Jones Books

As a 21 year old gay man, it is heartwarming and touching to see a such a beautiful coffee table book dedicated to portraying gay men positively and humanely, in addition to giving me hope that a long-term relationship can exist in a circuit/club/Abercrombie gay world. The stories of men who have been together for 10, 20, 30 + years are not only inspiring, but well written and accompanied with stunning black and white photos. However, while there was a considerable effort (and a good one at that!) to include a range of HIV positive and negative couples and while there were are three black men and possibly one Latino, I would have liked to have seen more gay men of color. I know there are Asian, Native American, and more Latino gay men in committed relationships, so it would have been nice to have them represented. Overall, it's a wonderful book and contribution to the GLBT community and worth buying--if anything, I just wish it were longer, so that it could include more diversity.

My partner and I are two of the subjects (or is it ONE of the subjects?) of this book. Andy Jones has shown great perception in his interpretation of the interview that we gave and his pen has told 29 very different stories with charm and wit. David Fields black & white photography is stunning and dramatic.

Althouh I'm gay, I still believe in love, married and family. This book show that these things are possible for gay couples. Some people always think of gay men as feminine-type of guy who like to act as women and running for every good-lookig guy on a street. This book will give readers more understanding in gay people.

Like one of the other reviewers on this page, I grew up without positive Gay role models, and it took decades for me to learn self-respect. This book reminds us that well-adjusted Gay couples can be found throughout our culture, something that's important for young Gay people to learn and for older Gay people to remain aware of.

I'm lucky enough to be acquainted with one of this book's subjects, Steve Langley of Washington, and I have a lot of respect for the choice he and his partner have made to be included. It's a beautiful book.

I gave this book to my mother when my partner and I decided to have a commitment ceremony. Mom was having trouble understanding and didn't seem to recognize our commitment to each other as equally valid to straight marriages. After she read the book, she sent my partner a HUGE bouquet of flowers and a card telling him she was so pleased that he was going to become an "official" part of our family!

This is such a nice book that depicts the last part of the movie vividly (make sure to collect vol. 1~4 for a complete set). It's nice to have watched the movie first, and then own the book so you'll enjoy and understand the whole story even when there's no dialog. I can watch the movie over and over again, but with the books, I get to review any part of the movie any time and any where I like, and it's very lovable for all ages, boys or girls, guaranteed!

My Neighbor Totoro is great! It is a very humorous story, filled with many cute characters! The totoro series would be great for anyone looking for something to read, or just for laughs. It is truly a magical journey in every page.

very good magical story but what the heck is with BATH-TIME.in the end they all take a bath..together!i mean the dad and the two little girls..whats that teaching kids? is it teaching us its ok to do that??i dont know? but anyway beautiful pictures and a good story to tell before bath-time..i mean bed-time.

my kids loved this movie and were thrilled to get this book. In english and japanese. lots and lots of wonderful pictures. one warning first book in a series of several.

kids love this story cross the boundaries, even adults enjoy it. This is one of Miyazaki's most well known books, hard to get it now. I'm sure this story will be loved generations after generations. If you have a Japanese friend, ask him/her!

I absolutely love this story! It is so adoreable and has such a good message. Children of all ages will absolutely fall in love with Norman.

I bought this book, along with about 10 others, for my 21 month old daughter. She is a big "reader", but she won't go to sleep without reading it at least twice. She loves it so much, that I took her to buy a goldfish yesterday, and she immediately started calling it "Norman" (without my prompting). And, when it's near our mealtime (and I know she's getting hungry), she associates that feeling with the fish, and asks me to feed him. Unbelievable. Thank you, Kelly and Noah! Keep up the great work.

Be forewarned...your kids may want a goldfish. But that's far easier to do than the MANY books out there that have kids begging for dogs. :)

This book is just so cute. The story itself as well as the delightful illustrations. My kids just giggled and giggled while I was reading. They even laughed harder at Norman's version of events. As an amazing bonus, the author, Kelly Bennet, wrote a version of the story from Norman's point of view.

It is simply adorable and after hearing Norman so many times the kids just rolled on the floor howling at Norman's story. Read it and you'll even find out the unnamed boy in the story is called Curtis. There you'll also find activities and teacher guides for Not Norman. Great resource we came by unexpectantly while researching this author (to see if she had any more great books!)

