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All Things Wise and Wonderful (All Creatures Great and Small #3)

4.35 of 5 stars 4.35 · rating details · 11,338 ratings · 196 reviews

The third volume in the multimillion copy bestselling series

Readers adored James Herriot's tales of his life as a Yorkshire animal doctor in All Creatures Great and Small and All Things Bright and Beautiful. Now here's a third delightful volume of memoirs rich with Herriot's own brand of humor, insight, and wisdom.

In the midst of World War II, James is training for the Roy...more

Paperback, 448 pages

Published November 1st 2004 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published 1977)

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Sep 11, 2011 Valerie added it · review of another edition

My other books in this series are much-thumbed editions, obviously read and reread until the color is rubbed off the spine-edges.

This volume, though it's also used, is in better condition. It rather makes me wish Herriot had stuck to his determination not to discuss his war experiences. He clearly hated them so much that it discolored his memories, and it's not surprising that he keeps slipping away into reminiscence. If he had to discuss those years at all, I'd have preferred it if he'd dug out...more My other books in this series are much-thumbed editions, obviously read and reread until the color is rubbed off the spine-edges.

This volume, though it's also used, is in better condition. It rather makes me wish Herriot had stuck to his determination not to discuss his war experiences. He clearly hated them so much that it discolored his memories, and it's not surprising that he keeps slipping away into reminiscence. If he had to discuss those years at all, I'd have preferred it if he'd dug out his letters from Tristan, who did service AS a vet, and probably had some fascinating stories to tell. Only once in this whole volume does Herriot actually get to work as a vet in the present tense--after he's grounded he's sent out as a farm laborer, and happens to be by to help with a difficult calving.

At the end of the previous volume, Herriot is warned by a native Yorkshireman that if he goes to the big city he'll be forced back into taking "big steps and little 'uns". Herriot, originally a big city man, takes the warning seriously, but doesn't really realize how countrified he's become until he actually finds himself in London, taking those big steps and little 'uns in a cold, acidic fog.

Any man who dedicates a book (as this one is) to his dogs must have found it a great wrench to have to leave his dog behind when he departed to his training. The dog must have resented it even more than his very pregnant wife, because she would understand, though reluctantly. The dog would just have felt unaccounably abandoned.

There are a few redeeming qualities from the abusive treatment Herriot and his companions are meted out. Both places he stays as a recruit do at least have plentiful hot water. And when Herriot gets sent to Scarborborough, he finds himself put up in one of the old grand hotels (it's actually called the Grand in the book, but I don't know if that was its real name), in an area near his home and with a much more congenial climate than the London he describes. But the constant anonymous abuse he describes too often drives him to retreat into reminiscences. I don't suppose he was anymore convinced by sadistic people telling him he'd thank them for the ordeals they put him through than I've ever been. He makes an attempt to be gracious about it, but I'm not convinced. I have never in my life thanked anybody afterward for stoving in my body and mind, and I'd think the very concept risible if it weren't so destructive.

Still, there are redeeming qualities, even in the present tense. The description of pilot training is one of the better descriptions I've heard, and I've heard a few, including some from relatives. It rather makes me wonder if Herriot didn't take up flying as a hobby, though he never mentions it. The description of Herriot's experience of couvade (sympathy pregnancy, which he experienced with both his children), his description of his shock at seeing the newborn Jimmy (farm animal babies are normally more developed at birth)...all these make for good reading. And of course the nostalgic stories of events before the war (especially the flatulent dog) are as fun as his other books. I think some of the stories were issued as stand-alone books--I'll try looking for them and adding them. It's a pity the good stories are too often reduced to compensatory souvenirs for a perennially homesick man.

When I get to this volume in reading through the series, I'm tempted to hold my breath and rush through. But that would be a shame, and fortunately there's enough good stuff to slow down and savor.

Likely this volume will remain unthumbed, however. There's just too much gristle and not enough meat.

