Free to read

Ambrose Bierce

8 free books by Ambrose Bierce. 8 you can read right here.

Born 1842 in Meigs County

writer, poet, journalist · United States

Notable works: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, The Damned Thing, The Devil's Dictionary, Tales of Soldiers and Civilians

More on Wikipedia →

Facts from Wikidata (Q191050), retrieved 2026-09-26.

Also by Ambrose Bierce: read here

Short stories and shorter works by Ambrose Bierce

Quotes from Ambrose Bierce’s books

Verified word for word in the text: each quote is copied exactly from the book’s text in this site’s reader (the Project Gutenberg e-text named under each book) and links to its passage; when this page was built, every quote was checked word for word against that text. How RedLectern is built.

The Devil's Dictionary

From Project Gutenberg e-text #972 (public domain in the USA).

EDUCATION, n. That which discloses to the wise and disguises from the foolish their lack of understanding.

Author'S PrefaceRead in context →

POLITICS, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.

Author'S PrefaceRead in context →

RELIGION, n. A daughter of Hope and Fear, explaining to Ignorance the nature of the Unknowable.

Author'S PrefaceRead in context →

CYNIC, n. A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be.

Author'S PrefaceRead in context →

FUTURE, n. That period of time in which our affairs prosper, our friends are true and our happiness is assured.

Author'S PrefaceRead in context →

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

From Project Gutenberg e-text #375 (public domain in the USA).

Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him.

IRead in context →

To be hanged and drowned,” he thought, “that is not so bad; but I do not wish to be shot.

— Spoken by a character · III

Read in context →

All authors →