Member Reviews
This is a heartwarming read, and the perfect companion to the TV series. The stars are the animals, and the beautiful Yorkshire landscape. There is a nod to James Herriot, obviously, but this book has its own unique voice too.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an Advance ARC copy of this book.
A must read for any animal lover, fan of the programme of the same name or those who simply love Yorkshire. I am all three, so was particularly fascinated by Peter’s biography. An idyllic Yorkshire childhood, well apart from school, training in Liverpool and finally working with the animals. A book of laughter and tears, meeting once again some of the more memorable people from the programme. Read it if you like animals, or even if you don’t - you won’t be disappointed!
This is a delightful read for all who are fans of James Herriot and everyone who loves animals. This has a real day to day account of the authors treating animals from the field and office. At times its sad,, funny and always entertaining throughout . I love learning that he worked with the real Herriot as his mentor. and teacher .I highly recommend this book and found it quite enjoyable from first page to the last. Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review. Very well done to the author. As one who has read all the Herriot books and watched the show for years this gives a new current insight of the veterinarian work for animals that goes on in Yorkshire. I look forward to watching this show someday.
Wellz what's not to love?? The Yorkshire Vet is one of my favourite tv shows so when I saw Peter's book for review, I had to, didn't I? He's a wonderful man, a superb vet and he's so funny. This is a brilliant book that any fan of the show needs to read!
Enjoyable book about The Yorkshire Vet's life and veterinary practice. In Britain, a tv show follows him and his practice. When he joined the practice, one of the other vets was "James Herriott" working under his real name. I would have enjoyed it more if there were more animal stories or if I had ever seen the tv show, but it was still interesting.
A wonderful look at a life many would call ideal. Living and working where you make a difference in your community; all the while being part of history as veterinary practices advanced so quickly in his lifetime. Some of my very favorite books are the James Herriot books and this biography reminds me so much of those. You laugh, cry, and get emotional right along with the author as he tells his life's story. This is another of the books I recommend to everyone.
I love books about veterinarians in general, so clicked on this immediately. Peter Wright works at the Skeldale animal clinic, which is the successor to the practice of Alfred Wight ("James Herriot") and Donald Sinclair ("Seigfried Farnon") and Wight's son JIm, and was, in fact, trained by Wight and his son. He and another vet, Julian Norton (who has also written a book about his work in the practice) star in a series on British TV called THE YORKSHIRE VET (rather like the old Animal Planet series EMERGENCY VET and the present INCREDIBLE DR. POL show on National Geographic). This is Wright's story about how he became a veterinarian and how he joined the Skeldale practice, and some very memorable patients.
I doubt anyone will ever duplicate Alf Wight's poetic tribute to the country vets of the 1930s. This is a good book, although I was initially confused to the references to the television series because Peter Wright seems to assume you are British and have at least heard of the show. I later found it on Britbox and was able to watch an episode and feel I understand the book much better now.
Not my usual genre but this book had me gripped throughout. Will be looking out for more of the same!
I loved it , well done, it’s smells of country side and fresh air. So funny I snorted out loud..
A joy to read..
Loved this book as much as The Herroitt series. The stories are fun and Peter Wright's life story is amazing.
James Herriot warmed the cockles of many hearts, including mine. Whether it was his lovely books or the sweet series based on them, he brought a smile to my face and a warmth to my soul. It was with great pleasure that I was able to interview all three leads of the series in 1982 and I carry the memories with me to this day.
I had no idea until I read this book how intimately Peter Wright was connected to Alf aka James Herriot when I glanced at The Yorkshire Vet on telly during a visit to England. So I was delighted to read this book to fill in the blanks so to speak. It is a enjoyable journey on its own from Peter’s rural and rustic youth to his hobnobbing with the rich and famous thanks to his television show. Not only was Alf his family vet, it was Alf who encouraged and helped Peter along the route to his veterinary career. He joined the clinic first as a salaried staff person all the way to becoming the senior partner.
Along the way, there were many anecdotes of memorable characters both two and four legged. There was much laughter and not a little heartbreak as he and his fellow vets struggled to keep the animals in their care healthy and to provide them with a humane end when all else failed. The reader can imagine how cruel and bitter it must have been during things like the Mad Cow outbreak or the foot and mouth disease outbreak that devastated the animal population in Yorkshire. For so many, animals are not just objects. Clearly Peter has been a noble successor to James Herriot.
There can be no finer praise. Five purrs and two paws up.
As a huge fan of the James Herriot books, this real-life veterinarian worked with the actual author of this books. Almost, but not quite, a sequel...regardless, an entertaining, well-written book.
Peter is a natural successor to Alf Wight in literary terms..........Peter's book is a perfect 21st century successor to the James Herriot books which have been a firm favourite of mine since my teenage years.
I loved the easy flow of the narrative and it was as if Peter was reading out loud. There have been other veterinary tales both fictional and non-fictional but this is one of my more recent favourites. I have had to ration my reading of this book to make it last - I hope that, like the James Herriot books, Peter has many more tales to tell and books to put them in !
A fascinating and heartwarming account of a vet's life. If you love animals, this is a good read for you. Told with compassion and lovely touches of humour. A beautiful read. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and Facebook.
While I've never seen the television show, I do enjoy the US based shows that are similar so I knew this would be a good fit. I wasn't disappointed! Fans of the James Herriot books will also enjoy Peter Wright's interesting and entertaining accounts of life as a Yorkshire vet.
Thanks to Peter Wright, Mirror Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All comments are my own, unbiased opinion.
I loved reading this book. Peter was taken on by the real life characters behind the James Herriot books. It bought many happy memories of reading those books and also getting an insight into Alf Wright and the real life Siegfried.
Peter describes his work experience there as a boy and then his years training and then his working life as a Yorkshire Vet alongside the tv series he agreed to do.
There is a lot of humour and sadness in the book as we hear all about his friends and his colleagues.
It has made me really want to visit the James Herriot centre and The Yorkshire vet series is now on a series link on my tv!
Lovely memoir by the vet in the British series, The Yorkshire Vet. He is also one of the current partners in the practice made famous in the All Creatures Great and Small. In fact he began working there in his teens when the main vesting those books were still active.
Less focused on charming stories about animals than the Herriott books and more focused on people the book is a delightful follow-up to those iconic books.
Loved reading this book
Peter has a way of writing that really draws you in.
Having lived in the Thirsk area for many years I found the description of the people and especially the landscape so captivating and true.
I can't help it ... I love reading these stories. I'm hoping to get my mum to read this one, as she read a lot of Herroit's books when she was younger and is from close by.
I’d like to thank Mirror Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Yorkshire Vet’ by Peter Wright in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Peter Wright was born in 1956 near Thirsk in the Yorkshire Downs, and tells of his childhood, his training at Liverpool University, and how he was offered work experience and later on a full-time position at Kirkgate then Skeldale with Jim (son of Alf Wight on whom the books of James Herriot were based), Tim and Julian.
Since Channel Five began showing ‘The Yorkshire Vet’ it’s been a favourite programme of mine. The book describes Peter Wright’s day-to-day life healing and caring for ‘all creatures great and small’, and some of the stories told I remember from the series. The heartbreak when an animal can’t be saved brought tears to my eyes, as did the catastrophic events that foot and mouth brought to the farming industry. I enjoyed looking at the photographs and reading about his childhood and family life with wife Lin and two children. It was clear to see that Peter loves animals and the recent decisions made show how he cares about the future of the veterinary practice he’s been part of for so many years. This is a heart-warming story written with compassion and poignancy and I enjoyed it.