Every Living Thing

by James Herriot

Overview

A perfect gift for anyone who loves animals, this fifth and final installment in James Herriot's heartwarming collection, the basis for the All Creatures Great and Small television series.

Every Living Thing: The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor brings back familiar friends (including old favorites such as Tricki Woo) and introduces new ones, including Herriot's children Rosie and Jimmy and the marvelously eccentric vet Calum Buchanan.

This book marks a perfect opportunity for existing fans of Herriot's work to reacquaint themselves with his writing, and for those who've never read him to see what generations of animal lovers have already discovered: James Herriot is that rarest of creatures, a genuine master storyteller.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250075710
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/08/2015
Series:	All Creatures Great and Small Series , #5
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	33,000
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	920L (what's this?)

About the Author

James Herriot (1916-1995) was the bestselling author of memoirs including All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All, and Every Living Thing. At age 23, Herriot qualified for veterinary practice with the Glasgow Veterinary College, and moved to the town of Thirsk in Yorkshire to work in a rural practice. He would live in, work in, and write about the region for the rest of his life. Though he dreamed for years of writing a book, his veterinary work and his family kept him busy, and he did not start writing until the age of 50. In 1979, he was awarded the title Order of the British Empire (OBE). His veterinary practice in Yorkshire, England, is now tended by his son, Jim Wight.

Editorial Reviews

Herriot's many fans will not be disappointed by his latest, which picks up the story of his veterinary practice in Yorkshire after WW II. BOMC main selection and 22-week PW bestseller in cloth. (July)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

This audio version of Herriot's inspirational account is wonderfully read by talented actor Christopher Timothy, who plays Herriot in the popular BBC series. Timothy's versatile voice brings life to a host of colorful characters. Herriot's ability to effectively convey the lovely countryside, the harsh winters, and the intriguing personalities who are a part of his life makes for delightful listening. Primarily about the people and events touching on Herriot's Yorkshire life and practice, this audiobook may disappoint listeners who cherish stories based principally on the author's work with animals. Libraries that have had an enthusiastic patronage for Herriot's work should consider purchasing. Although not the best of his material, it is still beautifully written, expertly read, and professionally produced. The natural, comfortable breaks in Herriot's vignettes make this recording ideal for commuters. A worthwhile addition to most collections.-Carolyn Alexander, Technical Information Ctr., Ft. Hunter Liggett, Cal.

Library Journal

Smashingly good sequel to the beloved veterinarian's earlier memoirs, and well worth the ten-year wait since The Lord God Made Them All. Although no exact dates are given, Herriot seems to pick up just where he left off, in the 1960's in rural Yorkshire, when veterinary medicine was still a barehanded, rough-and-tumble affair, with farm animals the main patients and infection a constant threat. (Herriot seems to spend half his time slipping on cow turds or with his arm up a cow's vagina, helping a birthing calf see the light of day.) The author's superbly gifted partner, Siegfried, is back, as is Herriot's loving wife, Helen. But the practice has expanded and much of the good feeling here involves two assistants: John Crooks, who goes on to become a world-class vet, and Calum Buchanan, eccentric supreme, who eats ducks with feathers attached and collects a menagerie of badgers, foxes, monkeys, and rabbits before setting out for Papua New Guinea. Herriot buys a house; dresses like a buffoon to save a client's farm; comes down with a dreadful cow disease; tends to our old friend Tricky Woo, Mrs. Pumphrey's spoiled Pekingese; and, in general, sheds his benign presence on a zooful of animals and a zooful of human beings. The milieu is deliciously familiar—"a dirty, dangerous job" made glorious by "the whole rich life." So is the moral—that love of animals is synonymous with love of human beings, and that there can never be too much of either. Crafted with foxy intelligence and angelic compassion: proof that for a "vitnery" in the Yorkshire dales, life is bliss—and bliss, too, for a few hours at least, for happy readers. (Book-of- the-Month Dual Selection forOctober)

Kirkus Reviews

Will make the tears flow and the heart sing!” —Chicago Tribune

“A new James Herriot is always cause for celebration!” —San Francisco Chronicle

From the Publisher