Product Description

The perfect primer for anyone who wants to be able to read classical Latin or learn the basics to enhance their vocabulary, this complete introductory course presents Latin grammar clearly and plainly. Void of all non-essentials and refreshingly easy to understand, Latin Made Simple includes:

Complete Latin grammar
Pronunciation of both classical and church Latin
Practice readings
Review quizzes with complete answer keys
Studies of original texts and translations
Examinations of Latin words in the English language
Word cells and etymology
Vocabulary building exercises

Full of fun exercises and practical tips, Latin Made Simple makes it easy to increase your understanding of the language and the many ways it has enriched our culture and our civilization.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #667960 in Books
• Published on: 1992-07-01
• Released on: 1992-07-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Ingram
Far from being a dead language used solely by scholars and lawyers, Latin is a vibrant and integral part of today's English. Even a basic comprehension of its workings and a vague familiarity with Latin vocabulary can provide an invaluable foundation for understanding English. This edition of Latin Made Simple features easy-to-use charts and helpful boxes to enhance study.

Customer Reviews

Don't start with this text
I learned Latin first using Wheelock, one of the standard texts available today for Latin instruction; I have used other grammars, readers and texts since then, and seem to pick up another volume every other year or so, just to keep up the practice, and to see what else is available. I purchased 'Latin Made Simple' by Hendricks some time prior to my Latin instruction using Wheelock, but had not used it; it sat on the shelf waiting to be read, but I must confess, I hadn't got round to it prior to my classes in Latin.

When I picked it up off the shelf to use it to help refresh my Latin several years later, I found it a mixed bag. I liked the fact that it addressed topics such as Church Latin (Wheelock is primarily for classical -- Republic or Imperial - Latin), and found many of the examples more relevant to my needs as a churchy person. I also liked some of the page layouts for verb conjugations and noun declensions, and some other grammar points.

However, there are many typographical errors here, and several problems I noticed even with my then-rusty Latin. Some of the verb conjugations did not match with the guide to Latin Verbs I used as a companion. Checking against Wheelock and Henle, I found that Hendrick's text was indeed incorrect. While this is probably more of an editorial problem than an author's shortcoming, it still reflects badly on the text (as the student won't in general care if the problem comes from the editor or the author, but rather takes what is on the page).

Since this is a book designed primarily for those who have not had any Latin training, identifying the errors is not really possible for most readers (this is a bad thing). Also, since this is a book designed for the absolute beginner, many of the issues are presented in the most simple format possible -- the problem here is that Latin is a very complex language, and there are many exceptions to almost every rule -- the presentation here doesn't really prepare the student for the variations, leading to a bit of confusion.

I found this book useful as a review, but could not really recommend it as a beginning text.

Auctor stultus est.
Errata multa in libro sunt.
Miserabile dictu, mihi necesse est reprobare librum istum.
There are many errors in the book.
Sad to say, I must repudiate the book.

Liber calamitas est
I originally taught myself to read Latin using Gavin Betts' "Teach Yourself Latin," but no longer had the book and bought "Latin Made Simple" in order to brush up on what I had semi-forgotten.

As the other reviews indicate, this book has serious flaws. If I hadn't already had a working, albeit rusty, knowledge of the language, I wouldn't have been able to pick out the many typos and incorrect grammar explanations. I stopped reading the book at Chapter 3, after I realised that the author gave the incorrect future tense for the verb "to go" (the second and third person singular given as the future tense are, in fact, in the imperfect tense).

Nevertheless, the book does have some redeeming features. If you have already bought the book, don't throw it out; just go back to it when you have learned proper Latin and will be able to tell what is correct from what isn't. If you haven't bought the book, I can only say, "caveat emptor."

I wound up purchasing the latest edition of Gavin Betts' "Teach Yourself Latin," which now has the added advantage of a web site with additional exercises and readings for each chapter, along with the answers. I don't think you can go wrong with Betts' book, and it's less intimidating than "Wheelock's Latin" (another excellent book) for the self-taught (it's also a lot lighter weight to carry around - you could use Wheelock's for self-defense, it's so heavy).