Minor trivia note for those who are coordinating the books with the tv show: the story of Roddy the the tramping laborer is near the end of this book. In the tv series, the character is played by Patrick Troughton, the 2nd Doctor from Doctor Who. If I hadn't seen it in the credits, I wouldn't have known it--he's unrecognizable. The mark of s VERY good actor, I'd say.(less)

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Jayaprakash Satyamurthy I have the same edition of this book. Weirdly, I read it all as a great adventure as a very young boy, I was startled at how much bloody-mindedness He...more
Sep 05, 2011 04:37am

Valerie I was told by a veteran of the Korean War that it was in about WWI that the military commanders realized that draftees were not actually shooting at '...more
Sep 06, 2011 07:28pm

Oct 19, 2007 Cappy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who yearns for English countrysides

Harriot is the quinetessential author who captures the essence of Yorkshire countryside through his delightful depictions of the people, landscape, and of course the animals. This particular story centers around his leaving the veterinary practice during WWII to go off and learn to fly with the RAF...it seems each time he enters a new adventure in the RAF his mind wanders off to the hills and dales of his home county. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys the voice of a story teller and doesn't...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Jodi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: animal lovers

Shelves: books-about-england, classics, dogs, world-war-ii

I first read these books in high school and fell in love with them because I am such an animal lover. I found this copy on the free shelf at the library and read it again. The stories are humorous, gentle, and told by someone with a genuine understanding of animals.

The story of Cedric, the gaseous dog, left me in stitches and am so glad that his final owner had no sense of smell! What a match made in heaven for this man and his dog! I also felt so sorry for the author and his experience with the...more

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Aug 02, 2010 Shanna Gonzalez rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-12

This edition of James Herriot's memoirs sees him being drafted into the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force to play his part during World War II, leaving behind his veterinary practice and his wife (now expecting young Jimmy). Although he never sees combat, his description of military training gives an inside view to the training process for pilots in the war, interspersed with plentiful reminiscences of his veterinary practice back in Darrowby. Throughout this story is a sweet marital love, which...more

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Dec 03, 2009 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone!

I just adore these books. I can't help it. Herriot may not be the most polished author but his books have a sense of warmth around them and I feel like I know Helen, Tristan, Siegfried and James. I love that they are real people and wish I could go and visit them, they just seem so lovely. Tristan's antics in this book are hysterical and James' reaction to becoming a new father priceless. I love it. Love. I'm going to wait to read the fourth for a little because I'm sad it's the last one...

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May 04, 2011 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, sciencewriting

In the course of my successive re-reads of James Herriot's books as a child, I would routinely skip this one, which I thought of as "the sad one." It is sad. In it, Herriot covers the years during World War II, including his service in the Royal Air Force. It is no heroic, chest-thumping saga. He talks about homesickness, about missing his wife and worrying about the birth of their first child, and about being lonely and scared. It's not as happy or bubbly as some of his other books, but, now th...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Eligah Boykin jr. rated it 5 of 5 stars

This one is a real rip-snorter! James Herriot is in the RAF now and it's no picnic. He is missing back home and his now pregnant wife Helen and constantly reflects about his experiences to relieve the tedium and harsh barracks surroundings. While he performs his RAF duties, he fondly remembers testing cattle for tuberculosis and when the military dentist pulls his teeth to his dread and terror, he compares what the man does to when he would pull the wolf teeth from horses.

The thing that occurred...more

This one is a real rip-snorter! James Herriot is in the RAF now and it's no picnic. He is missing back home and his now pregnant wife Helen and constantly reflects about his experiences to relieve the tedium and harsh barracks surroundings. While he performs his RAF duties, he fondly remembers testing cattle for tuberculosis and when the military dentist pulls his teeth to his dread and terror, he compares what the man does to when he would pull the wolf teeth from horses.

The thing that occurred to me was how when I was coming up James Bond was the man because he carried a license to kill. I saw Ian Fleming getting interviewed about how he created the character and in his wake came a slew of suave characters who karate chopped and shot their way through the world and life dodging bullets and bombs running with beautiful damsels in tow. All this was the happening thing at the time and continued to be so until everyone lost their minds over Bruce Lee and the learned Indiana Jones' need for speed and the adventures of modern and ancient technology. This was the cultural soul food of my adolescence. The Whore With The Heart of Gold being joined center stage by The Gentlemanly Government Sanctioned Killer of Polite Society.

