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SoBrief

19th Century Book Summaries

Race and Manifest Destiny
by Reginald Horsman • 1981
Manifest Destiny had a hidden engine: a pseudo-science that ranked races and justified conquest.
3.84
150
Race and Manifest Destiny Summary
Race and Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny had a hidden engine: a pseudo-science that ranked races and justified conquest.
by Reginald Horsman 1981 380 pages
3.84
150 ratings
The Texan's Wager
by Jodi Thomas • 2002
Banished women enter a frontier wife lottery. Bailee draws a silent farmer who speaks in sign.
3.88
7k+
The Texan's Wager Summary
The Texan's Wager
Banished women enter a frontier wife lottery. Bailee draws a silent farmer who speaks in sign.
by Jodi Thomas 2002 336 pages
3.88
7k+ ratings
Sisi
by Allison Pataki • 2016
A restless empress flees the gilded cage, chasing wild freedom across Europe, but tragedy follows.
4.00
12k+
Sisi Summary
Sisi
A restless empress flees the gilded cage, chasing wild freedom across Europe, but tragedy follows.
by Allison Pataki 2016 464 pages
4.00
12k+ ratings
Tolstoy or Dostoevsky
by George Steiner • 1959
Tolstoy built heaven on earth; Dostoevsky argued freedom needs hell. Their clash defines the novel.
4.26
466
Tolstoy or Dostoevsky Summary
Tolstoy or Dostoevsky
Tolstoy built heaven on earth; Dostoevsky argued freedom needs hell. Their clash defines the novel.
by George Steiner 1959 386 pages
4.26
466 ratings
Master of His Fate
by Barbara Taylor Bradford • 2018
A barrow boy and heiress pursue ambition through commerce, loss, and love in Victorian London.
3.75
3k+
Master of His Fate Summary
Master of His Fate
A barrow boy and heiress pursue ambition through commerce, loss, and love in Victorian London.
by Barbara Taylor Bradford 2018 400 pages
3.75
3k+ ratings
The Bet
by Anton Chekhov • 1889
A banker wagers his fortune that a lawyer cannot survive fifteen years of solitary confinement.
4.12
5k+
The Bet Summary
The Bet
A banker wagers his fortune that a lawyer cannot survive fifteen years of solitary confinement.
by Anton Chekhov 1889 48 pages
4.12
5k+ ratings
The Visible Hand
by Alfred D. Chandler Jr. • 1977
Markets didn't coordinate the modern economy. Management did. And it started with the railroads.
4.05
348
The Visible Hand Summary
The Visible Hand
Markets didn't coordinate the modern economy. Management did. And it started with the railroads.
by Alfred D. Chandler Jr. 1977 624 pages
4.05
348 ratings
Whiteness of a Different Color
by Matthew Frye Jacobson • 1998
The Irish, Jews, and Italians were not white until politics, law, and war made them so.
4.03
500+
Whiteness of a Different Color Summary
Whiteness of a Different Color
The Irish, Jews, and Italians were not white until politics, law, and war made them so.
by Matthew Frye Jacobson 1998 364 pages
4.03
500+ ratings
Riding Freedom
by Pam Muñoz Ryan • 1998
An orphan girl cuts her hair and becomes a boy, chasing a life of horses and freedom.
4.18
8k+
Riding Freedom Summary
Riding Freedom
An orphan girl cuts her hair and becomes a boy, chasing a life of horses and freedom.
by Pam Muñoz Ryan 1998 160 pages
4.18
8k+ ratings
Southern Horrors and Other Writings
by Ida B. Wells-Barnett • 1996
Lynching wasn't about rape but economic terror, and one exiled journalist made the world see.
4.36
500+
Southern Horrors and Other Writings Summary
Southern Horrors and Other Writings
Lynching wasn't about rape but economic terror, and one exiled journalist made the world see.
by Ida B. Wells-Barnett 1996 240 pages
4.36
500+ ratings
The Half Has Never Been Told
by Edward E. Baptist • 2013
Torture, not the cotton gin, drove America's economic miracle. The numbers the textbooks leave out.
4.46
5k+
The Half Has Never Been Told Summary
The Half Has Never Been Told
Torture, not the cotton gin, drove America's economic miracle. The numbers the textbooks leave out.
by Edward E. Baptist 2013 498 pages
4.46
5k+ ratings
Dances with Wolves
by Michael Blake • 1988
Alone at a frontier outpost, a Union officer befriends the Comanche. The army calls it treason.
