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All Creatures Great and Small #1-4
All Creatures Great and Small / All Things Bright and Beautiful
The first two memoirs in the New York Times-bestselling series from an English veterinarian--and the basis for the Masterpiece series on PBS.
All Creatures Great and Small: In the rolling dales of Yorkshire--a simple, rural region of Northern England--a young veterinarian from Sunderland joins a new practice. A stranger in an unfamiliar land, James Herriot must quickly learn the odd dialect and humorous ways of the locals, master outdated equipment, and do his best to mend, treat, and heal pets and livestock alike.
All Things Bright and Beautiful: After his first day on the job, Herriot's mentor warns him that the life of a country veterinarian is full of small triumphs and big disasters, but that he'd never be bored. From night visits to drafty barns during freezing Northern England winters to the beautiful vitality of rural life in the summertime to the colorful menagerie of animals--and their owners--that pass through his office, Herriot experiences new challenges and joys every day. In these pages, Herriot trains under his eccentric boss in a rustic English village, courts the woman that becomes his wife, and meets the people he would come to write about for a lifetime.
This witty and heartwarming collection, based on the author's own experiences, became an international success, winning over animal lovers everywhere. Perhaps better than any other writer, Herriot reveals the ties that bind us to the creatures in our lives.
Praise for All Creatures Great and Small:
"One of the funniest and most likeable books around." --The Atlantic
"Refreshingly original . . . Hilarious, touching, athletic and warming . . . Dr. Herriot's characters . . . rival any from British fiction." �Los Angeles Times
All Creatures Great and Small: In the rolling dales of Yorkshire--a simple, rural region of Northern England--a young veterinarian from Sunderland joins a new practice. A stranger in an unfamiliar land, James Herriot must quickly learn the odd dialect and humorous ways of the locals, master outdated equipment, and do his best to mend, treat, and heal pets and livestock alike.
All Things Bright and Beautiful: After his first day on the job, Herriot's mentor warns him that the life of a country veterinarian is full of small triumphs and big disasters, but that he'd never be bored. From night visits to drafty barns during freezing Northern England winters to the beautiful vitality of rural life in the summertime to the colorful menagerie of animals--and their owners--that pass through his office, Herriot experiences new challenges and joys every day. In these pages, Herriot trains under his eccentric boss in a rustic English village, courts the woman that becomes his wife, and meets the people he would come to write about for a lifetime.
This witty and heartwarming collection, based on the author's own experiences, became an international success, winning over animal lovers everywhere. Perhaps better than any other writer, Herriot reveals the ties that bind us to the creatures in our lives.
Praise for All Creatures Great and Small:
"One of the funniest and most likeable books around." --The Atlantic
"Refreshingly original . . . Hilarious, touching, athletic and warming . . . Dr. Herriot's characters . . . rival any from British fiction." �Los Angeles Times
820 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1972
776 people are currently reading
10k people want to read
About the author
James Herriot
253books3,221followersJames Herriot is the pen name of James Alfred Wight, OBE, FRCVS also known as Alf Wight, an English veterinary surgeon and writer. Wight is best known for his semi-autobiographical stories, often referred to collectively as All Creatures Great and Small, a title used in some editions and in film and television adaptations.
In 1939, at the age of 23, he qualified as a veterinary surgeon with Glasgow Veterinary College. In January 1940, he took a brief job at a veterinary practice in Sunderland, but moved in July to work in a rural practice based in the town of Thirsk, Yorkshire, close to the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, where he was to remain for the rest of his life. The original practice is now a museum, "The World of James Herriot".
Wight intended for years to write a book, but with most of his time consumed by veterinary practice and family, his writing ambition went nowhere. Challenged by his wife, in 1966 (at the age of 50), he began writing. In 1969 Wight wrote If Only They Could Talk, the first of the now-famous series based on his life working as a vet and his training in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Owing in part to professional etiquette which at that time frowned on veterinary surgeons and other professionals from advertising their services, he took a pen name, choosing "James Herriot". If Only They Could Talk was published in the United Kingdom in 1970 by Michael Joseph Ltd, but sales were slow until Thomas McCormack, of St. Martin's Press in New York City, received a copy and arranged to have the first two books published as a single volume in the United States. The resulting book, titled All Creatures Great and Small, was an overnight success, spawning numerous sequels, movies, and a successful television adaptation.
