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. Readers adore James Herriot's tales of his life as a Yorkshire animal doctor in All Creatures Great and Small and All Things Bright and Beautiful. Training as an RAF pilot in the smoke and bustle of London is a far cry from James Herriot’s day job as a country vet in the Yorkshire Dales.

James Herriot, a pseudonym for James Alfred Wight, grew up in Glasgow and qualified as a veterinary surgeon at Glasgow Veterinary College.

Musing on past adventures through the dales, visiting with old friends, and introducing scores of new and amusing character--animal and human alike--Herriot enthralls with his uncanny ability to spin a most engaging and heartfelt yarn. Percy Dearmer omitted this verse from The English Hymnal (1906); he was sympathetic to Christian socialism and stated that the words reflected the "passivity and inertia at the heart of the British Establishment in the face of huge inequalities in Edwardian society". Voices United: The Hymn and Worship Book of the United Church of Canada, (Toronto: The United Church Publishing House, c. It's not as happy or bubbly as some of his other books, but, now that I've reread it as a card-carrying adult, I now realize it may be the most touching of all the books. Now personally, that WWII is always present but not really over-used or even featured that much as a flesh and blood scenario at all (and obviously seen and approached as secondary compared to the description and depiction of James Herriot's personal pilot training stories and of course the animal cases featured, the cows, dogs, cats etc.

The very animals that likely added immense purpose and color to his otherwise troublesome and difficult world.Pomphrey’s brief stint owning a bulldog with an excessive flatus problem – one of the most hilarious moments in the book and most memorable moments in the television series. The more adult tone of this book compared to the previous two is a bit jarring, but there's still plenty of the old goodness herein to make fans happy. These memories, as it were, serve as James’ life preserver and the instigator to go back-in-time, spinning more vet adventure yarns for the readers.

As it a gathering of short memories of time spent as a Vet, all prompted by JH·s RAF experiences I found the flow a little different. More wonderful stories from James Herriot, reminiscing about the Yorkshire Dales with some amusing stories of his RAF experiences. When I get to this volume in reading through the series, I'm tempted to hold my breath and rush through.James pauses the reminiscence to kick-back into his usual real-time narration mode which takes us away from the warm-fuzzies of memory and puts the tension back in the now. One of the sons in the family can’t tolerate the sight of blood, and knocks James out by accidentally hitting him in the head. They end up having to transport the difficult cat to and from the old woman’s house, and then she won’t pay until the stitches are taken out.