"Das Buch ist von Anfang bis Ende klar und sinnvoll strukturiert. Es kann problemlos zum Selbststudium verwendet werden und leistet auch bei der Auffrischung einmal erworbener Kenntnisse gute Dienste. (...) Uieses Buch hat das Format, zu einem Klassiker zu werden, der sowohl für den Unterricht wie für das Selbststudium verwendet werden kann."

Harald Bichlmeier

In: Das Altertum, Band 59 (2014), S.225-226.

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"Malte Liesner's Workbook of "Latin Historical Phonology" (henceforth the "Workbook") is a practical guide for German-reading students to study the development of Latin phonology from Proto-Indo-European (PIE), through Archaic Latin, down to the Classical period. It could be put to good use as a manual for self-guided study, but is probably best suited for use as a textbook in university-level courses. This is not surprising, since Liesner developed the "Workbook" while teaching a Historical Linguistics course at the University of Bamberg. It is extremely accessible and user-friendly, and does not assume that students are fluent in Latin, or that they have loads of time to spend studying Latin diachronic phonology. Rather, it is designed for any student interested in Linguistics who wants to a take a semester-long course in Latin historical phonology in the midst of a busy schedule. Overall, the "Workbook" is an excellent, basic resource for the teaching and study of Latin historical phonology for German-reading students. Teachers of non-German-reading Linguistics students may also find it useful to translate some of its exercises and problem-sets for their classes.
The "Workbook" progresses methodically through all of the most important phonological changes in Latin in a step-by-step manner, with exercises accompanying each set of related changes. There is an answer key to every exercise in the back of the book, as well as a comprehensive set of tables succinctly listing each phonological development. These developments are all given a number according to their order of presentation, so that as students encounters them multiple times throughout numerous problem-sets they have a quick reference point. For example, the first sound law presented in the lessons is the rule usually cited by its Latin formulation: vocalis ante vocalem corriptur 'a vowel before another vowel is shortened'. This sound law is thus given the numerical tag 1.1 and Liesner's prime example, used first in the introduction of the sound law, and again in the table under 1.1 is fuit > fuit 'was'. Every time a form is encountered in any following exercise where a vowel is shortened by this rule a 1.1 will appear in parentheses in front of the form the student must produce. (...)
The amount of work and care that must have gone into composing the Workbook is admirable. As is probably to be expected, minor quibbles might be raised here and there as to the precision of a reconstruction or presentation of a phonological scenario. (...) This is not the place, however, to dwell on such points. Instead, I would close by commending Liesner for his diligence and attention to detail in creating such a valuable resource for the study and teaching of the history of Latin phonology."

Todd Clary

In: Bryn Mawr Classical Review. 2012.11.21
[...] (30. November 2011)