Those learning Latin need a great deal of reinforcement, and this is especially true of those who take up the language at university. This book is aimed squarely at students in the USA who have covered all the grammar over two semesters (one academic year) and are going to start reading original texts. Of course, they have been away from Latin for three or four months and have forgotten a significant amount. This book recognises this fact, and rather than set out a complete grammar course again, takes students through the topics that cause most difficulty at this stage of learning and is based on feedback from the seminar room. It shows a good understanding of where students need reinforcement.

The layout is generally uncluttered on the page, with sufficient space around the text. The pages are a little less than A4 in size, and the font is clear (Times Roman 12, I think). The approach is straightforward. Each of the 15 chapters explains a concept, gives relevant forms where necessary, and gives exercises from Latin to English (usually in groups of ten). Often the questions require simple analysis rather than just translation. Each chapter also has five exercises from English to Latin to promote a more active knowledge. Information is presented in tables where helpful, but there are no illustrations. Examples of Latin phrases in English are also included and explained in each chapter.

The whole enterprise is well-conceived and executed. The explanations are clear and sensible. They focus on helping the student to understand the concept so that they can recognise features in context, enabling them to approach authentic Latin authors with greater confidence. However, it is very much tailored to the US system, so it will be of limited use elsewhere.