In his books, Wight calls the town where he lives and works Darrowby, which he based largely on the towns of Thirsk and Sowerby. He also renamed Donald Sinclair and his brother Brian Sinclair as Siegfried and Tristan Farnon, respectively. Wight's books are only partially autobiographical. Many of the stories are only loosely based on real events or people, and thus can be considered primarily fiction.
The Herriot books are often described as "animal stories" (Wight himself was known to refer to them as his "little cat-and-dog stories"), and given that they are about the life of a country veterinarian, animals certainly play a significant role in most of the stories. Yet animals play a lesser, sometimes even a negligible role in many of Wight's tales: the overall theme of his stories is Yorkshire country life, with its people and their animals primary elements that provide its distinct character. Further, it is Wight's shrewd observations of persons, animals, and their close inter-relationship, which give his writing much of its savour. Wight was just as interested in their owners as he was in his patients, and his writing is, at root, an amiable but keen comment on the human condition. The Yorkshire animals provide the element of pain and drama; the role of their owners is to feel and express joy, sadness, sometimes triumph. The animal characters also prevent Wight's stories from becoming twee or melodramatic � animals, unlike some humans, do not pretend to be ailing, nor have they imaginary complaints and needless fears. Their ill-health is real, not the result of flaws in their character which they avoid mending. In an age of social uncertainties, when there seem to be no remedies for anything, Wight's stories of resolute grappling with mysterious bacterial foes or severe injuries have an almost heroic quality, giving the reader a sense of assurance, even hope. Best of all, James Herriot has an abundant humour about himself and his difficulties. He never feels superior to any living thing, and is ever eager to learn � about animal doctoring, and about his fellow human creature.
In 1939, at the age of 23, he qualified as a veterinary surgeon with Glasgow Veterinary College. In January 1940, he took a brief job at a veterinary practice in Sunderland, but moved in July to work in a rural practice based in the town of Thirsk, Yorkshire, close to the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, where he was to remain for the rest of his life. The original practice is now a museum, "The World of James Herriot".
Wight intended for years to write a book, but with most of his time consumed by veterinary practice and family, his writing ambition went nowhere. Challenged by his wife, in 1966 (at the age of 50), he began writing. In 1969 Wight wrote If Only They Could Talk, the first of the now-famous series based on his life working as a vet and his training in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Owing in part to professional etiquette which at that time frowned on veterinary surgeons and other professionals from advertising their services, he took a pen name, choosing "James Herriot". If Only They Could Talk was published in the United Kingdom in 1970 by Michael Joseph Ltd, but sales were slow until Thomas McCormack, of St. Martin's Press in New York City, received a copy and arranged to have the first two books published as a single volume in the United States. The resulting book, titled All Creatures Great and Small, was an overnight success, spawning numerous sequels, movies, and a successful television adaptation.
In his books, Wight calls the town where he lives and works Darrowby, which he based largely on the towns of Thirsk and Sowerby. He also renamed Donald Sinclair and his brother Brian Sinclair as Siegfried and Tristan Farnon, respectively. Wight's books are only partially autobiographical. Many of the stories are only loosely based on real events or people, and thus can be considered primarily fiction.
The Herriot books are often described as "animal stories" (Wight himself was known to refer to them as his "little cat-and-dog stories"), and given that they are about the life of a country veterinarian, animals certainly play a significant role in most of the stories. Yet animals play a lesser, sometimes even a negligible role in many of Wight's tales: the overall theme of his stories is Yorkshire country life, with its people and their animals primary elements that provide its distinct character. Further, it is Wight's shrewd observations of persons, animals, and their close inter-relationship, which give his writing much of its savour. Wight was just as interested in their owners as he was in his patients, and his writing is, at root, an amiable but keen comment on the human condition. The Yorkshire animals provide the element of pain and drama; the role of their owners is to feel and express joy, sadness, sometimes triumph. The animal characters also prevent Wight's stories from becoming twee or melodramatic � animals, unlike some humans, do not pretend to be ailing, nor have they imaginary complaints and needless fears. Their ill-health is real, not the result of flaws in their character which they avoid mending. In an age of social uncertainties, when there seem to be no remedies for anything, Wight's stories of resolute grappling with mysterious bacterial foes or severe injuries have an almost heroic quality, giving the reader a sense of assurance, even hope. Best of all, James Herriot has an abundant humour about himself and his difficulties. He never feels superior to any living thing, and is ever eager to learn � about animal doctoring, and about his fellow human creature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 324 reviews
January 19, 2019
This is a beatuiful edition of two books. I recently bought it because my original books have fallen to pieces from multiple readings over the years. I am cutting and pasting my original review.