Best thing about this book is the message that you just might find something good in the place least expected. I hope you enjoy Not Norman as much as my kiddies!

This book is wonderful. We checked it out from the Library and now I plan on buying for all the children on my birthday list. My 2 1/2 year old son insist that we read it at least twice a day and sometimes more. I even checked it out for his school library and I am sure he is also reading it at school.
This book is wonderful. My son knows when to say Not Norman and some of the other simple text in the book. The pictures are wonderful. This is just an all around wonderful book.

This story could not be cuter, and what a great message! We read it again and again.

Now that I have purchased this one as well as Verismo, I have come to love this one even more. I again have many, many favorites and was very difficult to choose just one favorite! But, through reading more and more, I have found one to call my own!
Again, thank you Dech, for making my mind go deep inside my inner souls of souls, and realize the ways of our worlds. I
Love you my friend and I CANNOT wait to get my hands on Puppets mountain!

Decheonbae is a very good writer and he really knows his stuff. Iwas given this book for a gift now I buy this book to give to others!

Pearls of Justice seems to cover everything in a poetical way-life, dreams, and society. This is not your run of the mill poetry book! This is a book of reason and Justice for self and humanity, I am confident that Decheonbae is only going to higher levels in his next set of writing's but somehow I think he did it now. I can only be amazed of what this man do next because he is breaking all traditional barriers! I must say he is a challenging young indivisual with a extreme view on life and I am glad that I finally recieved my book! I must say like the others, this book is definetly 'something new and promissing"-this man got talent and from what I've been hearing "VERISMO" is a must have! I just want to say keep it up Decheonbae Jones, I can tell you have what it takes thus more.

Hello every one I am new to Decheonbae Jones poetry and must say he is a GOD in my book. You can not deny him and the treasure he posses in the meaning behind his works. I am a very shock on the way that he just jumps out on you and really explains the humanity of truth, I swear he is bonafide and gifted in the arts. My job seems so much easier now with his knowledge,I don't see how he can possibilty do better than VERISMO but if he do I will be there. "Hey DECHEONBAE if you write a novel what is it going to be about, I really want to know more of your mind!"

'Love it was robust..."

This is Poetry of an different style, Evil; but sacred genius of description- Possible but Known Humanity, Robust passions in a way of grains, Plus love of non-fictional-bless too beyond mistakes, My pattern yet they are lost into jeopardy- Perhaps I am of who you thought, So Behold I am in danger but Love was Pre-hemp too past tense then Rehearse of cause general, ... - By Decheonbae Thanks you Jones, ...

THE ONLY POET...-:!!!111,

The new book sooner than you think my love "PuppetsMountain,"

Decheonbae Jones- Welcome'

I read all the Christy Miller books when I was in high school and when I heard Robin Jones Gunn was writing another book I had to get it. It was such a great book. Robin Jones Gunn does a phenomenal job of making the characters become real. I would highly recommend this book and all other Robin Jones Gunn books.

Peculiar Treasures is Robin Jones Gunn best work yet. I have followed Christy through all the series. Katie always seemed like the girl I wanted to know better. Robin develops her character well, from a teenage girl bopping around, making flippant comments, stating profound "God discoveries", to a young woman still trying to work out the kinks in life. She is very easy to identify with.

I love the illustrations of the backpacking trip, the "wall of kisses," and the melted ice cream. And what is fun for us Christy Miller fans is to continue to follow her life after the college years.

An easy read, great for all of us to see a good christian model!

I almost jumped out of my seat when I saw that this was coming out! I was so excited and happy to see we were finally going to see Katie's story. As the previous reviewer said, I was not disapointed at all! Robin Jones Gunn is a fantastic writer and I have loved her Christy books for years. I cannot wait until the second book comes out, in fact, I pre-ordered it today!

This book was exactly what was needed to continue the Christy Miller Series! But there are still ALOt of unanswered questions from her series that needs to be answered! But I Believe this series will answer alot of those questions. Any Christy fans will love this book as i did and Katie will attract new fans with her positive out look on life!

I am now 26 years old and I began reading the Christy Miller when I was 25 and I love these book and I love that the story is continuing with Katie Weldon. I have just finished this book and I can't wait for the next installment. Christy and Katie have been role models in my life and they inspire me. I recommend to anyone now matter how old to read these novels and become inspired.

