James Herriot
(1916–1995)

James Herriot drew on his experiences as a country veterinarian to create warm and lively stories that became worldwide bestsellers. His love of animals shines through in his simple, moving tales. His works gained even greater renown when they became the basis for a television series. Even at the height of his fame, Herriot never abandoned his animal patients.

Herriot spent a happy childhood in Hillhead, Scotland, a small town near Glasgow. He was born James Alfred Wight, and used the name Herriot only to publish his books. He fondly remembers spending long walks with his dog, "camping and climbing among the highlands of Scotland so that at an early age three things were implanted in my character: a love of animals, reading, and the countryside."

At the age of 13, Herriot decided he wanted to be a veterinarian. With determination and strong dedication, he graduated from Glasgow Veterinary School. At school, Herriot always imagined he would have his own modern practice. He thought he would handle mostly pet cats and dogs. However, in the middle of the Great Depression, jobs were scarce. Herriot finally found a position as an assistant vet in North Yorkshire, a remote and rural area of England.

Instead of cats and dogs, Herriot found himself treating mostly farm animals: horses, pigs, cows, sheep, and other livestock. His early experiences opened his eyes to a new world of animals and veterinary medicine. He soon fell in love with his job and Yorkshire itself, learning that "treating cows and pigs and sheep and horses had a fascination I had never even suspected; and this brought with it a new concept of myself as a tiny wheel in the great machine of British agriculture."

In 1941, Herriot married and became a full partner in the Yorkshire veterinary practice with his former employer, Siegfried Farnon. In his best-selling book All Creatures Great and Small, Herriot describes the joys of his early years as a vet. He describes everything from helping cows give birth to treating Tricki Woo, a pampered Pekinese dog.

In 1943, Herriot was called up to serve in the war. For the rest of World War II, he served in the Royal Air Force. Though he was stationed in Scarborough, not too far from his home, he was overjoyed to return to his wife and patients as soon as the war ended.

Throughout his life, Herriot was well-known for his engaging stories. He often came home from work and told his wife amusing tales of the animals and people of the day. Laughing, he would often add that he was saving the stories for the book that he would write some day. One day, Mrs. Herriot replied, "Who are you kidding? Vets of fifty don't write first books." Stung, Herriot rose to the challenge. He promptly bought some paper and began to learn how to type.

Herriot's first attempts to write down his stories were amateurish and flat, but he did not give up. He worked hard to learn the craft of writing. Soon, the quality of his writing improved. He learned to capture the surprises and pleasures of his veterinary work in clear, straightforward prose.

At that time, British veterinarians were not allowed to advertise. Worried that stories based on his own experiences might seem like advertising, James Alfred Wight decided to use the name James Herriot as a writer's pseudonym, or pen name.

People all over the world love Herriot's tales. His books have sold over fifty million copies worldwide.

Herriot continued his veterinary practice into his seventies, treating his animal patients and signing autographs for his many fans. He turned some of his most memorable tales into children's books to share them with an even wider audience.

Herriot's life and works live on in many ways. In addition to his many books, fans enjoy watching the television series based on his books, All Creatures Great and Small. Herriot's son, Jim Wight, continued in his father's footsteps, becoming a vet and joining the Yorkshire practice.

Like doctors who treat humans, veterinarians go through a challenging and strict education. Most vets specialize in small animals, such as house pets, or in treating large animals, such as horses and other farm animals. Herriot's practice was particularly unusual because he treated animals "great and small," from parakeets to horses.

Many of Herriot's tales describe the early days of his practice during the 1940s and 1950s. Veterinary medicine was not nearly as sophisticated in those days as it is today. Herriot had very little modern equipment to work with. Instead, he had to combine his knowledge of animals with common sense. His natural optimism certainly helped him make the best of a difficult situation. "We had no antibiotics, few drugs," he remembers "A lot of time was spent pouring things down cows" throats."

Although the technology has changed, people are still drawn to the career of veterinarian for the same reasons as Herriot was. As a child, he had read a magazine article about a veterinarian at work and was inspired to seek a career treating sick animals. Today, many vets receive a first glimpse of their future careers when they start to read Herriot's inspiring stories. In fact, one veterinarian has paid tribute to Herriot's influence on her choice of career by creating a Web site honoring his life and works.

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