A timeless practical guide to winning over an audience by telling jokes pieced together using modern translations of work by classical orators Cicero and Quintilian.

Can the art of joke-telling be taught, or is wit an innate gift bestowed on a few?

According to ancient Roman Consul Cicero, renowned for his quick humor and witty lines, we can all learn techniques that will tickle an audience — and win them over.

Roman educator and rhetorician Quintilian believed in the power of humor, though he was aware of the risks entailed when the line between 'funny' and 'too far' was crossed.

Professor of classics Michael Fontaine from Cornell University in New York has compiled a practical guide to mastering the use of humor in oratory using Latin to English translations of works by legendary jokers Cicero and Quintilian.

From what people laugh at, to the quips that people actually find amusing, this book of ancient wisdom is as relevant today as it ever was.