As a Latin schoolmaster, Simon James frequently comes across challenges of "boring" (in other words difficult), "irrelevant," and "dead" ... and it isn't always just the pupils. Latin is one of those tricky subjects that comes under assault from all kinds of non cognoscenti who claim its anachronistic tendencies an easy target.

Latin Matters is the first of a series of books from Portico that set out to show why seemingly difficult subjects can actually be interesting, relevant and well worth studying. From the spells of Harry Potter to the use of Latin in Asterix, from the Latin terms that litter law and medicine to the meaning behind your football club's motto, Simon James has pulled together a fascinating treasure trove of language quirks to show how this ancient language remains both important and contemporary.