# Harvard Classics

> A curated collection of classic literature and educational texts with reading and listening options. (iPhone/iPad app by himalaya-soft.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harvard-classics/id624152311 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [himalaya-soft](https://appshunter.io/developer/464715011)
- Category: Books, Education
- Price: $2.99
- Rating: 3.40/5 from 11 App Store ratings · 4 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 19 MB
- Languages: American English, Chinese (Simplified, China), Japanese
- Released: 2013-04-22
- Data updated: 2026-08-22
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harvard-classics/id624152311/reviews.md

## What is Harvard Classics?

Guided by Dr. Eliot, the famed president of Harvard University, you will journey through the history of religion and philosophy, the history of civilization, and the history of classic science. Along the way, Dr. Eliot will introduce you to the books selected from the famed Harvard Classics. 

All classics you ever need to read in History and Civilization, in Philosophy and Religion, and in Science are collected in one app.   

Read, listen, or read-along these books of Harvard Classics, plus 50,000+ Gutenberg classics, on-line, off-line, anywhere, anytime.

Text of each book is hand-reformatted for best reading experience, audio books done by experienced readers, and videos professionally presented.

Inside each book, you can also explore an in-depth Wikipedia article about the author and the book, 

Most of the basic features for a book reader are also provided, include, page-turning, bookmarking, night reading, changing font size, changing background color, dictionary, and word and phrase looking up in search engine or Wikipedia.

## Key features

- Curated classic texts
- Read, listen, or read-along options
- Offline access
- Integrated Wikipedia articles
- Customizable reading settings
- Bookmark and search functionality

## Recent user reviews (4 of 4)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harvard-classics/id624152311/reviews.md

### 5/5 — App is amazing

*2024-10-08*

I love that you can listen and read these, depending on your choice. I had trouble finding a title and emailed support to find out how to search. They were helpful in showing me I could sort the more books section and sort the title’s. Very well done.

### 1/5 — Disappointing and terrible UX

*2023-12-31*

There’s no actual “guide” here. This app just seems to be nothing more than a list of public formation texts of books. There’s no daily reading guide like there is with the actual Harvard Classics so this app feels like a bait and switch. As someone else said I want my money back.

### 1/5 — Great Promise, Poor Execution

*2023-10-05*

Just purchased; HOWEVER, all the Harvard Classics books are not identified as “Harvard Classics: Volume 1” containing (a) Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, (b) The Journal of John Woolman, (c) Fruits of Solitude … followed by “Harvard Classics: Volume 2”.

Instead the individual books are there (maybe) but not in the order of the original Harvard Classics.

I want my money back.

### 3/5 — Great format and content but missing a crucial piece.

*2015-01-12*

This is a great app that contains a wonderful and important collection, however it fails on one key issue in that it appears to be missing Dr. Elliott's guide for completing the anthology in 15 minute/day through a set of selected passages. It would be a great improvement if this app at a minimum included a text of the guide. It would be incredible if it linked directly to those passages so that one could complete the collection using only this app.

## Frequently asked questions about Harvard Classics

### What is Harvard Classics?

Harvard Classics is a collection of essential books in history, civilization, philosophy, religion, and science, curated by Dr. Eliot. The app allows you to read, listen, or read along with these texts, plus over 50,000 Gutenberg classics.

### What devices does Harvard Classics support?

Harvard Classics is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices.

### How much does Harvard Classics cost?

Harvard Classics is a paid app, priced at $2.99.

### Can I use Harvard Classics offline?

Yes, you can read and listen to the books in Harvard Classics offline, anywhere and anytime.

### What reading customization options are available in Harvard Classics?

Harvard Classics offers features like page-turning, bookmarking, night reading mode, adjustable font sizes, and background color changes for an optimal reading experience.

### Does Harvard Classics have ads?

No, Harvard Classics does not contain advertisements.

### How often is Harvard Classics updated?

The latest version of Harvard Classics is 12.0, and it was last updated on July 29, 2024.

### What is the age rating for Harvard Classics?

Harvard Classics has an age rating of 12+, making it suitable for users aged 12 and above.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 12.0 — 2024-07-29

Substantially tested against new iPhone devices. Fixed many bugs.

### 10.4 — 2021-09-12

(1) Fixed one bug in Quick Book Search
(2) Improved book page display for iPhone 12

### 10.3 — 2021-02-22

(1) Fixed a bug in catalog search.
(2) Fixed a bug in downloading audio books.

### 10.0 — 2019-12-14

This release substantially improves both functionality and usability.  Specifically
(1) full support of dark mode;
(2) allows both page turning and scrolling;
(3) precise control of font style, size, background color, and contrast;
(4) improved TTS reading of all books;

### 8.9 — 2018-08-20

1. Change page turning speed: Fast, Normal, Slow
2. Select and download any individual chapter (audio track) in an audio book. 
3. Delete unwanted audio tracks, and keep only the few needed in the immediate future ( to save storage).
4. Audio controller on lock screen: jump to next /previous audio track, pause/resume, adjust volume.
5. Improved display for iPhoneX.
6. Fixed a few bugs.

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All apps by himalaya-soft: https://appshunter.io/developer/464715011

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-22.*