My mind was set on this book after reading it. It touched me. I loved it! More then marvolus this book was! I would like to give special thanks to the wonderful woman who helped make this book be published, I know she worked very, very hard. She is my personal hero, somone who leads the troops, starts it all. I am proud to say this book was awesome!!

This book was fantastic in my mind. I couldn't put it down. I give it 12 stars. And 4 thumbs up! This book had meaning to me. It taught me a lot and I would really like to thank Paula Casey because I know she worked so hard to make this happen and to get the book published.

The Perfect 36 is a classic, and all too rare, story of individual political courage in Tennessee and how it wrote an inspirational chapter in American history. It describes in a compelling way the fragile nature of support for women's suffrage, but reminds us that men and women with convictions can truly change the course of history, and in this case, transformed the rights of women in the United States. An outstanding book by outstanding authors writing about events that should be taught to every school student.

Marilyn Locke, business owner, Tulsa,Ok. WOW! The Perfect 36 is wonderful. It's one of the most interesting books I have ever read. I couldn't put it down! The insults and hardships that the suffragists endured for the right to vote is inspiring. Anyone who doesn't take the time to vote, especially after reading this book, should be ashamed of themselves. One vote can make the difference!!

This book is packed with period illustrations, cartoons, charts, etc and is the perfect resource for anyone wishing to quickly and easily learn more about the Women's Suffrage Movement in general, or the hard-fought battle to win the deciding vote in Tennessee in particular. Highly recommended!

After finishing the author's first trilogy I quickly purchased the Children of the Sun trilogy. Once again, I was transported back to a time of magic, real men, and women who love with every fiber of their beings. I love finding an author who has such a strong talent of descriptive writing. I am going to hold on to every book that I have of hers because I know that I will be reading them over and over again.

This is the first in the "Prophesy of the Firstborn" trilogy. One thing about Ms Jones is that her characters are believable and they make you care what happens to them. Ariana is a heroine that you root for. This is definitly a book for the bookcase. I would recommend this trilogy to anyone who loves a "different" kind of romance that doesn't leave out plot or dialoge in addition to the romance.

I just finished Prince of Magic last night and am happy to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ms. Jones created incredibly likeable characters in Sian and Ariana. So much so I was sad to see the story come to a close.

If you're looking for a strong fantasy romance with characters you will find intriguing from page one, look no further than this book. It's an asset to any romance lover's book shelf.

All is not well in Columbyana,a creeping darkness is spreading over the land. King Arik is dying of an unknown illness, Prince Ciro, heir to the throne has been missing for months and an evil seed has sprung from the emperial palace itself.

Ariana, daugter of Sophie is healer to the king. She lives at the palace and has been using her modest healing talents to keep the king alive. Arianna knows that unrest will grip the land if the King dies before Prince Ciro is found. It will not be long however, before the threat of civil war is the least of Ariann's troubles.

Sian Chamblyn a stern, brooding, hardshelled wizard has travled to the palace to deliver a prophecy to the king. one that will change Sian and Arianna's lives. The Prophecy of the First Born

A great battle between good and the ultimate evil is looming on the horizon. an army must be led against monsters of unspeakable darkness. if these creatures hold sway all light and hope an good will be destroyed. And who is to lead this army? Expecting to find a seasoned warrior of a least a man, who will answer the call to arms. Sian is disturbed to find that the prophecy written by his grandfather in the last days of his life actually refers to Arianna and two other first born children of the Fayne line. Unimpressed by Arianna's moderate talents, Sian agrees to stay on at the palace and train her for the fight to come. They are drawn to each other almost from the start. But sian holds secrets that could destroy their budding romance. As Arianna's desiny draws near Sian realizes that he can't the woman that he has unwillingly fallen in love with to face her dark and dagerous task alone. will their love be enough to sustain them in the times to come? will the other two people spoken of in the prophecy be able to join the fight? Can Columbyana and perhaps the world from utter dispair? Prince of Magic is the first book in The Children of the Moon trilogy and is followed by Prince of Fire. Which is the story of Keelia, Juliet's first born. And Prince of Swords, The story of Lyr First born to Isadora.

