Description

Book Synopsis


Trade Review
"Elegant. . . . Fontaine calls Cicero’s ‘On the Ideal Orator’ a ‘masterpiece’ and Quintilian’s ‘The Education of the Orator’ ‘a master textbook on public speaking.’ Neither is an understatement."---Joseph Epstein, Wall Street Journal
"Michael Fontaine’s lively new translation of Cicero’s ancient text on humor, How to Tell a Joke, amuses as well as instructs."---Linda B. Glaser, Cornell Chronicle
"[How to Tell a Joke] will make you happier, it will make you better read, and, I’m pretty confident, it will make you laugh."---Ben Potter, Classical Wisdom
"Wonderful translations. . . . [Fontaine’s] translations make the Latin very accessible to the modern reader who might not have any skill in translation at all. This modern translation also makes the language of Cicero and Quintilian come alive to the reader. . . .it gives you a glimpse of the Roman sense of humour, barbs, quips and the workings of extraordinary jurists in a court playing to a captive audience. . . . [A] wonderful book."---Dr. LF Ivings, Journal of Classics Teaching

How to Tell a Joke

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    A Hardback by Marcus Tullius Cicero, Michael Fontaine

    £14.24

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    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Fri 16 Oct 2026.

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      Book details

      Publisher Princeton University Press
      Published 30 March 2021
      ISBN-13 9780691206165
      978-0691206165
      ISBN-10 0691206163
      Also in:
      Non Fiction Humour Politics, Philosophy & Society Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy Popular philosophy

      Description

      Book Synopsis


      Trade Review
      "Elegant. . . . Fontaine calls Cicero’s ‘On the Ideal Orator’ a ‘masterpiece’ and Quintilian’s ‘The Education of the Orator’ ‘a master textbook on public speaking.’ Neither is an understatement."---Joseph Epstein, Wall Street Journal
      "Michael Fontaine’s lively new translation of Cicero’s ancient text on humor, How to Tell a Joke, amuses as well as instructs."---Linda B. Glaser, Cornell Chronicle
      "[How to Tell a Joke] will make you happier, it will make you better read, and, I’m pretty confident, it will make you laugh."---Ben Potter, Classical Wisdom
      "Wonderful translations. . . . [Fontaine’s] translations make the Latin very accessible to the modern reader who might not have any skill in translation at all. This modern translation also makes the language of Cicero and Quintilian come alive to the reader. . . .it gives you a glimpse of the Roman sense of humour, barbs, quips and the workings of extraordinary jurists in a court playing to a captive audience. . . . [A] wonderful book."---Dr. LF Ivings, Journal of Classics Teaching

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