engage in a bold experiment to revive the mummy of King Cheops, utterly ignorant of exactly what he’s about to awaken—or the profound fate that it will soon unleash upon the English empire.

The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century was first published in 1827, with a second edition published in 1828 that made substantial changes. Jane C. Loudon, orphaned at age seventeen, wrote it as a means to an income. It was published anonymously, only later being publicly attributed to her.

The Mummy! is the first work of science fiction to feature a resurrected mummy. It was written in an era defined by Egyptomania spurred by Napoleon’s recent invasion of Egypt. The future society that Loudon imagines juxtaposes traditional 19th century British society with various technological advances, some conceptually familiar to a 21st century reader, and others both ambitious and fantastical. The modern reader will still find some of Louden’s imagined advancements remarkably forward-looking, like criminal trials argued by automaton lawyers that can speak every language, painting a picture of a future that still feels like science fiction two centuries later.

The Place Called Dagon

2026-08-22T17:09:30Z

Daniel Dreeme is a doctor who maintains a practice in the small and secluded community of Marlborough, Massachusetts. But his idyllic life takes a turn towards darkness when he discovers that the town is home to an ancient cult that worships Satan as its true god.

A work of the “folk horror” genre, The Place Called Dagon derives its plot from the pseudo-historical “witch-cult hypothesis,” which posits that witchcraft was practiced in secret in the Early Modern period. The book was likely an inspiration for some of H. P. Lovecraft’s later fiction, especially “The Shadow Over Innsmouth,” which shares the overall geographical location and many plot points.

Hand and Ring

2026-08-21T16:51:50Z

A conversation on the steps of a quiet courthouse in Sibley, New York turns to a chilling topic: how to commit the perfect murder. A mysterious stranger declares that the secret lies in striking a blow in a busy thoroughfare using a weapon found on the spot, allowing the tracks of innocent passersby to naturally erase those of the killer.

Then, minutes later and just yards away from where the conversation took place, a deaf widow is found brutally struck down in her dining room in the exact fashion the stranger had just described. The dying woman’s last words, “Hand! Ring! Ring! Hand!”, only confuse and misdirect the young detectives until Detective Gryce arrives.

This is the fourth novel to feature Detective Gryce, though in this one, Gryce doesn’t come into the picture until the end, where he plays a critical role in uncovering the true perpetrator.

The Lost Stradivarius

2026-08-21T15:57:42Z

John Meade Falkner published his first novel, The Lost Stradivarius, in 1896. Set in the aristocratic milieu similar to the one Falkner grew up in, the story at first closely mirrors his own—that of a young man studying at Oxford—before taking a turn for the uncanny. From there it delves progressively deeper into old blasphemy and new madness.

The Lost Stradivarius proved to be the debut of a solid figure in the turn-of-the-century British literary milieu, influencing figures like M. R. James and Dorothy L. Sayers.

Racundra’s First Cruise

2026-08-20T16:14:00Z

Arthur Ransome was working as a journalist in Russia during the First World War when he got the idea to build a sailboat. He asked his friend, a boat designer, to design one, and in 1922 it was finally completed in Estonia. But Ransome didn’t have enough time to sail it to England before winter, so instead he enlisted two unnamed companions, the Cook and the Ancient Mariner, to join him for Racundra’s maiden voyage across the Baltic Sea, from Riga to Helsinki and back.

Racundra’s First Cruise is Ransome’s travelogue of this six week trip. Between both pleasant faring and treacherous weather, he and his tiny crew engage in various cozy episodes across the coasts and ports of Estonia, taking in the local color, haggling with the officials, and getting to know their new sailboat, all in a spirit of gentle adventure.

Though unnamed, the Cook is actually Leon Trotsky’s ex-private secretary, Ransome’s lover and later wife Evgenia Petrovna Shelepina, and the Ancient Mariner is Captain Carl Sehmel, who is also featured as a character in Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons series, in Peter Duck and Coot Club.