Ariana Varden is the first-born child of the Sun Witch, Sophie Fyne. For the last two years she has gone against the wishes of her parents to be the palace healer of Arik, the ailing emperor of Columbyana. Using the knowledge she learned firsthand from her mother, Ariana utilizes daily everything she knows to continue to keep Arik alive. Her good work will be in vain if Arik's missing son and heir is unable to be found because if Arik succumbs, the kingdom very likely could end up in turmoil without an emperor.

The plot thickens with the arrival of Sian Chamblyn, the grandson of a powerful magician who is hell bent on relaying his grandsire's last prophecy about Columbyana. As he is waiting for his audience, a blonde beauty leaves the imperial suite and Sian can't help becoming angry at being kept waiting while the emperor diddles with his latest ladylove, and he verbalizes that exasperation very loudly, much to the chagrin of the woman. Too late Sian realizes that the woman he just called a concubine is in fact a healer. Things continue to get worse when, after telling Emperor Arik about the last prediction of his grandfather, Arik sends for the sun kissed healer. It seems that Ariana is part of his grandfather's prophecy, whether Sian likes it or not.

Sian must train Ariana for the battle that will ensue. He vows to ignore how alluring and sexy she is but that proves easier said than done. Then, to top it off, Ariana just might be as attracted to Sian as he is to her.

I have to admit that Sian fought a good fight but from the first moment he saw Ariana at the emperor's palace his fate was sealed. Unable to remain impassive, his falling for Ariana was a powerful as her finally becoming the compelling healer she was meant to be. Love was the key and Prince of Magic was emotional, steamy, and for want of a better word, simply magical.

Having been a fan of Linda Winstead Jones since reading her Sisters of the Sun trilogy, I had to read Prince of Magic. In reader heave at the thought of experiencing the Sun Witch's daughter's story, I began to read. Seven hours later I read the last word and the first adjective that came to my mind was "magnificent". Simply magnificent so much so that I had to run out immediately and get the next two installments.

Prince of Magic is the first book of a trilogy called The Children of the Sun. Lovers of paranormal romance won't want to miss this first installment. It was gripping, addictive, and stunning. I loved it.

Talia reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

When I first purchased this book, I was searching for material to shed light on the Win32 security model. After extracting what little information was available on the topic from this text, it made it's way to the book shelf.

Sometime later, I needed information on Code Access Security, and off the shelf it came. I later needed information on Assembly evidence, and down it came again. Next, was a need for .Net cryptographic and secure programing documentation -- it came down from the shelf and hasn't gone back again.

This is one of those books you need to live with for a time before you realize how great it is. I turn to it 2 or 3 times a week, and regularly carry it back and forth from the office. I've discovered embedded in it's pages are program perls, tips, and background information. It has become and invaluable refefence -- one I whole heartedly endorse.

Programming .NET Security does a great job of breaking down the various aspects of security in a well thought-out manner. In particular, they spend 7 chapters explaining how the .NET Framework has been built to provide a secure infrastructure and how applications can take advantage of this environment to become secured. This book provides one of the best examples I have seen to date covering Code Access Security (CAS). The inclusion of topics on both ASP.NET and Enterprise Services security make this book wholesome for any developer.

To follow, there are an additional 6 chapters that are devoted to cryptography, including sections on providing your own symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms. I would highly recommend this book to any developer working in the .NET Framework, regardless of skill; you will take something away from this book.

One of the best book that I will strogly recommend for any one who wants to understand .NET security subject. I was grappling with CAS for some time and how hard I would try, still I could not explain code group, permission and evidence and how they are interlinked. Not only authors have done a tremendous job at explaining CAS but cryptography is yet another section they have done great justice to. The diagrams in this chapter very clearly explains the key concepts of cryptography. A great book that will not disappoint you.

While there is a lot of talk about .NET security, relatively little can be found in terms of documentation, which is one reason why this book is so refreshing. In addition to discussing some of the reasons behind certain security schemes, the theory is explained as well as the C# implementation. While there are some .NET specific security issues discussed (e.g. configuring worker processes), the section on cryptography should be required reading for everyone in the computer industry.

I get really excited about a book when it contains a lot of good information and I am able to actually use it to solve real-world problems. After reading this book, I was able to help solve a really tricky (and politically challenging) security issue quite quickly. If you have anything to do with your company's security systems or write any .NET code, I think this book deserves a place in your reference section. This is certainly the best book on .NET security I have read thus far.

