Category: Audio Books

Categories
Audio Books

Audio Book – Green Grey Homestead

(first published 1934)

Steele Rudd (1868-1935)
Language: English

This book describes the experiences of Dick Gall, a young Australian countryman, from the time of his first application for ‘a homestead selection’ to that of the birth of his ‘son an’ heir’ on the green-grey homestead. It also includes memories of his younger years, when he chased scrub cattle, hunted wild pigs on wild horses and played on the polo field. Steele Rudd knew what he was writing about, having grown up on a homestead selection at Emu Creek himself, and worked as a stockrider (or cowboy) as a teenager.
The book is written in a very lively style, and remarkably, in the second person singular – “you” will literally be Dick Gall himself. The opening sentence: “You’ll be single when the idea of taking up a homestead first gets you.” Or later: “You’ll be three years on the little grey homestead, working hard and becoming well-known and respected; you’ll receive kindly handturns from one and another, and be known to them all as Dick Gall.” (Summary by Anna Simon)

The original text of this recording is in the Public Domain in countries where copyright expires 70 years or less after the author’s death, but is still protected by copyright in the USA and some other countries. Please check the copyright law of your country before downloading.
The recording is released under the Creative Commons license CC0.

Total running time: 5:05:20 – Read in English by Anna Simon

01 – Chapter 1 – 18:07 min      [download all sections]
02 – Chapter 2 – 07:58 min
03 – Chapter 3 – 10:59 min
04 – Chapter 4 – 16:30 min
05 – Chapter 5 – 18:56 min
06 – Chapter 6 – 12:38 min
07 – Chapter 7 – 12:24 min
08 – Chapter 8 – 12:38 min
09 – Chapter 9 – 05:39 min
10 – Chapter 10 – 14:43 min
11 – Chapter 11 – 20:09 min
12 – Chapter 12 – 26:49 min
13 – Chapter 13 – 11:59 min
14 – Chapter 14 – 13:09 min
15 – Chapter 15 – 21:19 min
16 – Chapter 16 – 19:31 min
17 – Chapter 17 – 11:15 min
18 – Chapter 18 – 20:10 min
19 – Chapter 19 – 17:49 min
20 – Chapter 20 – 12:38 min

In addition to the reader, this audio book was produced by:
Dedicated Proof-Listener: Newgatenovelist, Meta-Coordinator/Cataloging: Hokuspokus

Catalogued 16. February 2019

Categories
Audio Books

Audio Book – A Full Moon in March

(first published 1935)

William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939)
Language: English

William Butler Yeats first published this collection in 1935. In it, he developed themes and symbolism prevalent throughout his work, including his fascination with masks and Irish legends.
(Summary by Newgatenovelist)

The original text of this recording is in the Public Domain in countries where copyright expires 70 years or less after the author’s death, but is still protected by copyright in the USA and some other countries. Please check the copyright law of your country before downloading.
The recording is released under the Creative Commons license CC0.

Total running time: 1:25:40

00 – Preface – 02:28 min, read by Peter Tucker [download all sections]
01 – A Full Moon in March – 14:00 min, read by Craig Franklin, Ian King, Newgatenovelist, Peter Tucker, and Phil Benson
02 – The King of the Great Clock Tower – 13:14 min, read by Craig Franklin, Ian King, Newgatenovelist, Peter Tucker, and Phil Benson
03 – Parnell’s Funeral – 02:43 min, read by Peter Tucker
04 – Three Songs to the Same Tune – 04:48 min, read by Peter Tucker
05 – Alternative Song for the Severed Head in The King of the Great Clock Tower – 01:29 min, read by Peter Tucker
06 – Two Songs Rewritten for the Tune’s Sake – 01:51 min, read by Peter Tucker
07 – A Prayer for Old Age – 00:49 min, read by Peter Tucker
08 – Church and State – 00:46 min, read by Peter Tucker
09 – Supernatural Songs – 08:06 min, read by Peter Tucker

In addition to the reader, this audio book was produced by:
Book Coordinator: Newgatenovelist
Proof-Listeners: Newgatenovelist, Ian King, Phil Benson
Meta-Coordinator/Cataloging: Viktor

Catalogued 12. February 2019

Categories
Audio Books Authors eBooks Educational Literature Miscellaneous Novel

25 sources of free public domain books

Want to load your e-reader or tablet with free ebooks, legally? Check out this list of sites that offer free public domain books in electronic and audio format.

