An excellent book written by a vet who deals with animals in Britain's countryside. Some of the spin-offs weren't as great, but all were a good read. They're funny, heartwarming & full of fun stories about livestock & pets, but most especially about their odd owners. ( )

All Creatures Great and Small follows the beginning of James Herriot's veterinary career. He moves to a country town called Darrowby to work for a gentleman not much older than him, Siefried Farnon. Siefried's brother, Tristan, also moves in and they form a happy trio.

James treats many patients with many families around his town in England. One gets to see his personal thoughts about everyone that he meets and the animals that he loves.

I really enjoyed this novel because the first person view made the experience very personal, especially because it is about Herriot's real life. Herriot did a great job at writing and lacked nothing in the mechanics of writing. His words were sincere and realistic and it is probably one of the better books I have read. Although many would find some of the scenes a little gross and the subject perhaps boring, I think that everyone would enjoy it because it is reality in a world where many of us know nothing about. I would have given this novel 5 stars but the book was a little slow. I found that I was rushing to get through the book even though I loved it so much. ( )

This biography of a country vet has lots of humor. If you like it, there are 3 more books in the series. ( )

This is a lovely set of tales of the life of a young vet in the high country of Yorkshire beginning in 1937, on the cusp of modernization of the vet's science. It's a cozy little book, full of tiny moments of drama, of the cycle of life and death in a familiar, unhysterical manner. I find this a very refreshing read since as modern city-dwellers we have an increasing distance from simple uncomplicated and non-tragic death.The stories can begin to get repetitive, especially if the book is read quickly as I read it. I imagine this book is best savored out loud with the family before bedtime over the course of two months, one chapter per night. But even if the stories become familiar, it is a homey, comforting familiarity.I look forward to reading the second book soon. ( )

This is a lovely set of tales of the life of a young vet in the high country of Yorkshire beginning in 1937, on the cusp of modernization of the vet's science. It's a cozy little book, full of tiny moments of drama, of the cycle of life and death in a familiar, unhysterical manner. I find this a very refreshing read since as modern city-dwellers we have an increasing distance from simple uncomplicated and non-tragic death.The stories can begin to get repetitive, especially if the book is read quickly as I read it. I imagine this book is best savored out loud with the family before bedtime over the course of two months, one chapter per night. But even if the stories become familiar, it is a homey, comforting familiarity.I look forward to reading the second book soon. ( )

One of the best new classics in English literature. Funny, sad, and a satisfying read. ( )

I always love Herriot's work- it's amusing but heartening. In this book we finally see James and Helen meeting and marrying (finally because I read most of the others first)- in fact this is the book where James starts working as a vet. There are the usual crazy calvings, escapades of Siegfried, etc., but it wasn't my favorite in this series (still a good read, of course). ( )

I read this book for summer reading the summer before my sophomore year in high school and fell completely in love with it. I can't tell if it's the stories that James Herriot tells in this book or if it's the way he tells them that drew me in, but whichever it was, I could read this book thousands of times and never tire of it. This is one of those books that's like an old friend; I can open it up to almost any chapter and find a story that makes me happy, or sad, or comforts me, or makes me laugh. This is a great book for animal lovers, too. ( )

I'd forgotten how entertaining these stories are until someone gave me this for Xmas. Although I'd seen many of the classic TV series with Christopher Timothy, Robert Hardy and Peter Davison and read odd extracts I'd never read this edition in its entirety. Well worth reading even if you've seen the TV programmes or film. ( )

James Herriot is an incredible storyteller. His stories are moving, hilarious, and a pure joy to read. ( )

I first read All Creatures Great and Small when I was about 11 or 12 years old, and it sparked my great junior high desire to become a veterinarian. After over 30 years, I decided to re-read James Herriot's classic tale of being a veterinarian in 1930's Yorkshire countryside. Although I wasn't nearly as entranced as I was at 11, I enjoyed the book for what it is.

In an almost unrelentingly upbeat style, Herriot weaves together stories and vignettes from his first two years as an apprentice veterinarian. Herriot's writing is light and breezy, which makes the book quite easy and fast to read. Most of the stories are very short, and one learns more than one might want to know about the reproductive systems of several animals. I found that some of the stories started to become a bit repetitive after awhile, but throughout All Creatures Great and Small Herriot is able to find humor and inject little life lessons. While this type of writing may be "just what the doctor ordered" for some people, for me it was a bit too treacly and sweet. ( )

If you like people and/or animals, this book is definitely for you. This is the first of five books, none of which require any prior knowledge beyond the fact that the writer is a veterinarian in Yorkshire during the '30s and '40s. The author/narrator is plainly not a trained writer, but his writing is charming and engaging nonetheless, and he's got a distinctive voice and gift for sketching the personalities around him. The book is laid out in short story format, with one encapsulated story for each chapter or two, so it's an easy read to pick up and put down in those moments you have free.

