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James Herriot (1916-1995)
Iconic British author whose books about his life in a rural veterinary practice in the Yorkshire Dales were immensely popular, as was the TV show based upon them. I feel a bit of an affinity for the author as, exactly like me he was born in Sunderland, but eventually came to live in Yorkshire. His real name was James Alf Wight. He grew up in Glasgow, where he also studied veterinary medicine and in his twenties came to the Dales to take up a position as vet there in the practice owned by Donald Sinclair (Siegfried in the books and TV show). His love affair with the beautiful area and its people and animals lasted a lifetime and in his later years his partly fictionalised memoirs of his years as a vet there were published and soon became bestsellers. These books really are a must for animal lovers with their mixture of humour and pathos; and throughout them all runs the author's deep love and respect for animals. The books were made into a well-loved TV series and also two films.
As well as his adult books, James Herriot also published a number of short children's novels including a pony book which is about a heavy horse called Bonny. Although this is his only specific equine title, his All Creatures Great and Small vet series are also full of horse content and are to be highly recommended.
There is a lot of information on the internet about the author including a website dedicated to him. There are also two biographies, one written by his son Jim.
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