Every year, new publications enter public domain. It means their intellectual property rights have expired or are not applicable any longer.

The content of these works becomes available for public use. Anyone is free to use or reuse it.

Users are not only allowed to legally download the ebook edition of the title that entered the public domain.

Everyone is also free to reuse and remix it, for instance, publish a new edition. Therefore, in major ebookstores, you may find public domain books that are not free.

My advice is that if you want to get an ebook version of a classic novel like Pride and Prejudice, you should first check out the sites listed below. Browsing the ebookstore where you have an account is the next step.

The dates books enter public domain vary between countries. Some rights depend on registrations with a country-by-country basis, but the most important factor is how many years have to pass after the death of the creator to allow the works into the public domain.

Best sites with free public domain books to download

1. Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is a top destination for free ebooks on the web. It’s a first ebook initiative in the world, established by Michael S. Hart in 1971.

Over 44,000 publications were digitized by PG volunteers and are available for download (.mobi and .epub, among other formats) and to read online.

What’s more, over 100,000 free ebooks are available through Project Gutenberg’s partners and affiliates.

The site offers also a very convenient way to get complete works of selected authors in one file.

⇢ Project Gutenberg

2. Europeana

Europeana offers access to millions of digitized items from European museums, libraries, and archives.

More than 2,000 European institutions across Europe contribute to the site, including the British Library and national libraries from many countries.

To find free public domain books, search for the author or title, and in the left-side panel narrow results by file type (“text”), and by copyright (“public domain marked”).

⇢ Europeana

3. Digital Public Library of America

DPLA is aimed at giving universal access to digital resources of American libraries and archives.

Among contributing institutions, there are New York Public Library, University of Michigan, Harvard University, and the LIbrary of Congress.

The Bookshelf catalog includes over 1.6 million items. Perform a search, and from a book detail page, you’ll be redirected to a relevant website, where you can further read it online or download.

⇢ DPLA

4. Internet Archive

The website is a huge repository of text, audio and video files, including public domain titles. You can browse and read online over 5 million books and items from over 1,500 collections.

The collections include the Library of Congress, American libraries, Canadian libraries, books from Project Gutenberg, and from the Million Books Project, as well as books for children.

On Internet Archive you will find book files in over 180 languages.

⇢ Internet Archive

5. Open Library

The site is a project of the Internet Archive and is intended to create “one web page for every book ever published”.

There are over 1,000,000 free ebook titles available. Most of the titles are public domain, but you can also find here a growing lending library of over 200,000 contemporary ebooks.

If the book is available in digital form, a Read button is shown next to its catalog listing.

⇢ Open Library

6. Feedbooks

This French ebook site is designed with mobile reading in mind. It’s tailored for mobile browsers, so you can download free ebooks directly to your tablet or smartphone.

Feedbooks offers thousands of public domain ebooks in five languages. Unlike in Internet Archive, most of the free books have covers to look good on your e-reader or e-reading application.

⇢ Feedbooks

7. Manybooks

This is a popular catalog of public domain ebooks, sourced from Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive.

The books are available in a vast number of different file formats, so if you are looking for less popular ones, like Plucker or FictionBook2, Manybooks is a good destination to explore.

Currently, there are almost 30,000 titles in Manybooks.

⇢ Manybooks

8. DailyLit

The platform’s offer should suit modern-day people who are always in a hurry. You can read an ebook in daily installments, delivered by mail or RSS feed.