4.24
29k+
Dances with Wolves Summary
Dances with Wolves
Alone at a frontier outpost, a Union officer befriends the Comanche. The army calls it treason.
by Michael Blake 1988 304 pages
4.24
29k+ ratings
Sylvie and Bruno
by Lewis Carroll • 1889
When schemers depose a fairy king, his daughter and son resist with only their compassion.
3.39
1k+
Sylvie and Bruno Summary
Sylvie and Bruno
When schemers depose a fairy king, his daughter and son resist with only their compassion.
by Lewis Carroll 1889 204 pages
3.39
1k+ ratings
The Demon Lover
by Victoria Holt • 1982
A Victorian miniaturist secretly paints a baron and becomes the prize he refuses to surrender.
3.61
2k+
The Demon Lover Summary
The Demon Lover
A Victorian miniaturist secretly paints a baron and becomes the prize he refuses to surrender.
by Victoria Holt 1982 305 pages
3.61
2k+ ratings
An American Beauty
by Shana Abe • 2023
A Richmond saloon girl becomes a tycoon's mistress and claws her way through Gilded Age society.
4.12
29k+
An American Beauty Summary
An American Beauty
A Richmond saloon girl becomes a tycoon's mistress and claws her way through Gilded Age society.
by Shana Abe 2023 352 pages
4.12
29k+ ratings
The Indispensable Enemy
by Alexander Saxton • 1971
Capitalism was the threat, but the Chinese were the target. How white labor chose its enemy.
3.88
42
The Indispensable Enemy Summary
The Indispensable Enemy
Capitalism was the threat, but the Chinese were the target. How white labor chose its enemy.
by Alexander Saxton 1971 293 pages
3.88
42 ratings
The Other Trail of Tears
by Mary Stockwell • 2014
The Cherokee weren't first. Ohio's tribes walked a forgotten removal trail decades earlier.
4.16
85
The Other Trail of Tears Summary
The Other Trail of Tears
The Cherokee weren't first. Ohio's tribes walked a forgotten removal trail decades earlier.
by Mary Stockwell 2014 400 pages
4.16
85 ratings
The Last Founding Father
by Harlow Giles Unger • 2009
America's least-known founder doubled its land, drew a line around a hemisphere, and died bankrupt.
3.94
10k+
The Last Founding Father Summary
The Last Founding Father
America's least-known founder doubled its land, drew a line around a hemisphere, and died bankrupt.
by Harlow Giles Unger 2009 388 pages
3.94
10k+ ratings
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
by Harriet Ann Jacobs • 1861
To keep her children, an enslaved mother hides seven years in a cramped garret.
4.18
58k+
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Summary
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
To keep her children, an enslaved mother hides seven years in a cramped garret.
by Harriet Ann Jacobs 1861 176 pages
4.18
58k+ ratings
ROOTS OF SOUTHERN POPULISM
by Steven Hahn • 1985
Before Populism, Georgia's yeomen lost their land and independence to merchants, cotton, and debt.
3.78
74
ROOTS OF SOUTHERN POPULISM Summary
ROOTS OF SOUTHERN POPULISM
Before Populism, Georgia's yeomen lost their land and independence to merchants, cotton, and debt.
by Steven Hahn 1985 373 pages
3.78
74 ratings
Kelderkind
by Kristien Dieltiens • 2012
A boy imprisoned in a cellar carries a secret that could bring down a royal house.
3.81
359
Kelderkind Summary
Kelderkind
A boy imprisoned in a cellar carries a secret that could bring down a royal house.
by Kristien Dieltiens 2012 485 pages
3.81
359 ratings
The White House Is Burning
by Jane Sutcliffe • 2014
The White House burned. British troops looted the Capitol. And then the sky itself attacked.
4.01
168
The White House Is Burning Summary
The White House Is Burning
The White House burned. British troops looted the Capitol. And then the sky itself attacked.
by Jane Sutcliffe 2014 128 pages
4.01
168 ratings
Freedom’s Dominion
by Jefferson R. Cowie • 2022
One Alabama county's 'freedom' meant the right to dominate. The history and the national fallout.
4.50
500+
Freedom’s Dominion Summary
Freedom’s Dominion
One Alabama county's 'freedom' meant the right to dominate. The history and the national fallout.
by Jefferson R. Cowie 2022 512 pages
4.50
500+ ratings
Young Goodman Brown
by Nathaniel Hawthorne • 1835
A Salem husband enters the night woods and finds his wife and neighbors at a witches' sabbath.
3.64
16k+
Young Goodman Brown Summary
Young Goodman Brown
A Salem husband enters the night woods and finds his wife and neighbors at a witches' sabbath.
by Nathaniel Hawthorne 1835 48 pages
3.64
16k+ ratings
Vatan yahut Silistre
by Namık Kemal • 1872
A woman follows her lover into a besieged Ottoman fortress, disguised as a soldier.