Earlier than this, I read books about The Great Houdini, watched films about Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone while subsisting on apples and cheese, or Mickey Rooney as 'Young Tom Edison' learning how to master his inventive genius while down in the basement dining on mom's apple pie. There was also 'The Jackie Robinson Story', Sammy Davis Jr. doing his guest appearances on 'The Rifleman', and Satchel Paige riding with Robert Mitchum in 'The Wonderful Country'; but these treats were few and far between and as rare as a Sidney Poitier movie.

Never occurred to me to question the trends that always failed to duly glamourize inventors, people like Louie Braille, or peacemakers and healers like Jonas Salk or even the amusing exploits of a James Herriot. I followed the prevailing fashion for manly virtue with all the rest, and never considered how much community value there was in beating up and killing people. So I came to James Herriot books late in the more mature phase of my life, and might have never gotten around to reading them if long bouts of unemployment had not left me with so much time on my hands.

There is no need to choose between James Bond and James Herriot. Each is fine in his own world. But my sympathies and sensibilities tend to gravitate more to someone who works to reduce pain and suffering wherever he can to the aim of extending life, than to someone who is highly trained to wreak pain and havoc to the point of ending certain lives with discrimination. This was a dirty little secret I was keeping even from myself.

While reading about James Herriot inspecting dogs at the Greyhound track or fixing up a cat brought to him with its intestines hanging out or surviving eating and drinking binges with fellow veterinarian Granville Bennett, I came to feel that James Herriot was more like the man I was and could be. He was a man of some craft, intelligence and a certain scientific and technological literacy who could confront the ills and dangers of the world on his own level and more often than not do something about it. He enjoyed a monogamous relationship with his wife whom he was even willing to go AWOL for in order to see about. He could learn and grow in his chosen profession of veterinary medicine, do well in Flight School, and when his term of duty was done, perform an about face and march home to his family and community.

Definitely a hero worthy of the cheers of every man.

(less)

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May 09, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: environment-animals, memoir-biography

I recently read an online article about James Herriot (aka Alf Wight) in which I learned of his lifelong battle with severe depression. With no real knowledge of Herriot outside of his professional accomplishments, I read his first book casually; cute stories about a budding British veterinarian and his furry, lovable patients in 1930’s farmland. What could be more pleasant and lighthearted, right?

Well, as is true for many things in life, Herriot’s stories actually run deeper than the superfici...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Aries rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vita-con-gli-animali

Ormai ho preso un'abitudine ben precisa nelle mie letture: cerco sempre di leggere qualcosa che possa darmi il tipo di emozioni, di pensieri, di sensazioni di cui ho bisogno. Dato che in questo periodo capita spesso che io senta la necessit�� di qualcosa di buono, di caldo, di sereno, cosa c'�� di meglio di un libro di Herriot? Ed �� cos�� che mi sono coccolato con Cose sagge e meravigliose, uno dei tanti piccoli gioielli del veterinario dello Yorkshire, la ricetta �� sempre quella: momenti di v...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Emily Collins rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm a sucker for these books, and I'm pretty sad I've finally finished the last one. I feel like I should go reread them from the beginning again but I WILL RESIST because I have so many other books lined up to read at this point.
James Herriot is the kind of writer who has never heard of a cliffhanger. If there is a moment in the book where the reader is going dear Lord what WILL happen next?!, that thought will be cleared up within a paragraph of reading. He's just not that kind of writer. His...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Ronald Wise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a very pleasant return to James Herriot and his veterinary practice in Darrowby, Yorkshire. It's been about three decades since I read Herriot's All Things... series, and I remembered enough that the reading was easy while I fortunately forgot just enough to make the stories humorous and interesting all over again.

In this book Herriot is training to be a pilot in the RAF. Dealing with the bureaucratic and impersonal military system reminded him of some difficult clients and patients, bu...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Lisse rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like animals, touching stories, interested in veteranarian work

I'd say this was a 3.5 for me, so I'll be generous and round up. I previously read and listend to the audio version of All Creatures Great and Small. I think that Herriot does a great job of recreating the stories of his vet years in the Dales. You feel like you're there and I often wondered how so many great stories could come from one man's life. I loved All Creatures Great and Small. And I really enjoyed All Things Wise and Wonderful as well, but for some reason it didn't sit with me quite as...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Renette Francisco rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoirs, biography, animals