Apart from DailyLit’s own serialized fiction, you can find here hundreds of classic novels. Pride and Prejudice and War of the Worlds were two first books offered on platform’s launch in 2006.

The site lists books in 14 categories, including short stories, horror, and coming of age.

⇢ DailyLit

9. Google Book Search

Google launched its own ebookstore some time ago, but the earlier book scan project, Google Book Search, is still there.

Perform any search and you’ll see a list of results. If you see Preview or Full View link under the book’s title, it means you can read its scan in the browser.

⇢ Google Book Search

10. Books Should Be Free

The site offers thousands of free public domain books, like audiobooks or text files. Titles in 30 languages can be found here.

⇢ Books Should Be free

11. The Literature Network

The site calls itself a “searchable online literature for the student, educator, or enthusiast.”

Currently, there are over 3,600 full books and over 4,400 short stories & poems from over 250 authors.

The key to exploring the site is author index, from where you can browse linked books, quotes forum threads, and quizzes.

⇢ The Literature Network

12. Bartleby

The site offers free Harvard Classics – complete volumes of the most comprehensive and well-researched anthology of all time (read-online, no downloads offered).

⇢ Bartleby

13. Authorama

This simple to explore site lists completely free books from a variety of different authors.

The site’s purpose is to bring public domain books from sites like Project Gutenberg into a form easily readable in a web browser.

⇢ Authorama

14. Read Easily

The site is dedicated particularly for the partially sighted and visually impaired.

Free classics can be read online, and you can change colors, fonts, as well as increase font size to make the text more legible.

⇢ Read Easily

15. LibriVox

Founded in 2005, LibriVox is an extensive library of free public domain audiobooks.

Volunteers record chapters of public domain books. Afterward, LibriVox releases the audio file for free in the public domain, and you may use it the way you like.

⇢ LibriVox

16. Legamus

The site makes free audio books from texts that entered the public domain in Europe.

⇢ Legamus

17. Open Culture

Open Culture is a popular blog that curates access to educational and cultural media.

Among several collections, you can find here a directory of over 500 free ebooks. Most of them are in the public domain.

⇢ Open Culture

18. Classic Literature Library

Public domain books organized into collections. The complete works of William Shakespeare, Jules Verne, Charles Dickens or Mark Twain, among others.

⇢ Classic Literature Library

19. The Online Books Page

The site, managed by the University of Pennsylvania, offers a clean interface to browse for over 1 million free ebooks from around the web.

⇢ The Online Books Page

20. Great Books and Classics

A repository of works of classic writers and philosophers, from Sophocles to Epicurus, to Sun-Tzu.

The books in digital format can be read here online as HTML files.

⇢ Great Books and Classics

21. Classic Reader

All books on this website are in public domain. You can choose from 3810 titles by 358 authors.

⇢ Classic Reader

22. Planet Publish

A decent collection of popular works of classic literature, in pdf format.

⇢ Planet Publish

23. Classical Chinese Literature

Chinese classics with each character hyperlinked to its definition and etymology.

⇢ Classical Chinese Literature

24. Wolne Lektury

Extremely well-managed collection of free public domain books in the Polish language.

Currently, there are over 2,300 titles available, either for online reading or to download (epub, mobi, pdf formats).

⇢ Wolne Lektury

25. Projekti Lönnrot

Public domain books in Finnish and Swedish.

⇢ Projekti Lönnrot

Categories
Audio Books

Audio Book – The Mysterious Universe

(first published 1930)

James Jeans (1877-1946)
Language: English

One of the earliest of the popular science book genre, it is a philosophical summary of the new physics of the era by a leading British physicist. Keeping technical references to a bare minimum, Jeans argues that physics has entered a new age in which mathematical representation has supplanted mechanical models.
(Summary by Peter Tucker)

The original text of this recording is in the Public Domain in countries where copyright expires 70 years or less after the author’s death, but is still protected by copyright in the USA and some other countries. Please check the copyright law of your country before downloading.
The recording is released under the Creative Commons license CC0.

