Journey through Harvard University president Charles Eliot’s “five-foot shelf” of classics. This collection, first published in the early 1900s, remains one of the most comprehensive and well-researched anthologies of all time. Making good on earlier claims that he could fit the elements of a liberal education on a five-foot shelf, Eliot gathered this collection of key works, together with English professor William Neilson—who selected editions and wrote introductions. The massive collection covers major literary figures, philosophers, theologians, folklore, and historical subjects through the end of the nineteenth century. Originally published as a 51-volume collection of classics, the rise of modernism prompted Dr. Eliot to create an additional 20-volume collection of fiction—“The Shelf of Fiction”—to supplement his first collection. These two collections come together to create The Harvard Classics and Fiction Collection (71 vols.). Among...

Harvard Classics and Fiction Journey through “Dr. Eliot’s Five Foot Shelf.” This massive collection, designed to provide the elements of a liberal education, was compiled by distinguished Harvard University president Charles Eliot in the early 1900s. The massive collection covers major literary figures, philosophers, theologians, folklore, and historical subjects through the end of the nineteenth century. Originally published as a 51-volume collection of classics, the rise of modernism prompted Dr. Eliot to create an additional 20-volume collection of fiction—“The Shelf of Fiction”—to supplement his first collection. These two collections come together to create The Harvard Classics and Fiction Collection (71 vols.), which remains one of the most comprehensive and well-researched anthologies of all time—a must-have library for students and lovers of the classics. Check out the complete The Harvard Classics and Fiction Collection. Keep reading with Harvard Classics Shelf...

Teach and train the next generation with this library of resources devoted to helping young people become better grounded in Scripture and the classics. Build on the foundation laid by those who came before using digital tools that enhance the great deposit of the past.

Get to know the classics with this hand-selected group of books that have inspired readers for decades! Featuring works by Jack London, George MacDonald, and Lewis Carroll, this collection of resources will take you across the world (and to worlds that have yet to be explored).

Edward Everett Hale’s The Man Without a Country is a timeless tale of patriotism, redemption, and the profound human need for connection and belonging. Originally published during the American Civil War, this poignant novella tells the story of Philip Nolan, a young U.S. Army officer whose rash words during a trial lead him to be sentenced to a life of exile at sea, forbidden from ever hearing or speaking of his homeland again. Through Nolan’s journey, Hale masterfully explores themes of national identity, the consequences of impulsive actions, and the deep ties that bind individuals to their country. Nolan’s gradual transformation—from a brash, disillusioned man to someone who deeply regrets his estrangement—offers a powerful commentary on the meaning of loyalty and the importance of cherishing one’s heritage. Told through the fictional memoirs of a naval officer who befriends Nolan, the story is both intimate and grand, blending personal tragedy with larger reflections on the…