This was a delight to listen to! I thoroughly enjoyed the back and forth style of hearing the real life inspiration for each of the James Herriot story pieces, and the decision to have a different narrator for each made it easy to keep track of what was fictional and what wasn't. As fans of the Masterpiece show "All Creatures Great and Small," having Nicholas Ralph's familiar voice as James was perfection. This was well done and a delight for fans of the show and books. I will say I listened with children who are raised with farm animals so it wasn't a problem for them, but some of the animal descriptions are not for the faint of heart and will definitely invite questions about sexual reproduction!

I listened to this audiobook since it was a re-release and read by the actors from the new series. This isn't a show I have watched, nor have I grown up in the area where these books were popular which is why I didn't feel the love for the novel that others have had. Reading about areas I hope to visit one day is usually enjoyable, but this one kept splicing older stories and history with "and here's why it was so exciting" which broke the story up for me and made it less enjoyable. For lovers of short stories or from the vet perspective, this one will be enjoyable. Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook ARC.

When I started listening to this book I expected to get the most entertainment from the stories collected from the Herriot novels. The humor and straightforward tone of the writing is soothing and engaging. I figured the connections to Alf Wight's life experience might add some interesting context but it would take a back seat to his tales. In reality, the book nicely blends the two. We get snippets of the books of course but always as a method of discussing Alf's real life and more importantly, the greater context of life in the Yorkshire Dales. Most interesting of all is the historical picture we gain from the assorted stories. Alf's career was poised at a turning point in science and medicine and we can see the changes as we read the stories. The narration of the audio is personable and reflects the accents we expect from Herriot stories. Even if you've read All Creatures Great and Small or the other books a dozen times before, this audio is a worth addition to your collection.

I have always loved James Herriot and this book for me was like being wrapped up in a warm hug. Narrator was also great and contributed to my enjoyment

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

James Herriot's books made me want to be a veterinarian.

Life, had other plans: I’ve never visited the Yorkshire Dales, nor had my arm, pit deep in a cow, but as a librarian and a human, I still have warm and fuzzy feeling about his work.

None of the stories were new to me, a minor disappointment, but I really enjoyed revisiting old favourites, and the sections involving his children.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for this nostalgic ARC.

The Wonderful World of James Herriot – by James Herriot – Enjoyable, Interesting, Memorable and Lovable Characters

When I saw that The Wonderful World of James Herriot audio book was available to listen to on NetGalley I was excited at this opportunity. As the subtitle says this book truly is A Charming Collection of Classic Stories by James Herriot.

I remember discovering James Herriot novels back in the 1970’s when I was in high school and reading All Creatures Great and Small. More recently watching the beloved PBS television show of the same name.

The audio book was quite lovely. It was made more special with the narration by Anna Madeley, Nicholas Ralph, and Rosie Page. You will recognize the voices of Anna and Nicholas who play characters on the PBS show All Creatures Great and Small. They do a fantastic job in bringing these stories to life. Dr. Rosie Page is the daughter of Alf Wight, better known by his penname James Herriot.

You know a book is good when you are interested from the get go as Rosie narrates the book’s introduction. It was fascinating to learn how Alf came to write his stories and the books that have become a treasure to so many.

This book made me laugh and cry. I appreciated the love and compassion that James (Alf) showed to the animals he cared for and the people who owned them. People from all walks of life, interesting and memorable characters, and animals.

Some of the stories go into detail about the ailments and treatment of the animals. You may not want to have young children listen to or read the book, but wait until they are a little older.

I greatly enjoyed The Wonderful World of James Herriot. It was delightful as an audio book and one I would like to listen to or read again. It is the kind of book I would want to come back and listen to or read all over again, and share with others.

The Wonderful World of James Herriot would make a perfect Christmas or birthday gift for family and friends, or even for yourself. If you are familiar with the James Herriot books, it will likely make you want to go back reread his novels.

I would like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audio book The Wonderful World of James Herriot by James Herriot. I was provided with a complimentary copy of this audio book and was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

The Wonderful World of James Herriot was a delightful read. I loved hearing about all of the "real" People behind the characters. It was fun to hear from his children in the intro. This book was written beautifully and a joy to listen to.

I love James Harriot stories. I have since I was a kid. This book brought the magic of those stories together with the real life inspiration for them.

It was lovely and entertaining and nostalgic. I love it.

This is a fantastic book if you're a James Herriot fan, but it's very different from what I anticipated based on the write-up.

What I had expected was a collection of short stories Herriot had written. And since I grew up loving his writing, I was eager to read this book.