Total running time: 4:03:30 – Read in English by Peter Tucker

0 – Foreword – 4:00 min [download all sections]
1 – Section 1 – 20:38 min
2 – Section 2 – 49:16 min
3 – Section 3 – 52:16 min
4 – Section 4 – 51:31 min
5 – Section 5 – 65:49 min

In addition to the reader, this audio book was produced by:
Dedicated Proof-Listener: Newgatenovelist
Meta-Coordinator/Cataloging: Viktor
Cover source: NASA

Catalogued 4. August 2018

Categories
Audio Books

Audio Book – Protected: The Mysterious Universe

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Categories
Audio Books

Audio Book – Multilingual Short Work Collection 003

Language: German/Deutsch, English

This is a collection for poetry and prose, fiction and non fiction in any language.

The original text of this recording is in the Public Domain in countries where copyright expires 70 years or less after the author’s death, but is still protected by copyright in the USA and some other countries. Please check the copyright law of your country before downloading.
The recording is released under the Creative Commons license CC0.

Total running time: 0:21:18

01 – DE Fußball by Joachim Ringelnatz – 02:59 min, read by EvaK – link to text
02 – EN Spilt Milk by William Butler Yeats – 00:29 min, read by Newgatenovelist – link to text
03 – EN The Nineteenth Century and After by William Butler Yeats – 00:33 min, read by Newgatenovelist – link to text
04 – EN The Crazed Moon by William Butler Yeats – 01:16 min, read by Newgatenovelist – link to text
05 – EN The Tragedy of the Sioux by Chief Standing Bear – 24.49 min, read by Newgatenovelist – link to text
06 – EN The Mother’s Son by Rudyard Kipling – 1:34 min, read by Newgatenovelist – link to text
07 – EN The Expert by Rudyard Kipling – 1:28 min, read by Newgatenovelist – link to text
08 – EN A Crazed Girl by William Butler Yeats – 1:02 min, read by Newgatenovelist – link to text
09 – EN The Lady’s Second Song by William Butler Yeats – 1:19 min, read by Newgatenovelist – link to text
10 – EN Nightmare at Noon by Stephen Vincent Benét – 10:38 min, read by Newgatenovelist – link to text

In addition to the reader, this audio book was produced by:
Dedicated Proof-Listener, Meta-Coordinator/Cataloging: Hokuspokus

Catalogued 10. June 2018

Categories
Audio Books

Audio Book – The Diary of a Provincial Lady

(first published 1930)

E. M. Delafield (1890-1943)
Language: English

“Notice, and am gratified by, large clump of crocuses near the front gate. Should like to make whimsical and charming reference to these and try to fancy myself as ‘Elizabeth of the German Garden’, but am interrupted by Cook, saying that the Fish is here, but he’s only bought cod and haddock, and the haddock doesn’t smell any too fresh, so what about cod? Have often noticed that Life is like that.”

First published in 1930, this charming, funny book is a warm portrait of a middle-class English family and their village life. Our heroine recounts the mundane delights and disasters of her household, dealing with constant money worries, the challenges of finding & keeping a really good parlourmaid, and how best to retain grace towards her fellow humans in the face of their astonishing range of foibles. It’s also a wonderfully genuine description of a marriage, with all the little ups and downs of rubbing along with the same person for so many years.
(Summary by Cori Samuel)

The original text of this recording is in the Public Domain in countries where copyright expires 70 years or less after the author’s death, but is still protected by copyright in the USA and some other countries. Please check the copyright law of your country before downloading.
The recording is released under the Creative Commons license CC0.

