Book description
Set in Glasgow in the 1930s, Young James Herriot is the
fascinating story of Herriot's formative years at veterinary college,
recounting the tales behind his calling to work with animals and his
early friendships. With no modern drugs, and a lot of trial-and-error,
James sets about learning how to treat the local farm animals and the
pets of city folk.
Accompanied by a cast of eccentric professors and an ensemble of
aspiring veterinarians, this book reveals a world now lost to us,
showing how life in pre-war Britain changed an enthusiastic young
student named Alf Wight into the man who would charm millions of
readers the world over.
John Lewis-Stempel is the author of a number of books,
including Six Weeks, The Autobiography of a British
Soldier, England: The Autobiography and The Wild
Life. Coming from a long line of farmers and being a farmer
himself, John has always had a warm admiration and respect for vets
and is a long-time admirer of James Herriot.
James Herriot was the pen name of Alf Wight, who turned to
writing after a long career in veterinary medicine. Alf qualified as a
vet from Glasgow's Veterinary College in 1939 and moved to Thirsk,
Yorkshire. He remained there until his death at the age of 78 in 1995.
His experiences as a vet in Yorkshire have been immortalised in a
number of internationally best-selling novels, as well as the
long-running television series and film adaptation, All Creatures
Great and Small.