This is a bit sadder in a sense because the author talks about his time serving in the Royal Air Force during the war. However, he keeps coming back to memories of his time as a veterinary surgeon at Yorkshire, so all the funny animal stories are still there. The funniest story was about Cedric, a boisterous, gassy dog who frequently embarrassed his owner, the prim and proper Mrs. Rumney. The author finally discreetly suggested that the dog be given to a retired farm worker, Mr. Fenton, since th...more

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May 04, 2010 Autumn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, laughter, sweet, true-story

As always, it's lovely to read Herriot. He loves his work and those he works for, and that tenderness shows in his storytelling with a good amount of humor perfectly balancing it all out. This time around, Herriot is training in the RAF, and incidents in his training lead to memories of his life as a vet, which he skillfully ties together. I like how Herriot talks to you as though he knows you are as interested in his work and love his patients as much as he does, because, as his reader, you do....more As always, it's lovely to read Herriot. He loves his work and those he works for, and that tenderness shows in his storytelling with a good amount of humor perfectly balancing it all out. This time around, Herriot is training in the RAF, and incidents in his training lead to memories of his life as a vet, which he skillfully ties together. I like how Herriot talks to you as though he knows you are as interested in his work and love his patients as much as he does, because, as his reader, you do. He talks to you as an equal and as an old, familiar friend, and once again you get to enjoy the entertaining company of Siegfried and Tristan, and be welcomed with a warm hug by and sat down to share cake and laughter with the lovely Helen.

One of my favorite stories is that of the gentle, retired farmer, Mr. Potts, who loved the chance to talk shop with Herriot while his older dog, Nip, played with Herriot's young basset hound. Herriot's first image of Mr. Potts and Nip:

He was perched on a stool, milking one of his few cows, his cloth-capped head thrusting into the hairy flank and as he pulled at the teats old Nip dropped a stone on the toe of his boot. The farmer reached down, lifted the stone between the two fingers, and flicked it . . . NIp scurried delightedly after it and was back within seconds, dropping the stone on the boot and panting hopefully. . . . His master repeated the throw . . . and as I watched it happening again and again I realized that this was a daily ritual between the two. I had a piercing impression of infinite patience and devotion. (p. 381)

Herriot realized it was hard for Mr. Potts to be retired, out of the business he had been part of his whole life yet still loved and understood and wanted to share. With Herriot, he had the chance to feel part of things again, sharing his knowledge and experience. Herriot liked knowing that, however small it seemed, he was helping Mr. Potts this way. Later, after Mr. Potts was gone, it was sweet to read of Herriot finding comfort in realizing that there was still something he could do for Mr. Potts in life.

Always enjoyable to join Herriot, his animals, and farmers in the Yorkshire countryside.
(less)

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Jun 22, 2012 Veronica rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book switches frequently from wartime to past veterinary experiences. I really enjoyed both aspects but felt disappointed each time he switched topics. Since this is a book about vetting I tend to to agree with reviewer Valerie Shubert, Sep 11, 2011:

"It rather makes me wish Herriot had stuck to his determination not to discuss his war experiences. He clearly hated them so much that it discolored his memories, and it's not surprising that he keeps slipping away into reminiscence. If he had t...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: animals, england, memoir, war, wwii

I love Herriot's writing, but this one was another slow one. I felt like the stories were more varied than in All Creatures Great and Small, but it still took me a long time to get through since there wasn't much of an overarching narrative other than some thinly stitched-together experiences in the RAF during WWII. Most of his veterinary stories are framed by his war experiences and written as reminiscences of life before (and sometimes after(?)) the war.

The story that stayed with me the most w...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have loved these books from the first one I picked up. If I wasn't laughing out loud in a room all by myself, I was mopping up the tears from a very touching experience I read about. This is an absolutely delightful James Herriot. He's a master storyteller. This book is just a collection of experiences from when he was a vet, and it was interesting as well as hilarious. My husband and I just started watching the BBC Series provided by Netflix. This has brought back a lot of the fun stories I r...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Joanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

The third volume of James Herriot nee Alf Wight's 5-volume series opens in the early 1940's. World War II has just begun, and Helen Alderson Herriot is pregnant with the couple's first child. In training with the RAF as a pilot, James somewhow draws a duty station in the north of England, a clandestine bus ride from Darrowby under cover of darkness. Risking court martial for AWOL, James steals home for an hour or two with Helen whenever possible, sustaining himself at other times with memories o...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Dianne Happel DiFrisco rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am not interested in farm animals. Which proves that James Herriot (Al White) is a great writer because I devoured all of his books.