Some books are not going to be easy or approachable, one must already be familiar with either the C# and or Visual Basic language (the easy part) and the .NET programming enviornment to attempt this book. The authors are quick to jump from a discussion of the issues to meta code and sample code, but that is a feature, not a bug to the book's intended audience of very sharp, (as opposed to very basic), well educated coders. I would like to have seen more of an effort to discuss testing, validation and assessment, but at just under 700 pages this is a focused work and a serious coverage of the hooks that make it possible to secure .NET. (Of course that is assuming the underlying function calls are not riddled with buffer overflows and the like. Blaster on a .NET scale is a pretty scary prospect.)

The bottom line, we are awash in bad code and the vulnerabilities that result are the fundamental reason there are so many exploits. When you consider that in the scale of a federated system it is not a pretty thought. Someday there will be building codes for software, but in the meantime, if you are a responsible citizen of this planet and you are involved in .Net development, buy your coders this book. Invest the time to be able to quiz them and do so. Make sure they understand the issues, especially with Chapters 18 and 19, ASP.NET and COM+.

I don't have the words to express all that I'd like to about this work, but can hopefully convey what a superb job Reiterman did in his research and writing. It goes in depth on who Jim Jones was and how he was able to target, manipulate and swindle so many people. I was caught up in the story immediately and it just kept getting better, even though I knew the outcome. How sad that he was able to isolate and imprison his followers out of the reach of the law and rational people who might have eventually saved those poor souls who wanted to leave his "church". This tragic story is extremely well told. I highly, highly recommend this book.

This is a brilliant book that was only seemingly issued once in hardcover in 1982. I hope that next year - being the 30th anniversary of the Jonestown massacre - it will be reissued. More people need to read this book. I agree with all of the other reviewers - once you pick it up, it's exceedingly difficult to put down. It's a well balanced portrait and as of now, there is no other as complete, factual work on the subject. Some one must reissue this work.

I enjoyed this book better than 'Seductive Poison' by Blakey. Reiterman was not involved with Jones in an intimate way and so this book gives a more objective view. I'd done quite a bit of researching online about PT, Jones and Jonestown only to find that quite a bit of info. I gathered seems to have come straight out of this book almost word for word in some instances.
Where do you begin when talking about Rev. Jim Jones. He represents to me someone who truly comes along like 1 in about 5 million or once every hundred years or so. You do find manipulative or even fraud "prophets" but most do not come with the complete package Jones had. Not only was he very handsome, extremely intelligent and articulate but he had an extraordinary way about him to manipulate even the most seasoned hustlers, con his way into the pockets and bedrooms of followers, all along portraying himself to be a lover of Black people when certain situations show that this wasn't always the case. He preached Socialism and racial equality but never really allowed any of his Black followers to move up in the church heirachy other than security jobs or field hand work.
Jones was also a very sexual person. He blatantly talked about his wide and varied promiscuity with both men and women alike but rarely if ever intimate with the Blacks.
I've listened to some of Jones' audio as he loved to tape record most of his sermons. I can tell Reiterman must have listened too because you can read some of what you had listened to in the audio. Jones was almost an anything goes type of speaker. What made him so different was he'd do sermons and talk about anything in front of even children: anything from suicide to traitors to sex and genital smells to someone plotting yet another move against him real or imagined.
What intrigued me most about Jones was that he was the most promiscuos person I've heard of in a long time. He pratically slept with his entire white staff, men and women of about 30 to 35 people! This doesn't include strangers and the cop he was arrested for soliciting gay sex in a public rest area. Whew!
At any rate, the suicides or homicides, well...I'm not totally convinced it was a mind control experiment by the CIA though anything is possible. What I believed happened was that Jones escaped with his people to Guyana to live out their Socialist Utopia and to get away from problems he may have had in the States. One major problem was an illegitimate child a married woman bore with him (Jones also claim to have slept with her husband as well). Evidently, she was in Jonestown and escaped leaving the son behind. She had a change of heart and wanted him back but Jones was having none of it. Though paternity was never fully established, Jones believed it to be his and threaten the woman's life if she ever came to Jonestown to retrieve her son. Her husband was ex-Peoples Temple attorney, he sided with the wife and a vicious battle of the two with Jones turned into a true hate-fest with Jones constantly making references to it in Jonestown. Then there was the Concerned Relatives, or people who were related to Templers and wanted their release from Jones. They eventually invaded Jonestown with Congressman Ryan and Jones perceived this as a threat and harrassment. Templers had already been forewarned by Jones of the imminent death of relatives who entered Jonestown for such an excursion. So as the story goes, he got his goons to gun down 5 people and wound several others as defectors were boarding a plane to permanently leave Jonestown. Interesting note, the front photo of this book was taken by a photographer who was killed in Jonestown by Jones' rifle squad. Knowing that he was done in for and would be held responsible, if indirectly, for the deaths of the Congressman, defector and NBC crew and also have to give up custody for the little boy he claimed his own, his solution; death.
He had prepared his people for many months for death as what they would call "White Nights". Being the intuitive person he appeared, maybe he foresaw that fateful day or carried a death wish all along (he suffered severe psychic exhaustion, drug addiction and hopeless despair and depression).
We all know what happened next. Sad and tragic story. So if you are interested in knowing about this piece of tragic history, this is a good book to start with.

