Synopses & Reviews
The classic multimillion copy bestsellerDelve into the magical, unforgettable world of James Herriot, the world's most beloved veterinarian, and his menagerie of heartwarming, funny, and tragic animal patients.
For over thirty years, generations of readers have thrilled to Herriot's marvelous tales, deep love of life, and extraordinary storytelling abilities. For decades, Herriot roamed the remote, beautiful Yorkshire Dales, treating every patient that came his way from smallest to largest, and observing animals and humans alike with his keen, loving eye.
In All Creatures Great and Small, we meet the young Herriot as he takes up his calling and discovers that the realities of veterinary practice in rural Yorkshire are very different from the sterile setting of veterinary school. From caring for his patients in the depths of winter on the remotest homesteads to dealing with uncooperative owners and critically ill animals, Herriot discovers the wondrous variety and never-ending challenges of veterinary practice as his humor, compassion, and love of the animal world shine forth.
Review
"This warm, joyous and often hilarious first-person chronicle of a young animal doctor . . . shines with love of life." The New York Times Book Review
Review
"James Herriot . . . is one of those rare men who know how to appreciate the ordinary . . . a natural storyteller." The New York Times
Review
"Herriot charms because he delights in life, embraces it with sensitivity and gust and writes with grace. All Creatures Great and Small may well be the happiest book of the year." The New York Times Book Review
Review
"Herriot charms because he delights in life, embraces it with sensitivity and gust and writes with grace. All Creatures Great and Small may well be the happiest book of the year."(The New York Times Book Review)
Review
"Refreshingly original . . . as close to a novel as a chronicle of memoirs could be . . . hilarious, touching, athletic and warming . . . Dr. Herriot's characters . . . rival any from British fiction." Los Angeles Times
Review
"[Herriot] is the most entertaining, most thoroughly likeable, most engaging person to have come along in a long time, and the stories he has to tell are fascinating." The Washington Post
Review
"Warm, anecdotal . . . All Creature Great and Small makes you feel good about the worried and some of the people in it." San Francisco Chronicle
Review
"What the world needs now, and does every so often, is a warm, G-rated, down-home, unadrenalized prize of a book that sneaks onto the bestseller lists . . . James Herriot's memoirs qualify admirably." Time
Review
"This warm, joyous and often hilarious first-person chronicle of a young animal doctor . . . shines with love of life."(The New York Times Book Review)
Review
"Absolutely super, a rarity, magnificently written, insightful, unforgettable. . . . If you have ever loved a friend, human or otherwise, this is the book for you."
- Houston Chronicle
"This warm, joyous and often hilarious first-person chronicle of a young animal doctor . . . shines with love of life."
- The New York Times Book Review
"One of the funniest and most likeable books around."
- The Atlantic Monthly
"[Herriot] is the most entertaining, most thoroughly likeable, most engaging person to have come along in a long time, and the stories he has to tell are fascinating."
- The Washington Post
"If there is any justice, All Creatures Great and Small will become a classic of its kind . . . With seemingly effortless art, this man tells his stories with perfect timing and optimum scale. Many more famous authors could work for a lifetime and not achieve more flawless literary control."
- Chicago Tribune Book World
"Herriot charms because he delights in life, embraces it with sensitivity and gust and writes with grace. All Creatures Great and Small may well be the happiest book of the year."
- The New York Times Book Review
"Absolutely super, a rarity, magnificently written, insightful, unforgettable . . . If you have ever loved a friend, human or otherwise, this is the book for you."
- Houston Chronicle
"Refreshingly original . . . as close to a novel as a chronicle of memoirs could be . . . hilarious, touching, athletic and warming . . . Dr. Herriot's characters . . . rival any from British fiction."
- Los Angeles Times
"James Herriot . . . is one of those rare men who know how to appreciate the ordinary . . . a natural storyteller."ar- The New York Times
"Warm, anecdotal . . . All Creature Great and Small makes you feel good about the worried and some of the people in it."
- San Francisco Chronicle
"What the world needs now, and does every so often, is a warm, G-rated, down-home, unadrenalized prize of a book that sneaks onto the bestseller lists . . . James Herriot's memoirs qualify admirably."
- Time
"An inspirational book . . . with all its comedy; tragedy, drama, and farce . . . works like a spring tonic: It lifts the spirits and warms the heart . . . There is no advice, no pat formula for better living. There is just Herriot, a man you cannot resist."
- Chicago Tribune
"Herriot has a real flair for writing and his book is a treat."
- Publishers Weekly
Review
"One of the funniest and most likeable books around." The Atlantic Monthly
Review
"If there is any justice, All Creatures Great and Small will become a classic of its kind . . . With seemingly effortless art, this man tells his stories with perfect timing and optimum scale. Many more famous authors could work for a lifetime and not achieve more flawless literary control." Chicago Tribune Book World
Review
"Absolutely super, a rarity, magnificently written, insightful, unforgettable . . . If you have ever loved a friend, human or otherwise, this is the book for you." Houston Chronicle
Review
"An inspirational book . . . with all its comedy; tragedy, drama, and farce . . . works like a spring tonic: It lifts the spirits and warms the heart . . . There is no advice, no pat formula for better living. There is just Herriot, a man you cannot resist." Chicago Tribune
Review
"Herriot has a real flair for writing and his book is a treat." Publishers Weekly
About the Author
James Herriot (1916-1995) was the bestselling author of memoirs including All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All, and Every Living Thing. At age 23, Herriot qualified for veterinary practice with the Glasgow Veterinary College, and moved to the town of Thirsk in Yorkshire to work in a rural practice. He would live in, work in, and write about the region for the rest of his life. Though he dreamed for years of writing a book, his veterinary work and his family kept him busy, and he did not start writing until the age of 50. In 1979, he was awarded the title Order of the British Empire (OBE). His veterinary practice in Yorkshire, England, is now tended by his son, Jim Wight.