This is an old favorite that I've read countless times. What do I like about it? Let me count the ways.
First of all, I like the way Herriot (or Alf Wight, if you like) turns a phrase. His use of absurd imagery to create a comical effect is superb. I found myself re-reading certain paragraphs just because I enjoyed how he expressed certain concepts.
Secondly, I like being taken to another time and place. Reading books is the closest thing we have to time travel. Reading about Yorkshire farmers surviving through the depression with the old dialect that the author uses to good effect provides me with a vicarious experience of life on the Dales and with a group of people I will never meet in real life.
Thirdly, I enjoy the way he intertwines his personal life, the two vets he lives with and their personalities and interactions and also meeting his wife with his veterinary practice. Each chapter involving treating an animal is like a little mystery as he has us follow his exertions to try to uncover what is wrong with an animal and how to treat it. He plainly reveals life before the age of penicillin and antibiotics and how vets struggled with what little resources they had. He also shows with compassion and admiration the grim poverty and grimmer determination of the farmers to make their farms thrive.
Finally, his writing is something I aspire to. I have no hope of ever writing like George Orwell or Evelyn Waugh, but if someone said my writing reminded them of James Herriot's I would feel as if I had arrived.
This is an old favorite that I've read countless times. What do I like about it? Let me count the ways.
First of all, I like the way Herriot (or Alf Wight, if you like) turns a phrase. His use of absurd imagery to create a comical effect is superb. I found myself re-reading certain paragraphs just because I enjoyed how he expressed certain concepts.
Secondly, I like being taken to another time and place. Reading books is the closest thing we have to time travel. Reading about Yorkshire farmers surviving through the depression with the old dialect that the author uses to good effect provides me with a vicarious experience of life on the Dales and with a group of people I will never meet in real life.
Thirdly, I enjoy the way he intertwines his personal life, the two vets he lives with and their personalities and interactions and also meeting his wife with his veterinary practice. Each chapter involving treating an animal is like a little mystery as he has us follow his exertions to try to uncover what is wrong with an animal and how to treat it. He plainly reveals life before the age of penicillin and antibiotics and how vets struggled with what little resources they had. He also shows with compassion and admiration the grim poverty and grimmer determination of the farmers to make their farms thrive.
Finally, his writing is something I aspire to. I have no hope of ever writing like George Orwell or Evelyn Waugh, but if someone said my writing reminded them of James Herriot's I would feel as if I had arrived.
December 17, 2021
I listened to the audio version with the actor who plays James Herriot on the new PBS series. That made it even more fun. I loved learning about his adventures and more about country life in the Yorkshire Dales!
February 11, 2023
If you love animals and country ways there is nothing more enchanting than these stories from the rural England of another era.
March 16, 2012
I recently paid a nostalgic return journey to fictional Darrowby in Yorkshire, England, to read the warm, affectionate, earthy, hilarious memoirs of Dr. James Herriot, veterinary surgeon (circa mid 1930s -- 1970s). I couldn't put them down, nor could I read anything else until I'd consumed the entire series. Love his courtship with Helen, his partnership with Sigfried and Tristan, his convivial embrace of his warped fellowman, and his service to hairy critters everywhere. (Must add I'm also fond of his relish for full-figured ladies.) I realize memoirs of this type run the risk of being sentimentalized and idealized, but so what? His style is convincingly modest, whether he's celebrating his bovine cures or confessing his inept catastrophes. I would say of others who might be secretly evil that perhaps at home they kick the cat, but I can't say that here. Dr. James Herriot (nee Dr. Alf Wight) is someone I would have liked to know, and thanks to his copious output, I feel that I do. Strongly recommended.