Jim Jones had worked for the CIA since his early days.
Jim Jones and Jonestown were the brainchild of the CIA
in its attempt to conduct massive mind control experiments.
The 900+ people who died did not commit mass suicide but were
mass murdered.
Jim Jones followers were beaten, tortured, raped, starved and enslaved before they were eventually killed after people in the U.S became suspicious of Jones activities in Jonestown.
Who speaks for Jim Jones victims???

I read this hoping to understand how he inspired such misguided loyalty in his followers. It shed a great deal of light on this. It is a sad tale. Well told and hard to put down

This course (3 volumes if you are learning on your own: Reading Latin, Vocabulary and Exercises, Self Study Guide) is excellent. It is prepared somewhat like a programmed course, giving little bits of information at each step with detailed explanations and full translations of the reading texts(in the self-study guide) and then having you test your mastery with exercises. Very effective. I have used a similar method to learn basic musical harmony and I can say that this step-wise approach which takes nothing for granted, explaining every piece of new information and then immediately testing it, is very effective. You can sense from the way the explanations are written that the authors really care about you learning Latin. I have used the Oxford Latin Course volume 1 and can say that that course is not for adult learners without a teacher. This is the one to get if you are an adult student learning on your own. Great course, highly recommended.

This book and its companion volumes, already mentioned by previous reviewers, make up a large part of the material for the two Open University Latin courses in the UK. I am doing the first of these this year. It does start right at the very beginning for people with no previous experience of Latin but the learning curve is fast and you need to be prepared to work hard.

It is a very detailed volume and the OU miss quite a lot of exercises out, which shows you that there is enough material here to keep you occupied for years and years, if you are just learning Latin for fun. I suspect most people buying this volume will be doing more than that though!

Latin takes a lot of disipline to learn as I am finding out, and this volume and its companions will give you everything you need to know and more to reach a pretty high standard. The OU offer a diploma in classical studies of which the two Latin courses, based around this book, can constitute 50%.