Instead, what it is is a biography of Herriot's life and writing with background stories related to very short stories (and excerpts) from Herriot's books. (About 60% biographical info and 40% Herriot's stories, I'd guess.)

So while the publisher categorized the book here as "Home and Garden" and "Outdoors and Nature," where it really belongs is on the Biography shelf.

That said, if you're a fan of Herriot's already, this book is for you! And if you're not, it's not the best starting point. I'd look for his book "All Creatures Great and Small" instead. Reading this book made me want to go back and start his books all over again.

Thank you to the author, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Unless you are a huge h James Herriot fan, you can probably skip this one.

This is a collection of reissued stories from Herriot’s previous books, and though it does contain some anecdotal comments from his adult children before each story, it’s largely nothing you haven’t already read if you’ve previously gone for any of Herriot’s book, and the added comments and introduction don’t really add anything of value.

Herriot’s work is well worth reading, and if you’ve never encountered it; this is as good a place to start as any, but it’s repetitive if you’re already familiar.

Whether you’re new to the material or not, I don’t recommend the audio version. The narrator is difficult to understand at increased speed, but the material doesn’t move well enough to read at 1x.

I was not familiar with this author before listening to this audiobook. The voices were very calming.

It goes through the history of Herriot's stories. It takes characters and scenes from his books, revealing the real people and situations. Both the made-up and real stories are interesting and teach you things. It's pretty cool to hear about the actual person behind Herriot, James Alfred Wight.

People have told me for years that I should read James Herriot's books, but it took the Masterpiece TV show before I understood how much I had been missing out. I was able to listen to the audiobook of this title, which is read by actors Nicholas Ralph and Anna Madeley from the current TV show, and thoroughly enjoyed it. This book intersperses beloved stories from Herriot's books with behind the scenes info on Alf White (the actual vet behind the fictionalized Herriot) and his real life. I'll definitely have to read a real Herriot book soon, but this was a great introduction to his writing style.

"The Wonderful World of James Herriott" appealed to me because I love the current show of "All Creatures Great and Small" on PBS based on the first book by James Herriott, and I had read and enjoyed the first 2 books back in high school.

This book alternates between the real-life situation that the story which follows is based upon. Nicholas Ralph, who plays the part of Dr. Herriott, in the current series, is the narrator for the stories. Anne Madeley, who portrays the part of Mrs. Hall, in the current series, is the narrator for the real-life situation parts of the book. I honestly did get confused between the character names and the real names and the switching back and forth. I learned that Alf White was the real name of James Herriott.

Many of the stories are sweet and/or funny. Some of them, however, are serious and rather intense, like hearing details about surgeries, sores, and animal labor. As long as you are OK with that, you'll probably enjoy this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

As a rebellious youth, I disdained the James Herriot books and original TV series but now, in my waning middle age, I find myself sinking happily into the new TV series. Consequently, I thought an audiobook trip to the original Darrowby would be right up my street and it sort of was in a cozy way. However, I was expecting it to be a ‘best of’ and it turned out to be more of a series of anecdotes from the books strung together by a narrator.

After an introduction, read a tad woodenly by Rosie, the daughter of Alf Wight (aka James Herriot), we go into a series of themed chapters in which a narrator (Anna Madeley/Mrs Hall) links together excerpts from the books read by Nicholas Ralph, who plays James in the PBS show. Both actors do a terrific job of bringing the material to life. The tales are warmly humorous and, as promised in the subtitle, quite charming, and successfully take us back into the world of rural Yorkshire in the middle of the last century.

It was a pleasant and nostalgic listen and though there’s nothing particularly challenging or demanding, that’s almost certainly not what we’re here for.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the audiobook review copy.

I've read all the James Herriot books. . .at church we'd often sing this song [I'm humming it as I write this]:

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small
All things wise and wonderful
The Lord God made them all. . .

He gave us eyes to see them
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty
Who has made all things well

The actual reading of the books started when my Dad came home on my Mother's birthday in 1972 and handed her a brand spanking new copy of All Creatures Great and Small. She was a habitual night owl, reading into the night after she'd put all of us to bed, and when I (who was also a bedtime reader) came through to the kitchen to get a glass of water, she pulled me over and showed me the book, and promised I could read it next. Thus began my obsession with all things Herriot. Our family continued reading the books and watching Herriot stories when PBS / BBC shows became available. Herriot stories mean home to me, bringing me back to my natal family at the simple turn of a page. . .

