I wasn't at all familiar with James Herriot or with these books, so it was a nice discovery for me. Nice and relaxing, with a narration to match. Perfect for these stressful times when reconnecting with nature is a necessity more than a mere wish.

Absolutely brilliant. I've loved James Herriot for years, but this narration made re-visiting the story even more fun than that first read-through; no easy task!

If you loved All Creatures Great and Small then you'll love this too. It's more of the same and that's not a bad thing. James Herriot has a wonder way with words and an amazing life to pull stories from. It runs the gamut from fun and lighthearted to serious and heartbreaking.

Nicolas Ralph is a great narrator and his voices are unique for each character. I highly recommend listening to the audio book because it's very well done.

Wonderful narration of classic animal stories. This is one of my all time favorite books because of the honest portrayal of the life of a country vet. The stories are all very moving on an emotional level. The author describes the scene and events in detail so you can picture it all in your mind and this narration really brings it all to life.

This second volume in the All Creatures Great and Small series, picks up where the first ended. James is recently married and his wife is involved in many of his stories. I think I enjoyed this volume more as the characters we meet (the owners of the animals he doctors to) were more endearing. There were so many humorous stories and some of the dialect and language as laymen tried to tell him how to do his job, had me in stitches. Unfortunately veterinarian medicine was not as well developed as it is today, so not all of his patients survive. There are also many incidents where folk remedies may or may not have helped the patients and James does admit (at least in the book, not to the patient's owners) that he is not sure what is wrong or how to treat the afflicted animal, and even times that they get better and he isn't sure why. Overall, this was a joy to read. Lots of humour, humanity, and some grief. If you love animals and stories about them, then pick this one up. The narration by Nicholas Ralph is amazing. He is the BBC star of the rebooted series and is definitely the voice of James Herriot. I

All Things Bright and Beautiful
Author: James Herriot



There are few books that make me truthfully exclaim "Oh, I LOVE that book!'' There are many books I like....bunches I enjoy....those I really recommend. And a few....a chosen few....that I truly love. James Herriot's books fall into the love category. I first discovered these books on Sunday afternoons when we were stuck on family visits to my elderly uncle's house when I was 12 or so. My uncle firmly believed in not hearing or seeing children...so I pretty much disappeared into his huge house somewhere when my parents forced me to visit. There was a lovely upstairs bedroom where I could spend an entire afternoon lost in a book without my bothering him, or him bothering me. He wasn't exactly friendly and I just wanted to keep clear...

But in keeping clear I discovered wonderful books....Mrs. Mike, Call of the Wild, countless westerns....and James Herriot.

When I heard that there was going to be a new television series (PBS Masterpiece), I started re-reading the books. I wanted to refresh my memory about all the lovely events from the books before watching a new adaptation. A re-read would allow me to ascertain if the show was following the books....or going off on tangents as so many adaptations do. That's ok with vampire fiction novels and the like.....but not ok when it's beloved stories like James Herriot's tales of a English vet in the 1930s.

I'm glad to report that I love these books just as much as I did when I read them at 12 while hiding in a huge house from my cranky, old uncle....and the new television show is actually quite good! I listened to the new audiobook version of this much loved novel. Narrated by Nicolas Ralph (the actor that plays Herriot in the new show), the audio is just short of 13.5 hours long. The story is worth every minute, and Ralph does a great job of narrating!

Re-visiting this series has brought back some lovely bookish memories from my past.... The hours I spent in that sunny bedroom completely lost in a story until my mom would call up the stairs that it was time to go. The room where I first read The Hobbit....Mrs. Mike....Call of the Wild...Frankenstein....Dracula....and so many more. My uncle was not enjoyable to be around....but he had great taste in books!

Lovely books! James Herriot's stories are just magical!

All Things Bright and Beautiful; The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor by James Herriot
Narrated by Nicholas Ralph
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Release Date: November 17, 2020

All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot is the second book of the memoir series detailing his veterinarian practice in Yorkshire Dales.