June 28, 2022
Excellent book. I really enjoyed it!
March 10, 2011
The first scene caught my attention right off. He's saying, they never tell you about this in school, then he describes the scene he's in: its a dark, winter night, he's got his arm inside of a cow up to the elbow trying to maneuver the calf inside her. He's stripped to the waist, lying on the ground as the cow is and the only light is the lamp that the farmer is holding. That got my attention. This entire book is of one who lucks out and lands a great job and then discovers that he loves his job and the environment he has landed in. The overarching lesson is that you're lucky when you find happiness, because most people don't. Its full of little anecdotes about his adventures in the field of veterinary medicine and his interactions with the farmers and townsfolk of a fictional town called Darrowby. This is definitely a leisurely read. I enjoyed it immensely.
April 29, 2010
My ABSOLUTE fave!!
May 3, 2023
If I could give Herriot's work 6 stars, then I would. And how anyone gives it less than 5, I'll never understand. This has taken its place as one of my all-time favorite novels (though it's two in one, I'm counting this volume as one work). I felt throughly at home in Herriot's honest, humorous, and heartfelt writing. I was inspired by his journey, beginning as a young man in a new career, to an older and experienced expert in his field. The characters are impossible to hate; Herriot brings each to life with hilarious imitation of their dielect, and the vivid description of his (and others) foibles in their every day lives in rural England. He draws us in and brings us along on those country lanes throughout the fictional town of Darrowby, imparting tidbits of hard-earned wisdom along the way.
I highly recommend reading this volume, but I recommend even more heartily the imitation of Herriot himself as a student, friend, writer, and lover of all God's creation, great and small.
I highly recommend reading this volume, but I recommend even more heartily the imitation of Herriot himself as a student, friend, writer, and lover of all God's creation, great and small.
December 28, 2023
Haiku
...
Stare into their eyes
Listen to their whimpers, coos
Creatures of the dales
.
.
Capturing a time
Country folk with country rules
Cows, horses, pigs, dogs
.
.
Friends or enslaved souls
Their labor keeps us alive
Love crosses over
.
.
Pass the time in here
Perspectives of vet doctors
But don't stay too long
...
Stare into their eyes
Listen to their whimpers, coos
Creatures of the dales
.
.
Capturing a time
Country folk with country rules
Cows, horses, pigs, dogs
.
.
Friends or enslaved souls
Their labor keeps us alive
Love crosses over
.
.
Pass the time in here
Perspectives of vet doctors
But don't stay too long
March 19, 2011
I read the series as a teen, watched the PBS series whenever it ran and mourned when Herriot died. I even named one of my sons Tristan in part because I loved that character so much.
Herriot's an insightful observer of human nature and the perfect foil for the eccentrics in his rural community. His career coincided with all manner of scientific advances that competed with folk remedies and superstition in the minds of the people.
I've spent a small fortune on my dogs and cats so it's interesting to learn from Herriot that at the time he went to vet school pets were not covered in the curriculum -- only livestock.
I may take this book to the beach with me this year -- it's time to re-read it.
Herriot's an insightful observer of human nature and the perfect foil for the eccentrics in his rural community. His career coincided with all manner of scientific advances that competed with folk remedies and superstition in the minds of the people.
I've spent a small fortune on my dogs and cats so it's interesting to learn from Herriot that at the time he went to vet school pets were not covered in the curriculum -- only livestock.
I may take this book to the beach with me this year -- it's time to re-read it.
February 20, 2013
Every few years I read these stories again and I always enjoy them as much as I did the first time. James Herriot(Alf White such an interesting window into a unique time and place. I have always wondered if he was a naturally gifted writer or if he had a really good editor. Either way, these stories are so well-written that I enjoyed them although I would not say I am an animal-lover. I am an animal respecter, and I certainly believe we have responsibilities to be conscientious toward all creatures and these stories show all aspects of human emotions in relation to each other and animals.