Over the years Herriot Fandom has learned more about the family, the place, the work and turned Alf Wight's extraordinary life into a tourist destination. God Bless his family for not shutting it all down when they easily could have, but rather embracing and controlling the business, books and their father's legacy allowed us into this sanctuary. It must get tiresome at times, but truly, how many new up-and-coming veterinarians were inspired by these shows? Or animal rights efforts strengthened because of the mighty kindnesses, gentle patient caregiving to the abused and abusing - helping whole communities change their minds? Or just letting us laugh out loud at the working life. Thank you to the Wight clan for your many generosities, this new book being one of them.

It was an absolute delight to read, and be close to the Dales again, and happily humming.

*A sincere thank you to James Herriot, Rosie Page, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.*

James Herriot has a district voice in his books. Having read others before in my life, I knew of this.
This collection of stories was a joy to listen to; the narrators were beautifully done. The stories were, though short, were delightful.

I listened to the audiobook of this title, narrated by a delightful cast, some of whom are in the latest PBS rendition of the James Herriot books. Both the writing and the narration were excellent as it follows the experiences of a young man beginning his career as a veterinarian, and how he deals with the animals, large and small, his partners, and the farmers in his practice.

This is a book that looks at the history behind Herriot’s fiction. It takes some of the characters and scenes from Herriot’s books and shows the real people and situations behind them. Both fiction and real-life are entertaining and informative. It was fun to listen to how the real man behind Herriot, James Alfred Wight, came to the English Dales and learned how to fit into the Yorkshire community. It also brings Alf’s partners and friends into the story and gives some background information on them. The audiobook begins just prior to WWII and continues into the 1990s.

I found this a wonderful, calming listen in these times of unrest around the world. It felt like going back to a simpler time with, generally, kinder people. Of course, all times have their share of grumps and grouches, and the book doesn’t ignore them, but overall, this book offers a pastoral sentiment to the lives of the veterinarians and the Dales’ community of the time. I can honestly say that I wish that there were even more stories included in the book. Perhaps there will be a second volume? That would be nice.

I received an advanced reader copy of this audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to listening to this book.

I’m a big fan of two British series, “All Creatures Great and Small,” the older one from 1978 and the new, beautiful 2020 remake (with the fourth season coming in January 2024.) Of course, when I saw an audiobook, “The Wonderful World of James Herriot,” a collection of original stories, I immediately wanted to listen to it. The audiobook is a special treat for TV series fans like myself because the parts of James are read by Nicholas Ralph, who plays James. His excellent interpretation makes listening to the stories especially enjoyable. I often smiled at James’s encounters with the animals and their owners. Other times, I was very touched and even shed a tear or two, hearing about the beautiful attachment that many tough Yorkshire farmers formed with the farm animals, for example, allowing a cow to retire on the farm long after her milk production years were over or mourning after a beloved cat. Behind the tough exterior, there was genuine affection and warmth.

The descriptive parts, which offer a timeline context, are read by Anna Madeley, who plays Mrs. Hall in the 2020 TV series. Her short introductions helped me realize when the events happened, and I really appreciated it. The author’s daughter, Rosie Page, reads an introduction, recalling her father’s work as a veterinarian and his writing – something he loved doing. The stories that were based on his experience and encounters turned out to be loved by many people, translated into numerous languages and read by generations.   Entering the world of James Herriot is an unforgettable and enjoyable experience. I’m sure we need his stories now more than ever.

Breath of fresh air and charming, charming, charming! The Wonderful World of James Herriot is a joyful look at the behind-the-scenes life James Alfred Wigh, pen named James Herriot. Told in the voice of James Alf Wight's daughter, Rosie Page. Listening to the story in her voice gave the audiobook a special personal feel, "dad used to say...". It was such a pleasure to hear the stories of the real-life antics of veterinarian James Wight along with the cases he encountered both animals and their quirky people. The book was a wonderful flashback to childhood that felt simple and quaint. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the idyllic Yorkshire Dales.
It's interesting to me that some reviewers mention the Masterpiece TV series, All Creatures Great and Small, as their introduction to James Herriot. Perhaps now is good time to reintroduce the entire book series to a younger audience?
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an audio-arc copy for my review. I loved it so much I ordered the book from Amazon to add to my collection.

I really enjoyed this book which featured clips from the various Herriot books, as well as the biographical details behind the stories. I grew up with some of his story books geared for kids, and was especially pleased to hear Blossoms story as that was a favourite in my house.

I had the opportunity to listen to this book in audio format, and really enjoyed it. The narrators were Anna Madeley and Nicholas Ralph who portray Helen and James in the current BBC version of All Creatures Great and Small which I have been really enjoying, so hearing the familiar voices read this book was especially nice. The division of the narration between Anna for the biographical bits, and Nicholas for the excerpts from the books was a really good call as it helped me as the listener to know right away which content I was listening to, especially if I was coming back to it in the middle of a part.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.