Harry Mount wrote this book as an introduction to a language that he loves and has studied; he attempts to make it a little easier for a person who has not experienced the language to learn the basics.  First he shows you how to read and understand the book, with stories of how Latin has influenced Angelina Jolie & David Beckham with their tattoos.  He explains that neither has taken Latin yet it’s part of their lives.  People don’t realize that Latin is pretty much everywhere; from the saying over the MGM Studio Lion “Ars gratia artis” (Art for the sake of art) to the simple Boston Latin School. 

Harry takes you through the proper use of all parts of the language from the First Declension to Pronouns and beyond, he shows us that architecture has followed suit with the Latin Culture though the use of ornate statues and columns all the way to our colleges and universities with our fraternities and sobrieties i.e. Phi Beta Kappa & toga parties (he will explain).  Throughout the book he will test you with what you have read and hopefully learned with a little quiz, but don’t be afraid if you have read carefully you will be able to read what is written.

Although Latin is not a language I would have thought about learning, I found it interesting as to how it is influenced everything and how the history behind the language and what it helped to create even after it was gone is truly amazing.

This book is well written and has excellent detail and explanations for every part of the learning process.  Through his examples and stories you see that Latin even though no longer used is a language that will never die.

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