The Man from the Clouds

2026-08-19T17:44:45Z

Roger Merton, a young naval lieutenant from the volunteer reserves, is on a balloon reconnaissance mission with an officer when their balloon loses its moorings and drifts into the fog. Blown to they know not where, Merton’s colleague bails, while Merton waits until he’s more certain of being over land.

When he does parachute to safety, Merton finds that he’s not in enemy territory, but rather in one of the islands in the North Sea off the Scottish coast. Still uncertain as to who inhabits it, he begins to suspect there may be treachery afoot. But where could German spies be hiding on such a barren island?

The Man from the Clouds is another early spy thriller, like J. Storer Clouston’s better known The Spy in Black, both published during World War I.

The Chink in the Armour

2026-08-19T16:41:30Z

Sylvia Bailey, a beautiful young widow, and her friend Anna visit a fortune teller in Paris and receive ominous warnings: for Anna, that she’ll have an incredible streak of fortune at gambling but shortly lose her life, and for Sylvia that she’ll meet a great lover but somehow be strangled by her beloved pearl necklace, a piece of exceedingly great value purchased against her lawyer’s advice with much of the wealth her late husband bequeathed her. The fortune teller implores them not to leave Paris soon, and certainly not together, but, ignoring the advice, they make their way to the picturesque town of Lacville. There, they set about playing baccarat and making friends with the local characters—until a mysterious disappearance raises uneasy questions.

This hair-raising mystery is the first of Marie Belloc Lowndes’s novels to have been adapted to the screen, and it showcases her understanding of the inner life of women, the mindset of the gambler, and the discomforting experience of a silent haunting.

The Slaves of the Padishah

2026-08-17T20:59:44Z

Michael Teleki, a Transylvanian noble and councilor to Prince Apafi, is an ambitious and cunning politician who seeks to increase his power and social status. In order to do that, he attempts to manipulate members of the Ottoman Sultanate to attack Hungary, with hopes that he will become its Palatine.

A sequel to ’Midst the Wild Carpathians, The Slaves of the Padishah sees the return of most of the characters of the previous novel. Much like the first installment, this novel is a fictionalized version of real events: in this case, the loss of Turkish control over Hungary and the expansion of the Holy Roman Empire to territories previously controlled by the Sultanate.

A Treatise of Human Nature

2026-08-17T20:44:59Z

In the Treatise of Human Nature, written in 1739, David Hume lays out his initial vision of our knowledge and understanding of the world, of the nature of our psychology and motivation, and, building on these, of moral and political philosophy.

In Book I, Hume considers our understanding of the world. With a keen critical perspective that is ever skeptical about abstract metaphysical claims, he follows other empiricists (such as Locke) in grounding our understanding in experience as the source of all our ideas and of their relations to each other. In one important line of argument, he raises what has come to be known as his “problem of induction” at the heart of our understanding of causation and of science, arguing that we have no reason to think that the future will be like the past, since our only evidence for that claim could be past experience—a problem that has plagued philosophers ever since.

In Book II, Hume turns from belief and reason to desire and the passions, famously arguing that “it is not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger”—that questions of what we ought to desire or value are not questions we can settle by appealing to beliefs and arguments. Rather, our desires and passions can be independent of our beliefs, so that values aren’t a part of the world, but are projected by us onto the world.

In Book III, Hume spells out the implications this view has for morality, and so for moral values and moral taste. In doing so, he emphasizes our sympathy for others and the need for us to use that sympathy so as to adopt “steady and general points of view” as the proper vantage point for engaging in moral criticism.

The Treatise was poorly received, with Hume himself writing that it fell “deadborn from the press.” He thought it an immature work, written as it was before he was 25 years old, and he later reworked his account from Book I in his Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding and from Book III in his Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals. Nonetheless, much of Hume’s dissatisfaction seems to be stylistic rather than substantive; philosophical scholarship has tended to focus on the Treatise over his other works, and it has remained highly influential to this day, shaping important strands of thought in philosophy and psychology.