Here he introduces the characters of Siegfried, his boss, and Tristan, his boss's younger brother, and the colorful characters (both animal and human) that he encounters during the course of his daily work in Yorkshire as a farm vet. It's worth noting that this is classified in various places as both non-fiction and fiction. The series was eventually turned into a television series by the BBC, though the books have a quicker pace and are -- in my opinion, anyway -- more fun. ( )

Herriot's first book, an autobiographical collection of stories recalling his life as a large-animal vet, is charming. He went on to write several more books on the same theme, and while some of them were more thematically unified, All Creatures Great and Small bounces around a little, and I think it benefits from the lighter touch.

It's a classic, and well worth reading whether you love animals or not. You might even find yourself enjoying animals a bit more by the end! ( )

A charming collection of stories from the life of a 1930's veterinarian in Yorkshire, England. Herriot is as good a writer as he is a vet. Although, I believe I now know far more than I ever wanted to about the uteruses of various farm animals, I do plan to read the entire series. Herriot's prose and genuineness really capture a reader and leave one wanting more. ( )

Some have "comfort food" and some have "comfort books." The Herriot books are my comfort books and to think he didn't start writing until 50 years of age! You'll not only read about amusing veterinary adventures with recalcitrant cows, independent cats, and a spoiled Pekenese, you will see human nature at its worst and best. The quirky folks in Yorkshire are all people that you'll remember and cherish. ( )

This is a wonderful series that gave a great description of life in the Yorkshire Dale and the vets and farmers that live there. ( )

Brings back memories of lazy summer afternoons as a kid, curled up with a good book. What a great book, full of humour, warmth and wisdom. ( )

Very cute!! Some of James stories will have you either laughing out loud or almost crying. As well as talking about the many characters james runs into out in the hills of england, also talks about his personal life and the lives of his co-workers. This a good book to curl up with your own furry friend on the couch.

2646 All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriot (read 9 Sep 1994) This is Herriot's first book, published in 1972. It is called an autobiography, but it does not follow the format for such at all. It has 67 chapters, and each tells of an incident or continues an account of an incident. Some of the work of a vet reminds me of my youth and incidents therein not favorites--trying to pull a calf, etc. We were not nearly as ready to call a vet as those poor people in Yorkshire apparently were. Sometimes I thought the stories frivolous, but many a time I was greatly touched. The author is a thoroughly admirable person, though often the vignettes are at his expense and discomforting. But the book ends happily for him, to one's great satisfaction. Pleasant reading, but not overly significant, and I'm not sure I'll read any of his other books. ( )

I have always loved animals, so this series was a natural one for me to pick up. The book can be read as though it were full of short stories, but reads even better as a complete story. James Herriot shares his success, failure, and humor in this beautifully written book. ( )

I am not an animal person by any stretch. I would much rather read about them than be around them. That probably has something to do with my copious allergies. I have been familiar with Mr. Herriot's books for a number of years, but haven't really read them much. When we started watching the BBC series on Netflix, I decided it was time to do it. The book is wonderful! I love his lilting style of storytelling. He has a way of describing some of the most uncomfortable things in the world, like putting his arm up the backside of a cow in the middle of a windswept field in the middle the night in January, that still makes it fascinating. While I could never be a large animal vet (or small animal for that matter), it have to say for a few short moments, I wish I could have his experiences.

One side effect of reading his books is that I have a deep desire to see the Yorkshire Dales someday. His descriptions make it sound like a wonderful place with a wide variety of life to experience. The beauty he describes is captivating and sounds like some of those places that don't exist anymore. Who knows, maybe it doesn't really exist, but I'd like to find out.

James Herriot was the penname of James Alfred Wight. He wrote under a penname to maintain both his and his client's privacy, as he was a practicing vet while writing the books. If you want to read some good background information on Mr. Wight, try this website.

The first of four books, this is filled with touching and funny moments as Mr. Herriot describes his first years as a veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales of England. We meet Sigmund, his boss and Tristan, Sigmund's prankster brother. Tricksy Woo is just one of the animals who will charm you, along with their rugged, individualist owners and the lovely countryside of England. ( )

Alf Wight, the real author's name, spins funny animal stories with the day to day life in a 1930's verterinary practice. Easy, enjoyable stories that will endure. ( )

I got this as a present in one Christmas when I was still a teenager. It made a profound effect on me, I still love this book after repeated readings. ( )

I read this as a teenager - it (and the rest of the series) is one of my mother's favorite books. Herriot was a vet in rural England beginning in the 1930s and continuing well into the 1970s. His stories focus on the early years, getting to know the countryside, his clients (4-legged and otherwise), setting up a practice, and starting a family. He's the archetypal "glass half full" man - every moment, if sometimes a bit trying, is still a joy. I really enjoyed this reread (probably my third or fourth time) simply for his wonderful attitude. ( )