I have never read James Herriot nor have I watched the BBC series "All Creatures Great and Small" but I seems like it would be a great great series to indulge in. I chose this book to review because of my desire to see the series, however, because I don't have knowledge of the characters, I had a hard time keeping up with this particular book. And, it's probably on me because I just couldn't spend enough time reading each time I sat down to read, that I would forget who the characters were.

That being said, I believe that fans of Herriot will enjoy this book of intimate stories of Herriot, beginning from his younger years. This book has encouraged me to finally sit down and watch the eight seasons of "All Creatures Great and Small" so that I can truly appreciate this books.

3.5 Stars

I always wanted to read one of Herriot's iconic books, as much as I love animals and all things England. This looked like a great opportunity to experience a sampling of his greatest works. There's a lovely introduction from his grown children Jim and Rosie. Each chapter leads with a sort of commentary about the real life characters that influenced each passage, and then the actual original story lifted from Herriot's book follows.

This is a book that you can pick up when you want something simple, quaint and peaceful to read. The stories take place in a much simpler time in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales locale of the English countryside. You can find much humor, sadness and inspiration in these stories. It very much reminded me of a show I sometimes watch called "The Incredible Dr. Pol" about a vet in rural Michigan who tends to the medical needs of cows, horses, pigs, goats and other farm animals, making house calls for birthings and a plethora of other emergency medical issues.

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin's Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

It all started with a dog.

As a child, James Herriot, real name James Alfred "Alf" Wight, fell in love with an Irish Setter puppy and without knowing it, his future was set. As he matured, he had dreams of becoming a small animal vet, working in a nice, neat office with small animal patients. It didn't quite turn out that way. This is his story, and a delight it is, with added "the rest of the story".

If you're a long-time Herriot fan you're going to love this book after one look at the cover. If you're new to Herriot, you're in for a treat after giving in to the enticement of that quaint, dreamy cover. Trust me, you'll enjoy riding along those bumpy, muddy, occasionally flooded back country roads with James Herriot, the pen name he chose to write under, as you get to not only meet the characters of the original books but learn about the real people behind them. Whoever told him he'd never get rich as a country vet but have a life full of endless variety and interest was right. Even better, he eventually chose to share that life with us.

Interspersed with Herriot's original words, we get the background to these stories. With an introduction by his daughter and son, we meet the real people behind the pages and it was a delight to do so, even the cranky ones. There's a decency to them that is hard to miss. While not in sequential order, it's easy to follow Herriot's path from puppy-loving boy to the man, vet, and father he eventually became. I loved the stories where his children joined him on his visits, feeling his panic when, say, an angry, hurting animal nearly injured one of them. His love and respect for the animals he tended seemed to have passed to them as his son joined him as a vet and his daughter became a human doctor. Quite a lovely legacy of caring.

Oh, so many stories I'd love to share but I don't want to ruin one moment of your own enjoyment as you read this book. It truly was a "charming" story and discovering more about James Herriot the man and those he lived among was intriguing. I mean, the man visited Russia as part of a British Ministry of Agriculture at a time the Cold War was getting colder and, oh, yeah, there was his stint in the RAF. Heck, he even met his wife through a vet call. Seriously, this book was like time traveling back to a time and place where local pubs and a roaring fire were considered good entertainment. A time when you had to get yourself unstuck from a muddy/flooded road because there were no cell phones. No AAA even if there had been. A time when his daughter took greater delight in being able to identify birds and wildflowers than staying at home. Herriot's affection for both man and beast shines through throughout and I thank #NetGalley and #StMartin'sPress for allowing me this sneak peek into his life. Something tells me there will be a few well-loved Herriot books coming home with me from my next library trip.

I will forever love anything to do with James Herriot. The Wonderful World of James Herriot shares some of the best of the stories from the Dales and beyond, interspersed with insight into the life and inspiration of James Wight from his children Jim and Rosie. This was a delight to read, and, even if like me you've read all the Herriot books multiple times, this book is still worth checking out for a glimpse into our favorite vet's life.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've always loved James Herriot and this collection is no exception.

This collection captures Yorkshire, is funny and witty, and such an entertaining collection of stories.

I've always enjoyed Herriots storytelling, the way he brings so much comedy.

Are you one of the many viewers who has adored All Creatures Great and Small on PBS? If so, I think that you will be delighted with this collection of stories by Herriot (Wight), the vet upon whom the James on TV is based.

I was immediately drawn to this title by the lovely cover. I then enjoyed what was inside as well. The book begins with an introduction by Herriot/Wight’s children that sets the scene. Twelve wonderful stories then follow.

This book would make a perfect holiday gift. I think that I know a few people for whom I will purhase it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

For readers who were enamored with Herriot’s works, this aptly titled book brings it all back for us. We revisit a simpler, more innocent time, with a pastoral landscape, unruly farm animals, various characters (and their crazy antics!) and rugged but generous farmers with their strong Yorkshire accents. We learn of the real people behind the characters in the books, and what many of the stories were based upon. This includes good sections of the original writing from the books (including many humorous bits), many of which I had remembered (to my surprise). The chapters could work as standalone essays, as they are not in sequential order. They cover topics such as the landscape, the townsfolk, the visiting veterinary students, and the various types of animals that were cared for.