I am one of those mature students who did not make out at school and found to my regret that I had hit my forties without achieving any academic qualifications. I studied Philosophy at Bachelors' and Masters' levels when I discovered I wanted to ultimately study mediaeval philosophy at Doctorate level. However, I had zilch Latin and Greek, for I was like the majority of my generation (the ones who had not paid to go to school) and had been denied these subjects at grade school. At the level I was now studying, I needed to read the original texts in Latin and this way was barred to me at that time. I ceased my academic philosophy studies and tried to acquire the necesssary Latin skills in order to read these texts. I tried various grammars and struggled until I came across this book and another set with which I worked a deux: 'the Cambridge Latin Course'. I will talk about the Cambridge course elsewhere. 'Reading Latin' consists of various texts from Latin authors like Cicero and Plautus with appropriate exercises and grammar explanations that take the reader through the essentials of Latin. It was tough going at first for Jones and Sidwell do not go in for the faint hearted. You could say that 'Latin is not for Wimps!'. However, after two years working with the exercises and conscientiously keeping plodding on, even when I felt 'grammar fatigue' coming on, I passed my 'A' level Latin with a grade A distinction! I am now reviewing some of the more grey areas and dipping into Sidwell's follow-up book 'Medieval Latin' (sic) which takes the keen reader and me, the hopeful mediaevalist, into the areas where Latin became the repository of Western Thought and the language of the scholar. I am presently working my way through the opening chapters of the sister volume of JACT, 'Reading Greek', that takes the same approach, albeit in three segments and not two. Due to 'Reading Latin', I am now commencing my DPhil studies in the Fall, confident I can handle the material. I would have been unable to do this without the basics covered in this book. As I have already emphasised, Latin is not an easy subject and is not for the faint hearted, although its rigours are ultimately extremely rewarding. I believe the educationalists, those hidden strategists of class education, were ultimately wrong to deny Latin to working class people like me, who they supposed would occupy some menial niche under someone who had. However, with this book and accompanying text and some steely perseverance, the dogged formerly classics-denied individual will finally get where they wish to arrive: easily reading and appreciating these immortal writings of great beauty and structure that underpin the very culture that we belong to; these works that were supposed to be so great that they were to be kept from the many, as a preserve for the elect. I believe Cicero, Ovid and Horace would agree with me!

This is the companion volume to Reading Latin, by the same authors (q.v.). This volume contains the vocabularies for the reading exercises in Reading Latin, as well as the grammar for each section and copious exercises. The combination is a thorough and effective way to learn Latin while introducing you to some of the best of Latin literature. The vocabularies are cleverly constructed so that you build up a good core vocabulary, without producing ridiculously simple reading sections by trying to keep the vocabulary too restricted. A hint: the authors suggest you don't do all the exercises, but choose a few. You'll do much better if you do most, if not all, of them. Secondly, the course is not called Reading Latin for nothing. There are exercises in translating from English to Latin, but if you want to write Latin, you would be better off with a Latin Prose Composition course. Latin is not an easy language and all language learning takes time. The whole Reading Latin Course will take 18 months to 2 years to work through at a comfortable pace.

I am one of those mature students who did not make out at school and found to my regret that I had hit my forties without achieving any academic qualifications. I studied Philosophy at Bachelors' and Masters' levels when I discovered I wanted to ultimately study mediaeval philosophy at Doctorate level. However, I had zilch Latin and Greek, for I was like the majority of my generation (the ones who had not paid to go to school) and had been denied these subjects at grade school. At the level I was now studying, I needed to read the original texts in Latin and this way was barred to me at that time. I ceased my academic philosophy studies and tried to acquire the necesssary Latin skills in order to read these texts. I tried various grammars and struggled until I came across this book and another set with which I worked a deux: 'the Cambridge Latin Course'. I will talk about the Cambridge course elsewhere. 'Reading Latin' consists of various texts from Latin authors like Cicero and Plautus with appropriate exercises and grammar explanations that take the reader through the essentials of Latin. It was tough going at first for Jones and Sidwell do not go in for the faint hearted. You could say that 'Latin is not for Wimps!'. However, after two years working with the exercises and conscientiously keeping plodding on, even when I felt 'grammar fatigue' coming on, I passed my 'A' level Latin with a grade A distinction! I am now reviewing some of the more grey areas and dipping into Sidwell's follow-up book 'Medieval Latin' (sic) which takes the keen reader and me, the hopeful mediaevalist, into the areas where Latin became the repository of Western Thought and the language of the scholar. I am presently working my way through the opening chapters of the sister volume of JACT, 'Reading Greek', that takes the same approach, albeit in three segments and not two. Due to 'Reading Latin', I am now commencing my DPhil studies in the Fall, confident I can handle the material. I would have been unable to do this without the basics covered in this book. As I have already emphasised, Latin is not an easy subject and is not for the faint hearted, although its rigours are ultimately extremely rewarding. I believe the educationalists, those hidden strategists of class education, were ultimately wrong to deny Latin to working class people like me, who they supposed would occupy some menial niche under someone who had. However, with this book and accompanying text and some steely perseverance, the dogged formerly classics-denied individual will finally get where they wish to arrive: easily reading and appreciating these immortal writings of great beauty and structure that underpin the very culture that we belong to; these works that were supposed to be so great that they were to be kept from the many, as a preserve for the elect. I believe Cicero, Ovid and Horace would agree with me!