Listening to this book brought me back to my childhood. One of my elementary school teachers was a huge fan of the books and would read different chapters to the class. I fell in love with the stories and of course, had to have my own books. I devoured them and loved each of them.

I enjoyed this audiobook version. I thought the narration by Nicholas Ralph was wonderful!

I'm so grateful to James Herriot, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I was recently able to listen to the audio recording of this book. They just made a new recording with Nicholas Ralph the actor from the New Masterpiece series narrating the story. I loved listening to these stories of Vet life in the Yorkshire Dales. These have been a favorite for a long time and I thought Nicholas Ralph did a great job giving life to all the different characters as he read through all these tales. Love it and will revisit it again and again.

I read this when I was younger. It was wonderful to listen to the stories and James Herriot's career and history. This was a wonderful book to listen to.

I only picked this one up because I was bored, but I ended up really loving the book. The narrator has a beautiful Scottish accent but also reads the Yorkshire accent well. Beware of a few old fashioned places that jar to the modern ears. One description of a black cat in particular was offensive. I had to remind myself that the book was written a long time ago.

Love, love, loved this second book! I have watched the shows and now finally getting to the books. Having the reader who plays Herriot in the newest show really made this read so realistic. I can see him in my mind as I’m listening to it. The book I have to say is much better and with a few different ending but a wonderful book series to listen to. Now having read this book I can have an idea of how the next season of the tv series will be. These are amazing books and so highly recommended!

Read these years ago as my uncle gifted these books. Ended up loving them and am glad they are back for newer generations

With this second book in the series, the emphasis switches from dating and farm animals to married life and small pet stories. The star of the BBC Series once again returns to do a very animated and enjoyable narration of the book - capturing the young James Herriot (nee Alfi Wight) perfectly. As with the first book, the emphasis is on the people more than the animals and is a love letter to Yorkshire.

There is no running storyline and instead the series is a collection of anecdotes/vignettes inspired around a theme. E.g., one theme was whether the animals loved or hated Heriot after a visit - some would bark angrily whenever he came by and some would patiently allow him to cause pain when examining a new injury. Sometimes the topics would be about the animals but more often than not, it was really about the animal's owner(s).

In this volume, the running theme was that Herriot found his calling in large animal vetrinary work but loved the small animal cases especially. As such, we get stories of many dogs, a few cats, and even a bird or two. Of course, farm animals will come into the picture now and then. Another topic was how Herriot's (Wight's) practice changed between the 1930 and 1960s (when farm horses were replaced with tractors and anti biotics/penicillan revolutionized centuries old 'random' medicines.

The book ends with all the leads in the practice (Herriot and the two Farnums) called to war. The book always tended to stay on the positive and it is always interesting to read about the reality of Wight's life. E.g., Herriot talks so lovingly of his wife but it is never mentioned in the book about how Wight's parents disapproved of her (she was only a secretary and they felt she was not good enough for Wight), didn't come to the wedding, and later Wight had a mental breakdown over the topic.

In all, this is a beautiful and modern narration with an actor who does an excellent job of capturing the youthful vigor and indiscretions of James Heriot. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio. What a great followup to the first book. Narrator did an amazing job narrating. Highly recommend.

I think I enjoyed this second volume of James Herriot's adventures even more than the first. I guess I felt a little more settled in for the journey. All his books can be read as stand alones, but I believe are more enjoyable read on order to get the full evolving journey.

I was glad to have a little more of Helen's presence in this one, although I still found myself wondering what her take was on certain instances where James was pulled away for one crisis or another.

Herriot's descriptions and introductions to the many people and animals in his life are at times poetic. It's easy to picture them filling in the dots that make up his world.

In the audio version, Nicholas Ralph perfectly embodies James Herriot. I only hope he continues and narrators the complete series in the near future.