He creates believable, lovably odd characters. He uses a lot of self-deprecating humor, especially in his descriptions of his bumbling wooing of Helen.

My favorite story is when a farmer phones James, the "Vetnery," because his sow has just had a dozen piglets and she's madly trying to kill them. By the time James drives up the dales to the farm, the pig is lying...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Blah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: and, audible-library, audiobook

Herriot weaves more of his charming "cat and dog stories" in the form of fond memories into the fabric of his experience training to be a pilot in the Royal Air Force during WW II. This 3rd omnibus edition is another winner which invites us, neigh begs us to fall in love with Yorkshire and her residents.

The arc of the book covers Herriot's entry into the RAF right through basic training, his flight training, through the surgery that ultimately grounded him and leaves us off back in Darrowby whe...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Brett rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, audible, my-library

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Mar 08, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Herriot's third collection of loosely autobiographical tales of veterinary practice in the Yorkshire dales ostensibly takes place while he is serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II. However, most of the chapters only begin with a paragraph or two about his military life which inevitably reminds him of someone or some animal-related event from his past. This was mildly disconcerting as the connections between the RAF event and the story to follow are sometimes quite a stretch. The tal...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, fiction

My aunt introduced me to James Harriot a number of years ago. After hosting a gathering in which we watched a few episodes from the old All Creatures Great and Small TV show, some friends gave me this audio book for my birthday. I only recently finished listening to the whole book.

I love these delightful stories about an English country vet working in the Yorkshire highlights during the 1930s and 40s. A couple of my favorites are Shep, the dog that got a kick out of surprising people with his l...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Purlewe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: essays, non-fiction, anglophile

Another fantastic novel by Mr. Herriot. I find it interesting how he says very clearly how he won't be dicussing the war.. and yet this whole book is framed as his memories of home DURING the war. He gives no info about what his time in the RAF except that he was there, was grounded (no clues as to why), and finally discharged. But each beginning of the story starts out with him doing something in the RAF (marching, flying, etc) and how it reminds him of a something that happened in Darrowby.

Th...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Emily Bailey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've been reading James Herriot books for years; my mom would give me his books to read before I was even a teenager and now I enjoy them even more! I got this book in the used section of a book store back in the summer, and have had it on my shelf for months. I finally picked it up and it only took a few days for me to get through it. Definitely a great story! I love how his books could be picked up and started at any chapter, because each individual story is so good. James Herriot writes humor...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: All animal lovers, especially those who love good stories about farm life!

I truly cannot get enough of James Herriot. I so wish he was still alive so I could have the opportunity to meet him. He is such an endearing author who draws you in with his hilarious, but often sad, stories about being a farm vet. In 'All Things Wise and Wonderful' he has joined the RAF and briefly tells you about his time becoming a pilot. Most of the book is him daydreaming of being back on the Darrowby farms and living the life of a country vet. Some of the stories are kind of repeated - no...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As with the others in the series, this book contains a wealth of fun stories and heart-warming experiences.

I was a bit surprised that the book didn't spend more time describing his time in the air force. He mentions it frequently, of course, but usually only as a lead-in to something from his veterinary life. Unfortunately, that isn't always a good thing, since some of the rough-and-tough nature of men in the military spills over into the book. There are a few more coarse and crude references in...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Nate rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have learned more from James Herriot about what makes a good Doctor than from any medical textbook. The animals are cute and the stories are witty, but the relationships between James the veterinary surgeon and his clients - the sparse, windblown farmers of the Scottish highlands - as well as the ancient landscape they inhabit - are what make these books for me. Large animals still dominated the work, and a pre-dawn ring usually meant kissing the wife goodbye, leaving her tucked in the warm be...more

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Jul 21, 2010 Roberta rated it 3 of 5 stars

It took me a little while to get into how he was writing this book. After I figured it out, it was great! The one thing thought was a little strange, was that his "main" plot was how he was training for the Royal Air Force, so each chapter would begin with a tiny bit of that then compare a story from the past with something happening in his present. But the strange thing was his main plot could be gathered into one chapter of a book. I would have liked it better if he just had told each story se...more

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Jan 19, 2009 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldntfinish

This book is just as cute as the rest of his stories, but I was listening to it while I was swimming and it ultimately wasn't gripping enough to really keep me enraptured while I was doing laps. I need hard core story-candy for that. So, I am giving up. But take no offense James Herriot--I still heart you.

