Robert J. Henle (1909–2000)

I've been successfully using this text to teach Latin to 6th and 7th grades for several years. It's also the book I used to review my rusty High School Latin before teaching it. It takes the old-school, grammar-translation approach, heavy on drill and repetition, with a limited vocabulary that prepares the student to work through Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars in the Second Year book. There is Christian (specifically Catholic) content throughout, and its small typeface and reference to WWII as recent history make it a little hard to appreciate for some modern students. You will also need to purchase a teacher's answer key and the Henle Latin Grammar as a reference. Finishing the whole book in one year may not be realistic: it's probably better to take two full years to get to some of the more complex grammar in the latter half of the book. Henle does not emphasize Roman history (other than Caesar's conquests and the persecution of Christians), culture, or mythology. I supplement in these areas so that my students will perform well on the National Latin Exam.… (altro)

Excellent old-fashioned college, 'prep' or 'sixth form' Latin textbook, but bearing a strong Traditionalist Roman Catholic, or 'Tridentine', religious bias. This book provides excellent background for, and an in-depth introduction to, Cicero "In Catilinam" and "In C. Verrem". The discussion points emphasize relevance to modern civics and politics: e.g., "Citizenship and Patriotism in Cicero's speeches ...Cicero's Hankering after the Good Old Days and the Good Old Roman Virtues ...Roman Blood Baths and Communist Purges, Roman Racketeering and Modern Gangsters ...Graft, Bribery, and the Like ...The Looting of Sicily and the Spoils of Present-day Political Machines...."… (altro)