July 9, 2014
I am not an animal person. Our family has a cat because my kids paid me $100. Actually, I am a little surprised with myself that I actually read a book about a vet in the 1930s in England. After reading Mr. Herriot's "All Creatures Great and Small", I still don't like animals. But, I do like Mr. Herriot. I like his "patient" relationship with his employer. I like his appreciation of the beauty around him. I like his candor and frankness is his writing. I like that he has weaknesses and strengths that I could relate with. I like that I could recommend his book to other not-animal people and I think that they would like Mr. Herriot too.
September 12, 2022
The first two books in the five-book series by James Herriot are so touching, so lovely that I hated to see them end.
These books were written back in the 1970s and are about the experiences of a veterinary surgeon in Yorkshire, England, beginning in the 1930s. Although the stories in the books are fiction, they are, in fact, based on the author's own experiences.
I have already read the third and fifth books in this series, but after reading the first two, I wish I had read them in order. While it’s certainly possible to read them out of order and still appreciate them, I think it would have been more satisfying to read them as they were meant to be read.
These books were written back in the 1970s and are about the experiences of a veterinary surgeon in Yorkshire, England, beginning in the 1930s. Although the stories in the books are fiction, they are, in fact, based on the author's own experiences.
I have already read the third and fifth books in this series, but after reading the first two, I wish I had read them in order. While it’s certainly possible to read them out of order and still appreciate them, I think it would have been more satisfying to read them as they were meant to be read.
August 3, 2010
I loved this series of books. When I first read them in high school I wanted to move to Scotland and become a country veterinarian. I reread them again summer, and fell in love with them all over again. When James Herriot talks about how much he loves his job, driving around the country lanes with the windows down on a beautiful day, or taking his lunch breaks lying on his back in the grass staring up at the clouds in the sky, you wonder how you can stand another day of working in an office building.
March 2, 2010
It was great to settle in with an old friend. I read this series over & over in my childhood years, up through high school. James Herriot is why I wanted to be a vet--until I came up against chemistry, that is! I LOVELOVELOVE this entire series. His warmth, intuitive descriptions of his animal patients and their humans, and genuine delight of life are a wonderful gift to the world. I'm reviewing all the books in this series the same way, so you only have to read this review once! ; )
January 2, 2015
James Herriot (Dr. White) is on my top ten list of authors. I had no interest in cow farming or in Yorkshire England, but he took me there as an arm chair traveler. Then I actually traveled there, saw the surgery, Skeldale house, funky blue car, fields, cows and sheep (their descents). What a thrill!
July 14, 2014
I usually eschew anything which might be considered heart-warming. It's an allergy, I think. Anyway, I love these books. Mostly because Herriot includes just enough of the stupid and gross to keep the reader for drowning in a bucket of twee. Rural vet is not for the squeamish.
November 2, 2022
I listened to the audiobook of this narrated by Nicholas Ralph, who plays James Heriot in the most recent adaptation by Acorn TV, and everything about it was sheer delight! The accents, the idiosyncratic characters, and the romance are a perfectly mixed to soothe my soul!
This is a memoir collection about a junior vet from Scotland in the 1930s and his first job working and living in the Yorkshire Dales. Herriot documents the trials and triumphs of veterinary practice with warmth, wit and a great fondness and admiration for the Dalesfolk.
A timeless delight, perfect for animal lovers!
This is a memoir collection about a junior vet from Scotland in the 1930s and his first job working and living in the Yorkshire Dales. Herriot documents the trials and triumphs of veterinary practice with warmth, wit and a great fondness and admiration for the Dalesfolk.
A timeless delight, perfect for animal lovers!
March 25, 2023
Very interesting antidotes about life as a veterinarian in the early 20th century in Scotland. Dr. Herriot tells stories about his many animal clients and their farmer owners. The stories tell of the archaic early vet medical techniques and tools and how hard it was to convince the farmers that the veterinarian actually knew what he was doing. The antidotes are captivating and humorous.
October 12, 2020
Сборник коротких рассказов о жизни и практике британского ветеринара. Написано чудесно: с большой любовью и внимательностью ко всем созданиям. Втягиваешься так, что сочувствуешь каждому успеху и любой неудаче Джеймса.
