The Real James Herriot

Take a trip down memory lane and read about the life of Britain's most beloved vet, who charmed us all with his bestselling tales of veterinary life in Yorkshire. 'A wonderful, glorious insight into the life of the man behind the books' 5***** Reader Review 'Moving . . . A book I shall treasure and read several times' 5***** Reader Review ______ After qualifying as a vet in 1939, Alf Wight, aka James Herriot, moved to a veterinary practice in Thirsk, Yorkshire. It wasn't until he was over fifty when his first book of stories about life as a Yorkshire vet, If Only They Could Talk, was published, giving birth to some of Yorkshire's most famous and much-loved literary characters, and later becoming the popular BBC television series All Creatures Great and Small. Not only did his books have great success, but they also inspired many to take up the profession, in what was known as the 'Herriot effect'. Although he brought fame and fortune to himself and those around him, he remained an intensely private person, respected and trusted by those whose animals he cared for, and adored by millions of fans. Written by his son with touching insight, this illuminating biography reveals the real man behind the title 'The World's Most Famous Vet'. ______ Readers are captivated by The Real James Herriot: 'Fascinating . . . A wonderful and worthy testament' 5***** Reader Review 'A real insight into the life of someone you feel you knew and loved' 5***** Reader Review 'Extremely poignant, gives great insight into those unforgettable tales of a Yorkshire Vet' 5***** Reader Review

Take a trip down memory lane and read about the life of Britain's most beloved vet, who charmed us all with his bestselling tales of veterinary life in Yorkshire. 'A wonderful, glorious insight into the life of the man behind the books' 5***** Reader Review 'Moving . . . A book I shall treasure and read several times' 5***** Reader Review ______ After qualifying as a vet in 1939, Alf Wight, aka James Herriot, moved to a veterinary practice in Thirsk, Yorkshire. It wasn't until he was over fifty when his first book of stories about life as a Yorkshire vet, If Only They Could Talk, was published, giving birth to some of Yorkshire's most famous and much-loved literary characters, and later becoming the popular BBC television series All Creatures Great and Small. Not only did his books have great success, but they also inspired many to take up the profession, in what was known as the 'Herriot effect'. Although he brought fame and fortune to himself and those around him, he remained an intensely private person, respected and trusted by those whose animals he cared for, and adored by millions of fans. Written by his son with touching insight, this illuminating biography reveals the real man behind the title 'The World's Most Famous Vet'. ______ Readers are captivated by The Real James Herriot: 'Fascinating . . . A wonderful and worthy testament' 5***** Reader Review 'A real insight into the life of someone you feel you knew and loved' 5***** Reader Review 'Extremely poignant, gives great insight into those unforgettable tales of a Yorkshire Vet' 5***** Reader Review

No one is better poised to write the biography of James Herriot than the son who worked alongside him in the Yorkshire veterinary practice when Herriot became an internationally bestselling author. Now, in this warm and poignant memoir, Jim Wight talks about his father--the beloved veterinarian whom his family had to share with half the world. Alf Wight (aka James Herriot) grew up in Glasgow, where he lived during a happy rough-and-tumble childhood and then through the challenging years of training at the Glasgow Veterinary College. The story of how the young vet later traveled to the small Yorkshire town of Thirsk, aka Darrowby, to take the job of assistant vet is one that is well known through James Herriot's internationally celebrated books and the popular All Creatures Great and Small television series. But Jim Wight's biography ventures beyond the trials and tribulations of his father's life as a veterinarian to reveal the man behind the stories--the private individual who refused to allow fame and wealth to interfere with his practice or his family. With access to all of his father's papers, correspondence, manuscripts, and photographs--and intimate remembrances of all the farmers, locals, and friends who populate the James Herriot books--only Jim Wight could write this definitive biography of the man who was not only his father but his best friend.

No one is better poised to write the biography of James Herriot than the son who worked alongside him in the Yorkshire veterinary practice when Herriot became an internationally bestselling author. Now, in this warm and poignant memoir, Jim Wight talks about his father--the beloved veterinarian whom his family had to share with half the world. Alf Wight (aka James Herriot) grew up in Glasgow, where he lived during a happy rough-and-tumble childhood and then through the challenging years of training at the Glasgow Veterinary College. The story of how the young vet later traveled to the small Yorkshire town of Thirsk, aka Darrowby, to take the job of assistant vet is one that is well known through James Herriot's internationally celebrated books and the popular All Creatures Great and Small television series. But Jim Wight's biography ventures beyond the trials and tribulations of his father's life as a veterinarian to reveal the man behind the stories--the private individual who refused to allow fame and wealth to interfere with his practice or his family. With access to all of his father's papers, correspondence, manuscripts, and photographs--and intimate remembrances of all the farmers, locals, and friends who populate the James Herriot books--only Jim Wight could write this definitive biography of the man who was not only his father but his best friend.