There is also the interesting historic component to the book, notably in relation to veterinary medicine. We start off in an era before antibiotics, and it is interesting to learn of how basic animal medicine was prior to that time. With technology, draught horses were replaced by tractors. And women didn’t wear pants.

I was provided with an ARC (thanks to the author & publisher!) and I am voluntarily posting my honest review.

The Wonderful World of James Herriot: A Charming Collection of Classic Stories
James Herriot, Rosie Page
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of The Wonderful World of James Herriot. My reviews are my unbiased opinions.
I have read James Herriot’s books over and over. All Creatures Great and Small, It Shouldn’t Happen To A Vet, All Things Wise and Wonderful, James Herriot’s Yorkshire, The Lord God Made Them All, James Herriot’s Dog Stories and many, many more. I remember one book where he talked about a strawberry cow. I searched for a picture of a Strawberry Cow. I never did find one. I loved the dog stories, while I don’t remember the dog’s name, I believe one of them had a digestion ailment and had flatulence. I feel honored to review one of James Herriot’s books.
His stories always warm the heart. Life of a veterinarian was not easy, matter of fact it was cold, dirty and always messy. Animals do not get sick at convenient times, but Dr. Herriot never hesitated to rush to the animal’s side. Along the way he collected many stories. The PBS series All Creatures Great and Small was based on four of his books. Most of his stories were humorous. He seemed to capture the essence of rural Yorkshire.
James Alfred Wight, aka, James Herroit was a country vet. At night he wrote sharing his and other veterinarian experiences. In his 50 years as a veterinarian, he had many experiences. He passed away in 1992.
Again, thank you NetGalley and Rosie Page for the honor of reviewing this tribute to James Herroit.

James Herriot never goes out of style- absolutely timeless with broad appeal. This grouping of stories adds more detail (real names and backstories) in alternation with the veterinary tales. It’s sure to go over well with both longtime fans as well as new devotees. I loved being absorbed back into Herriot’s world!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for granting my request for a digital ARC.

I have loved James Herriot ever since I was given a copy of All Creatures Great & Small. The book series and the TV show made me want to become a veterinarian, but then I settled for teaching science instead. The Wonderful World of James Herriot is equally as charming, and as long, as the story collections.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. The above is my honest review on the title.

I received a copy of "The Wonderful World of James Herriot from NetGalley. I was delighted to get a advanced copy of this book since I have been reading his wonderful books since I was a teenager. He is such talented writer who could get me laughing out loud and choking up reading his practice as a Veterinarian. In this book, his two grown children contribute their memories of their father. This is unique in some of the book shows his writing through all of his books and then it is followed up with the real names and discusses how closely the book is to the writer's real life. I found it interesting to see he tweaked things a bit like different names for the real life brothers or times when something happened. but it was still very close to his life as a Veterinarian. he was careful to change names in his book but this one shares the "characters" who recognize themselves in the many books Herriot wrote. I considered myself lucky to get the chance to read this book being such a fan of James Herriot.

I absolutely love the James Herriot series, so I was thrilled to be given the chance to read and review The Wonderul World of James Herriot. This is a collection of stories from the vet’s series with additional history of those stories and the people in it. While Herriot’s series is a favorite of mine, the experience of reading this compilation really doesn’t compare to reading of the series. I think it aims to be a good companion to the series. I did enjoy some of the information and included pictures but at times felt disengaged as it alternated between commentary and stories.

Whenever I'm asked to recommend a general reading book by anyone of any age, I always ask, Have you read the James Herriot books? I have yet to have anyone tell me I steered them wrong. I was 40+ years younger when I fisrt read them but I reread them any time I need a redeeming story of what the world should be like. This book of short stories is wonderful. I will be gifting it to several people this year so they can feel good too.

Perfect for gifting, this collection features the best stories that spawned the English vet's beloved books and PBS' heartwarming series, All Creatures Great and Small. With an intro by his grown children, Jim Wight and Rosie Page. Includes lovely illustrations and family photos.

As someone who came to "All Creatures" through the latest series shown on PBS in the US, I found this a great way to get more familiar with the series. This is a great introduction to the real man and story behind the books and TV series. Old fans of James Hariot's books would enjoy this overview of his background and stories. Highly recommend.

This was an enjoyable book, as it brought me back to when I was younger reading his books. It was interesting to find out James Herriot was not his real name. It was nice to know that the popularity of his books did not change him from the man he was. This book will make you laugh and cry - sometimes at the same time! This is one of the books you don’t want to lay down. Another well done book by our favorite veterinarian, James Herriot!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from NetGalley for my honest review.

The Wonderful World of James Herriot becomes available for purchase October 24, 2023.

Very interesting backstory. As a fan of the original books and tv series, it was nice to get a glimpse into the inspiration, what made it into the story, and what and why things were left fictionalized.

Um, I hate to offer a less than favorable review of a book by the family of one of my all-time young adult favorite authors but this new book didn't do much for me. I wound up skimming through it before putting it aside. Too much of a rehash of old stories written by amateurs for my tastes.

Can't go wrong with James Harriot. Nostalgic stories that transport you to the Dales. I just love these stories.

Thank you to NetGalley, as well as the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you love, the TV show, just go ahead and pick up this book you will not be disappointed! Everything about this book brought me such pure joy that I cannot put into words how much joy it brought me. Please pick this book up if enjoy anything that is whimsical.