3.73
2k+
Vatan yahut Silistre Summary
Vatan yahut Silistre
A woman follows her lover into a besieged Ottoman fortress, disguised as a soldier.
by Namık Kemal 1872 99 pages
3.73
2k+ ratings
Negro President
by Garry Wills • 2003
The math that made Jefferson president: electoral votes from people who could not vote.
3.76
285
Negro President Summary
Negro President
The math that made Jefferson president: electoral votes from people who could not vote.
by Garry Wills 2003
3.76
285 ratings
This Vast Southern Empire
by Matthew Karp • 2016
Why the slaveholding South pushed for a powerful state: to protect and project slavery worldwide.
4.28
500+
This Vast Southern Empire Summary
This Vast Southern Empire
Why the slaveholding South pushed for a powerful state: to protect and project slavery worldwide.
by Matthew Karp 2016 368 pages
4.28
500+ ratings
Cape Cod and the Civil War
by Stauffer Miller • 2010
A peninsula voted its morals over its money, then became the Union's lifeline at sea.
4.14
7
Cape Cod and the Civil War Summary
Cape Cod and the Civil War
A peninsula voted its morals over its money, then became the Union's lifeline at sea.
by Stauffer Miller 2010 225 pages
4.14
7 ratings
The March
by E.L. Doctorow • 2005
Civil War flames consume Georgia as a passing girl, a surgeon, and two deserters chase survival.
3.78
14k+
The March Summary
The March
Civil War flames consume Georgia as a passing girl, a surgeon, and two deserters chase survival.
by E.L. Doctorow 2005 363 pages
3.78
14k+ ratings
The Battle of New Orleans
by Robert V. Remini • 1999
Two thousand British fell. Seven Americans died. The battle that forged a nation was already over.
3.85
500+
The Battle of New Orleans Summary
The Battle of New Orleans
Two thousand British fell. Seven Americans died. The battle that forged a nation was already over.
by Robert V. Remini 1999 226 pages
3.85
500+ ratings
Mornings on Horseback
by David McCullough • 1981
A sickly rich boy remade his body, then lost his wife and mother on the same day.
4.10
35k+
Mornings on Horseback Summary
Mornings on Horseback
A sickly rich boy remade his body, then lost his wife and mother on the same day.
by David McCullough 1981 445 pages
4.10
35k+ ratings
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
by Winston S. Churchill • 1898
It took a frontier war for a young Churchill to understand the brutal logic of empire.
3.99
358
The Story of the Malakand Field Force Summary
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
It took a frontier war for a young Churchill to understand the brutal logic of empire.
by Winston S. Churchill 1898 180 pages
3.99
358 ratings
West of Slavery
by Kevin Waite • 2021
The slave South wanted a Pacific empire and nearly built one before the Civil War.
4.54
52
West of Slavery Summary
West of Slavery
The slave South wanted a Pacific empire and nearly built one before the Civil War.
by Kevin Waite 2021 384 pages
4.54
52 ratings
Past and Present
by Thomas Carlyle • 1897
A kingdom of riches where the poor starve. The cure demands new heroes, not new laws.
3.50
290
Past and Present Summary
Past and Present
A kingdom of riches where the poor starve. The cure demands new heroes, not new laws.
by Thomas Carlyle 1897 324 pages
3.50
290 ratings
Trail of Tears
by Captivating History • 2018
They won at the Supreme Court. The president defied the ruling. Then came the death march.
3.97
288
Trail of Tears Summary
Trail of Tears
They won at the Supreme Court. The president defied the ruling. Then came the death march.
by Captivating History 2018 82 pages
3.97
288 ratings
The Social Graces
by Renée Rosen • 2021
In Gilded Age New York, an old-money queen and an ambitious newcomer battle for society’s throne.
3.98
15k+
The Social Graces Summary
The Social Graces
In Gilded Age New York, an old-money queen and an ambitious newcomer battle for society’s throne.
by Renée Rosen 2021 400 pages
3.98
15k+ ratings
Silas Marner
by George Eliot • 1861
A lonely weaver hoards gold until a child in the snow shows him what truly matters.
3.70
94k+
Silas Marner Summary
Silas Marner
A lonely weaver hoards gold until a child in the snow shows him what truly matters.
by George Eliot 1861 262 pages
3.70
94k+ ratings
Slave Country
by Adam Rothman • 2005
The founders thought slavery would die. Their policies built a slave empire from Georgia to Texas.
