Ancient Rome in So Many Words
"Francese excels at elucidating the social and cultural implications of language, and is particularly good at showing how the use and development of the Romans' language reflect the history of their culture. ...I recommend this book not only for its primary intended audience of general readers, but also for classroom use. The intended reader will receive a good introduction to an interesting assortment of Latin words and to roughly a millennium's worth of Roman cultural and social history." --Betty Rose Nagle, Indiana University, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, July 30 2008...a page-turner, a wonderful and witty work of scholarship hard to put down for anyone who loves the quixotic stories that words can often tell... --Digressus, Vol 7, 2007This is a delightful book, well worth any teacher's attention. The idea is very simple. [Francese] has taken 93 Latin words of some historical or cultural significance, illustrated their usage with four or five quotations, discussed the range of meanings they possess, and told the stories behind them... All great fun an very informative. A perfect book for schools and libraries. --Journal of Classics Teaching, Number 13, Spring 2008