Total running time: 5:47:05 – Read in English by Cori Samuel

01 – Section 01 – 27:30 min      [download all sections or listen online]
02 – Section 02 – 31:32 min
03 – Section 03 – 27:11 min
04 – Section 04 – 26:10 min
05 – Section 05 – 28:12 min
06 – Section 06 – 25:47 min
07 – Section 07 – 27:29 min
08 – Section 08 – 27:10 min
09 – Section 09 – 31:28 min
10 – Section 10 – 30:00 min
11 – Section 11 – 31:20 min
12 – Section 12 – 33:16 min

In addition to the reader, this audio book was produced by:
Dedicated Proof-Listener: Newgatenovelist

Catalogued 1. May 2018

Categories
Audio Books Poetry

Poems of Puncture

 

(first published 1912)

Amanda McKittrick Ros (1860 – 1939)
Language: English

Amanda McKittrick Ros’s poetry and prose has earned notoriety for its highly individual syntax, creative punctuation, unique diction and particular use of alliteration. Listen to this verse – if you dare. … (summary by Newgatenovelist)

 

The original text of this recording is in the Public Domain in countries where copyright expires 70 years or less after the author’s death, but is still protected by copyright in the USA and some other countries. Please check the copyright law of your country before downloading.
The recording is released under the Creative Commons license CC0.

Total running time: 1:09:38 – Read in Read in English by Newgatenovelist

01 – Preface – 00:45 min [download all sections]
02 – Dedication – 00:38 min
03 – Defence – 01:06 min
04 – A Limb of Law – 02:49 min
05 – Mickey Monkeyface McBlear – 02:16 min
06 – The Old Windmill – 03:47 min
07 – A Wish – 00:43 min
08 – The Ugliest Brute in Britain – 05:01 min
09 – Fanny Malone – 06:37 min
10 – Rover – 03:50 min
11 – Revd. Goliath Ginbottle – 03:24 min
12 – To Those Whom the Shoe Fits – 03:17 min
13 – The Spa – Ballynahinch – Co. Down – 05:10 min
14 – Frank Ferrard – 01:30 min
15 – A Warning – 01:39 min
16 – Epitaph on Lady Diana Duff – 00:55 min
17 – Jamie Jarr – 01:24 min
18 – Sapphira Slick – 01:56 min
19 – The Old Chestnut – 01:33 min
20 – The Town of Tare – 04:36 min
21 – The Old Home – 01:37 min
22 – The Village of Hell – 02:20 min
23 – Love – 01:51 min
24 – Epitaph on Largebones the Lawyer – 00:54 min
25 – Lawyer Jock – 03:12 min
26 – Lines on Mrs. John Majury – 02:34 min
27 – Doctor Bushybrows – 01:50 min
28 – Po, the Lawyer – 01:14 min
29 – Farewell – 01:10 min

In addition to the reader, this audio book was produced by:
Proof-Listeners: David, Rapunzelina
Meta-Coordinator/Cataloging: Viktor
Cover: Basquetteur

Catalogued 18. January 2018

Categories
Audio Books

Audio Book – Poems of Puncture

(first published 1912)

Amanda McKittrick Ros (1860 – 1939)
Language: English

Amanda McKittrick Ros’s poetry and prose has earned notoriety for its highly individual syntax, creative punctuation, unique diction and particular use of alliteration. Listen to this verse – if you dare. … (summary by Newgatenovelist)

The original text of this recording is in the Public Domain in countries where copyright expires 70 years or less after the author’s death, but is still protected by copyright in the USA and some other countries. Please check the copyright law of your country before downloading.
The recording is released under the Creative Commons license CC0.