April 19, 2021
This is a charming memoir about a vet in rural UK. The author truly brought me into each scene and it was almost like I was there. There were several vet terms and procedures that I knew nothing about, but the author explains them pretty well. However, to truly understand how he treats the animals you will need some basic biology knowledge. The more you know the more you will understand. Some of the crazy situation in this book make me question if they are really true, just because of how ridiculous they are. If you like animals, British humor, memoirs, or feel-good reads then this is the book for you.
May 29, 2021
Sort of historical but in the mid-twentieth century. I have read this before but it was as delightful now as it was then. I decide to reread his books because of the new series.
December 2, 2021
A cozy delight.
November 28, 2022
It's been a long time since I've read these books, and they are still so memorable for me. These crazy hardworking vets, the people and animals they love, the last-century setting... all just heartwarming and delightful. Might just need to dive into them again.
December 10, 2024
I love dogs and cows and now pigs too
February 28, 2025
Fun collection of stories to read aloud or to yourself.
April 3, 2025
Absolutely loved this book - I didn’t realize it wasn’t the first in the series but it wasn’t hard to catch up. It’s basically a collection of short stories/experiences that a young veterinarian has with different farm animals. It’s so funny and charming and I want to continue with the series.
February 12, 2023
Quite an enjoyable read
I have loved reading since I first started when I was four, but for some time I stopped because I was having trouble finding well-written books. A friend recommended All Creatures Great and Small and I am glad she did. I thoroughly enjoyed the pictures so eloquently painted by the author. Each chapter was like a short story in itself. A single portrait of a day in the life of this man. I will be getting the remainder of his books and look forward to devouring them as I have these two.
I have loved reading since I first started when I was four, but for some time I stopped because I was having trouble finding well-written books. A friend recommended All Creatures Great and Small and I am glad she did. I thoroughly enjoyed the pictures so eloquently painted by the author. Each chapter was like a short story in itself. A single portrait of a day in the life of this man. I will be getting the remainder of his books and look forward to devouring them as I have these two.
June 23, 2022
Открывая книгу Хэрриота, я, фанатка Джеральда Даррелла, ждала чего-то подобного: очеловечивания животных, буйного позитива и невероятных описаний природы. Ан-нет... Животные для Хэрриота - это животные. Любимые, прекрасные, мудрые и восхитительные, но это животные. А он ветеринар. И такая схема отношений не рушится даже тогда, когда он пишет о почти человеческих проказах маленьких домашних любимцев или огромных молочных коров. Казалось бы, что мне это должно было бы не понравится, но знаете, чем меня в первую очередь подкупила эта книга? Честностью! Она ставит перед собой совсем другие цели, нежели произведения Даррелла, и она их добивается! Она тоже смешит, она тоже вселяет надежду и делает мир немножечко лучше, но она и заставляет слезы течь по твоим щекам, заставляет думать о долге, о справедливости и даже о смерти. Хэрриот идет к нашим сердцам по тропинке светлой грусти и душевной простоты.
Знаете, у всех свои методы оценивать других людей, вот и у меня есть тоже несколько пунктов, по которым человек причисляется к касте неприкасаемых. Ну что ж поделать, жизнь коротка и надо прожить ее бок о бок с достойными людьми. Так вот после прочтения этой книги к этому списку добавился еще один критерий. Мне не по пути с людьми, которые, прочитав произведения Хэрриота, сказали: "Фууу!"
10 / 10
August 24, 2016
I often tell myself not to give a book 5 stars because, well, I know I can be a little too exuberant at times. Not this time. Mr Herriot's writing skills are only matched by his skills as a vet, which is blatantly obvious in this delightful collection of tales. This book is tear-jerking from laughter and sentiment, and an impeccable balance of all the features found in the very best of memoirs. They are set in a time and place I have never experienced and yet I can practically smell the rolling hills and paddocks of the Yorkshire countryside, with it's bizarre, quirky, infuriating and endearing characters (often all at once). I feel like the author has preserved a way of life that is rapidly vanishing if not already gone, made the duty of remembering a sheer delight, and made me long to be a part of. Mr Herriot, I salute you sir.
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