I received a copy from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley in exchange for an honest view.

Another very charming installment in this classic memoir series! All Things Bright and Beautiful recounts the experiences of the author working as an animal doctor in rural Yorkshire England before WWII, with this book ending when he's called to war. It's full of funny and heartwarming anecdotes, quirky people, and a lot of heart.

I think I enjoyed the first book a bit more, perhaps in part because some of his thinking about what makes a good wife is a bit antiquated. But overall I had a really great time with this and would recommend it. It's interesting to hear commentary on what things were like just before modern medicines like antibiotics were available and what a difference that made later on. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley and I thought the narration and production quality was very good. All opinions are my own.

All Creatures Great and Small is that rare book that translates into TV, film and audio. Indeed, this has just been remade and released on Channel 5 in the UK and PBS in the US-highly recommended). Along with its TV brilliance, it’s wonderful to read and this is a STUNNING audiobook.

Nicholas Ralph is the perfect choice to be the narrator. He brings authenticity with his lilting Scottish tones, especially as he plays James in the TV reboot.

For fans of Herriot’s stories, whether you’ve read them or watched them, it’s easy to believe he’s a remarkable veterinarian, but what you might not recall is that he was also a stunningly beautiful writer. From the opening scene, we are taken on a journey through the wild and wonderful Yorkshire Dales. You can feel the cold stone walls and the biting wind.

If you’ve never watched one of the movies or the TV series, let me explain. James Herriot (real name Alf White) was a fresh-faced veterinary school graduate in the 1930s. The books (this is one of a series), take readers (listeners in this version) to rural North Yorkshire in northern England. During the journey we meet a variety of clients and some truly entertaining situations. James’s colleagues, the fiery tempered Siegried Farnon and his younger brother, the harmless rogue Tristan leap from the pages and into readers hearts.

As a book, this ticks all the boxes with wonderful characters, entertaining anecdotes and fabulous scenery, all punctuated with touching moments when the inevitable happens and an animal doesn’t make it. The secondary characters, comprising patients and some of their owners,

Having listened to All Creatures Great and Small, I’m now moving on to All Things Bright and Beautiful.

To grab your own copy or listen to a sample, click here…

All Things Bright and Beautiful is the second book in a loose series. Each book can be read separately but it enhances them if you read them in order. This series is now a classic and beloved by a number of people, and has had several television series made based off of it. I was granted an audio version by #NetGalley to give my honest review. Since this audio version is being produced 40+ years after the books were published, I am going to concentrate on that, rather than the book itself. I think the book and the series, withstood the test of time and I doubt that I can add anything that hasn't already been said about them. The audio version is narrated by Nicholas Ralph and he does a really good job. He picks up the dialect, and is entertaining as well as easy to listen to. I would recommend the audio version. I personally find that I have to speed up any audio version and this one was not an exception. Overall, job well done on #AllThingsBrightandBeautiful

The second book in James Herriot's heart warming series. I know you see books or tapes described as heartwarming often, but this one really is. Narrated by Nicolas Ralph, who portrays Herriot in the new series, you will be able to picture the people, the animals, the community and the beautiful scenery that all help make this one of my most shared series in 60+ years. Listening to them put me right back into the spell that was woven as I read them for the first time many years ago. This series will be loved by most everyone, I cannot think of anyone who would not enjoy listening to the trials and tribulations of a real life lived among God's creatures.

Like All Creatures Great and Small, this was a re-read for me - I first read both books back in the late 70s and loved them. It's one of those books I've always wanted to revisit, and when I saw the opportunity to listen to a new audio version, narrated by the actor who plays Herriot in the new PBS series, I pounced on it. And like All Creatures Great & Small, it was just as delightful the second time around. The narration is wonderful - I'm quite sure I wasn't hearing a Scottish accent in my head when I read it all those years ago, but I certainly enjoyed Nicholas Ralph's accent as he narrated.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.