Total running time: 1:09:38 – Read in Read in English by Newgatenovelist

01 – Preface – 00:45 min [download all sections]
02 – Dedication – 00:38 min
03 – Defence – 01:06 min
04 – A Limb of Law – 02:49 min
05 – Mickey Monkeyface McBlear – 02:16 min
06 – The Old Windmill – 03:47 min
07 – A Wish – 00:43 min
08 – The Ugliest Brute in Britain – 05:01 min
09 – Fanny Malone – 06:37 min
10 – Rover – 03:50 min
11 – Revd. Goliath Ginbottle – 03:24 min
12 – To Those Whom the Shoe Fits – 03:17 min
13 – The Spa – Ballynahinch – Co. Down – 05:10 min
14 – Frank Ferrard – 01:30 min
15 – A Warning – 01:39 min
16 – Epitaph on Lady Diana Duff – 00:55 min
17 – Jamie Jarr – 01:24 min
18 – Sapphira Slick – 01:56 min
19 – The Old Chestnut – 01:33 min
20 – The Town of Tare – 04:36 min
21 – The Old Home – 01:37 min
22 – The Village of Hell – 02:20 min
23 – Love – 01:51 min
24 – Epitaph on Largebones the Lawyer – 00:54 min
25 – Lawyer Jock – 03:12 min
26 – Lines on Mrs. John Majury – 02:34 min
27 – Doctor Bushybrows – 01:50 min
28 – Po, the Lawyer – 01:14 min
29 – Farewell – 01:10 min

In addition to the reader, this audio book was produced by:
Proof-Listeners: David, Rapunzelina
Meta-Coordinator/Cataloging: Viktor
Cover: Basquetteur

Catalogued 18. January 2018

Categories
Audio Books

De wereld een dansfeest

 

(first published 1938)

Arthur van Schendel (1874-1946)
Language: Dutch

De danser Daniel Walewijn, zoon van een Nederlandse vader en een moeder van Zuid-Europeese afkomst, heeft de dans in het lichaam, zodat er niets anders voor hem bestaat. Zelfs zijn verhouding tot de vrouwen wordt volkomen bepaald door deze ene hartstocht. Zowel Daniel Walewijn als de melancholieke Reynald houden, ieder op zijn manier, van Marion Ringelinck, die evenals Daniel door de roeping voor het dansen wordt meegezogen. Deze drie levens gaan lange tijd parallel. In een reeks verhalen, vanuit het perspectief van verschillende personen die bij de hoofdpersonen betrokken zijn, laat Arthur van Schendel aan ons oog de levens van drie mensen voorbijtrekken, wier noodlot het is met elkaar in aanraking te komen, op elkaar aangewezen te zijn en toch aan elkaar voorbij te gaan.
(Samenvatting door Anna Simon)

 

The original text of this recording is in the Public Domain in countries where copyright expires 70 years or less after the author’s death, but is still protected by copyright in the USA and some other countries. Please check the copyright law of your country before downloading.
The recording is released under the Creative Commons license CC0.

Total running time: 6:39:51 – Read in Dutch by Anna Simon

01 – Het verhaal van den makelaar – 22:39 min [download all sections]
02 – Het verhaal van de Indische dame – 22:42 min
03 – Het verhaal van den leeraar – 22:07 min
04 – Het verhaal van de directrice – 22:44 min
05 – Het verhaal van den kamerverhuurder – 19:05 min
06 – Het verhaal van de tante – 19:34 min
07 – Het verhaal van den vriend – 21:32 min
08 – Het verhaal van de modiste – 21:33 min
09 – Het verhaal van den bloemist – 26:37 min
10 – Het verhaal van de kleedster – 23:18 min
11 – Het verhaal van een andere dame – 20:25 min
12 – Het verhaal van den politierechter – 36:19 min
13 – Het verhaal van den juwelier – 24:18 min
14 – Het verhaal van den liefhebber – 26:05 min
15 – Het verhaal van de jeugdvriendin – 09:29 min
16 – Het verhaal van den jongeling – 11:09 min
17 – Het verhaal van het buurmeisje – 11:00 min
18 – Het verhaal van de werkster – 21:45 min
19 – Het verhaal van den melancholicus – 17:30 min

In addition to the reader, this audio book was produced by:
Dedicated Proof-Listener: Herman Roskams,
Meta-Coordinator/Cataloging: Viktor.

Catalogued 13. December 2017