Ok, I'd like to clear something up. People keep saying they're disappointed because these books (If Only They Could Talk, Let Sleeping Vets Lie, Vet in a Spin, etc.) are a rip-off of the "original" series, including All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, etc.

The first-mentioned series (starting with If Only They Could Talk) is the original. Later, these shorter books were compiled into the longer "All Creatures" series. the shorter books aren't a rip-off; they're just in their original published format.

Now, as to the books themselves, they're absolutely hilarious. A great read! They almost make one want to become a Yorkshire Dales vet... almost, but not quite. These books don't tone anything down. We are given the nitty-gritty details of farm and vet life in the 30s and 40s. Those who are especially squeamish may shudder a bit at some of Herriot's experiences. By the end of the series, you could almost deliver a calf in a pinch... almost, but not quite.

Anyways, wonderful series. Read them!

By just reading the back you'd think this book would be a fluffy tale about a young handsome country vet who moves to an idyllic rural English countryside and lives the life ...of a country gentleman. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is the first book in a series that is the true story of life as a country vet in late 1930s England. There's no fluff here...you get specifics about what its like being a vet: its 2am, its the dead of winter, you're stripped to the waste, the only light is an old lamp that a gruff farmer is holding above your head, and you've got your arm up a cow's birth canal trying to turn the calf around so it doesn't kill itself or the mother. That being said, you grow to love the people James Herriott works with (eccentric Siegfried and lazy Tristan) and the farmers of Darrowby. Being a vet is rough, but this series makes you appreciate what they do and the important role they play in agriculture and in taking care of your pet.