3.73
169
Slave Country Summary
Slave Country
The founders thought slavery would die. Their policies built a slave empire from Georgia to Texas.
by Adam Rothman 2005 312 pages
3.73
169 ratings
Syzyfowe prace
by Stefan Żeromski • 1898
A Polish boy's school wants to erase his nation. The books they ban become his lifeline.
2.38
8k+
Syzyfowe prace Summary
Syzyfowe prace
A Polish boy's school wants to erase his nation. The books they ban become his lifeline.
by Stefan Żeromski 1898 238 pages
2.38
8k+ ratings
A Short History of Reconstruction, 1863-1877
by Eric Foner • 1990
After the Civil War, America built an interracial democracy, then destroyed it.
4.04
2k+
A Short History of Reconstruction, 1863-1877 Summary
A Short History of Reconstruction, 1863-1877
After the Civil War, America built an interracial democracy, then destroyed it.
by Eric Foner 1990 297 pages
4.04
2k+ ratings
The Bloody Shirt
by Stephen Budiansky • 2008
Emancipation was overthrown by a targeted campaign of terror. The nation was too tired to stop it.
3.85
354
The Bloody Shirt Summary
The Bloody Shirt
Emancipation was overthrown by a targeted campaign of terror. The nation was too tired to stop it.
by Stephen Budiansky 2008 336 pages
3.85
354 ratings
A Nation Without Borders
by Steven Hahn • 2016
The United States was an empire before it was a nation. Slavery, rebellion, and conquest built it.
4.00
332
A Nation Without Borders Summary
A Nation Without Borders
The United States was an empire before it was a nation. Slavery, rebellion, and conquest built it.
by Steven Hahn 2016 608 pages
4.00
332 ratings
The Waterworks
by E.L. Doctorow • 1994
An 1871 newspaper editor hunts a vanished writer who swore he saw his dead father alive.
3.45
3k+
The Waterworks Summary
The Waterworks
An 1871 newspaper editor hunts a vanished writer who swore he saw his dead father alive.
by E.L. Doctorow 1994 253 pages
3.45
3k+ ratings
Under a Flaming Sky
by Daniel James Brown • 2006
When a firestorm struck Hinckley in 1894, survival hinged on two trains racing through flame.
4.13
4k+
Under a Flaming Sky Summary
Under a Flaming Sky
When a firestorm struck Hinckley in 1894, survival hinged on two trains racing through flame.
by Daniel James Brown 2006 288 pages
4.13
4k+ ratings
Wuthering Heights
by Emily Brontë
She marries a gentleman. The orphan she loved returns to the moors to destroy her world.
3.68
500+
Wuthering Heights Summary
Wuthering Heights
She marries a gentleman. The orphan she loved returns to the moors to destroy her world.
by Emily Brontë
3.68
500+ ratings
A Nation Under Our Feet
by Steven Hahn • 2003
Enslaved people built a political world in secret. It outlasted slavery and reshaped the South.
4.11
500+
A Nation Under Our Feet Summary
A Nation Under Our Feet
Enslaved people built a political world in secret. It outlasted slavery and reshaped the South.
by Steven Hahn 2003 624 pages
4.11
500+ ratings
Zemsta
by Aleksander Fredro • 1838
A wall divides two feuding nobles; behind their backs, their children fall in love.
3.16
15k+
Zemsta Summary
Zemsta
A wall divides two feuding nobles; behind their backs, their children fall in love.
by Aleksander Fredro 1838 120 pages
3.16
15k+ ratings
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion
by Beth Brower • 2023
A sharp-tongued orphan and her scarred tenant dare to consider love, risking scandal and heartbreak.
4.72
31k+
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Summary
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion
A sharp-tongued orphan and her scarred tenant dare to consider love, risking scandal and heartbreak.
by Beth Brower 2023 313 pages
4.72
31k+ ratings
Shamrock and Sword
by Robert Ryal Miller • 1989
A U.S. Army battalion deserted to Mexico. One country built memorials, the other built gallows.
3.86
29
Shamrock and Sword Summary
Shamrock and Sword
A U.S. Army battalion deserted to Mexico. One country built memorials, the other built gallows.
by Robert Ryal Miller 1989 252 pages
3.86
29 ratings
Wilhelm Tell
by Friedrich Schiller • 1804
A Swiss marksman defies a tyrant and must shoot an apple from his son's head.
3.21
9k+
Wilhelm Tell Summary
Wilhelm Tell
A Swiss marksman defies a tyrant and must shoot an apple from his son's head.
by Friedrich Schiller 1804 144 pages
3.21
9k+ ratings
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