All Creatures Great and Small is that rare book that translates into TV, film and audio. Indeed, this has just been remade and released on Channel 5 in the UK and PBS in the US-highly recommended). Along with its TV brilliance, it’s wonderful to read and this is a STUNNING audiobook.

Nicholas Ralph is the perfect choice to be the narrator. He brings authenticity with his lilting Scottish tones, especially as he plays James in the TV reboot.

For fans of Herriot’s stories, whether you’ve read them or watched them, it’s easy to believe he’s a remarkable veterinarian, but what you might not recall is that he was also a stunningly beautiful writer. From the opening scene, we are taken on a journey through the wild and wonderful Yorkshire Dales. You can feel the cold stone walls and the biting wind.

If you’ve never watched one of the movies or the TV series, let me explain. James Herriot (real name Alf White) was a fresh-faced veterinary school graduate in the 1930s. The books (this is one of a series), take readers (listeners in this version) to rural North Yorkshire in northern England. During the journey we meet a variety of clients and some truly entertaining situations. James’s colleagues, the fiery tempered Siegried Farnon and his younger brother, the harmless rogue Tristan leap from the pages and into readers hearts.

As a book, this ticks all the boxes with wonderful characters, entertaining anecdotes and fabulous scenery, all punctuated with touching moments when the inevitable happens and an animal doesn’t make it. The secondary characters, comprising patients and some of their owners,

Having listened to All Creatures Great and Small, I’m now moving on to All Things Bright and Beautiful.

To grab your own copy or listen to a sample, click here…