Reading Latin, first published in 1986, is a bestselling Latin course designed to help mature beginners read classical Latin fluently and intelligently.

It does this by combining the understanding of continuous texts with rigorous teaching of grammar; it provides exercises designed to develop the skills of accurate translation; and it integrates the learning of classical Latin with an appreciation of the influence of the Latin language upon English and European culture from antiquity to the present.

The Independent Study Guide is intended to help students who are learning Latin on their own or with only limited access to a teacher. It contains notes on the texts that appear in the Text and Vocabulary volume, translations of all the texts, and answers to the exercises in the Grammar and Exercises volume. The book will also be useful to students in schools, universities and summer schools who have to learn Latin rapidly.