Also: to anyone who is curious about the '70s BBC television show based on his stories, I highly recommend watching one or two. They are horrible and not very interesting, however, hilarious du...more

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About James Herriot

James Herriot is the pen name of James Alfred Wight, OBE, FRCVS also known as Alf Wight, an English veterinary surgeon and writer. Wight is best known for his semi-autobiographical stories, often referred to collectively as All Creatures Great and Small, a title used in some editions and in film and television adaptations.

In 1939, at the age of 23, he qualified as a veterinary surgeon with Glasgow...more James Herriot is the pen name of James Alfred Wight, OBE, FRCVS also known as Alf Wight, an English veterinary surgeon and writer. Wight is best known for his semi-autobiographical stories, often referred to collectively as All Creatures Great and Small, a title used in some editions and in film and television adaptations.

In 1939, at the age of 23, he qualified as a veterinary surgeon with Glasgow Veterinary College. In January 1940, he took a brief job at a veterinary practice in Sunderland, but moved in July to work in a rural practice based in the town of Thirsk, Yorkshire, close to the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, where he was to remain for the rest of his life. The original practice is now a museum, "The World of James Herriot".

Wight intended for years to write a book, but with most of his time consumed by veterinary practice and family, his writing ambition went nowhere. Challenged by his wife, in 1966 (at the age of 50), he began writing. In 1969 Wight wrote If Only They Could Talk, the first of the now-famous series based on his life working as a vet and his training in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Owing in part to professional etiquette which at that time frowned on veterinary surgeons and other professionals from advertising their services, he took a pen name, choosing "James Herriot". If Only They Could Talk was published in the United Kingdom in 1970 by Michael Joseph Ltd, but sales were slow until Thomas McCormack, of St. Martin's Press in New York City, received a copy and arranged to have the first two books published as a single volume in the United States. The resulting book, titled All Creatures Great and Small, was an overnight success, spawning numerous sequels, movies, and a successful television adaptation.

In his books, Wight calls the town where he lives and works Darrowby, which he based largely on the towns of Thirsk and Sowerby. He also renamed Donald Sinclair and his brother Brian Sinclair as Siegfried and Tristan Farnon, respectively. Wight's books are only partially autobiographical. Many of the stories are only loosely based on real events or people, and thus can be considered primarily fiction.

The Herriot books are often described as "animal stories" (Wight himself was known to refer to them as his "little cat-and-dog stories"), and given that they are about the life of a country veterinarian, animals certainly play a significant role in most of the stories. Yet animals play a lesser, sometimes even a negligible role in many of Wight's tales: the overall theme of his stories is Yorkshire country life, with its people and their animals primary elements that provide its distinct character. Further, it is Wight's shrewd observations of persons, animals, and their close inter-relationship, which give his writing much of its savour. Wight was just as interested in their owners as he was in his patients, and his writing is, at root, an amiable but keen comment on the human condition. The Yorkshire animals provide the element of pain and drama; the role of their owners is to feel and express joy, sadness, sometimes triumph. The animal characters also prevent Wight's stories from becoming twee or melodramatic — animals, unlike some humans, do not pretend to be ailing, nor have they imaginary complaints and needless fears. Their ill-health is real, not the result of flaws in their character which they avoid mending. In an age of social uncertainties, when there seem to be no remedies for anything, Wight's stories of resolute grappling with mysterious bacterial foes or severe injuries have an almost heroic quality, giving the reader a sense of assurance, even hope. Best of all, James Herriot has an abundant humour about himself and his difficulties. He never feels superior to any living thing, and is ever eager to learn — about animal doctoring, and about his fellow human creature.

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All Creatures Great and Small; And, All Things Bright and Beautiful

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