James Alfred Wight (3 October 1916 – 23 February 1995), better known by his pen name James Herriot, was a British

veterinary surgeon Veterinary surgery is surgery performed on animals by veterinarians, whereby the procedures fall into three broad categories: orthopaedics (bones, joints, muscles), soft tissue surgery (skin, body cavities, cardiovascular system, GI/urogenital/ ...

and author. Born in

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...

, Wight graduated from

Glasgow Veterinary College The School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow is one of nine veterinary schools in the United Kingdom, and offers undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in Veterinary Medicine. It was established in 1862 as the independ ...

in 1939, returning to England to become a

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

, where he practised for almost 50 years. He is best known for writing a series of eight books set in the 1930s–1950s

Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales is an upland area of the Pennines in the Historic counties of England, historic county of Yorkshire, England, most of it in the Yorkshire Dales National Park created in 1954. The Dales comprise river valleys and the hills ri ...

about veterinary practice, animals, and their owners, which began with ''If Only They Could Talk'', first published in 1970. Over the decades, the series of books has sold some 60 million copies. The franchise based on his writings was very successful. In addition to the books, there have been several television and film adaptations of Wight's books, including the 1975 film '' All Creatures Great and Small''; a BBC television series of the same name, which ran 90 episodes; and a 2020 UK Channel 5 series, also of the same name.

Life

James Alfred Wight, who was called “Alf” for short, was born on 3 October 1916 in Sunderland, County Durham, England. Although Wight was born in England, the family moved to

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

when James was a child, and he lived there happily until leaving for Sunderland, and then

Thirsk Thirsk is a market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England known for its racecourse; quirky yarnbomber displays, and depiction as local author James Herriot's fictional Darrowby. History Archeological fin ...

in 1940. He had a "soft, lilting Scottish accent," according to actor

Christopher Timothy Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει� ...

, who portrayed James Herriot in the 1978 series. Wight attended

Yoker Yoker ( gd, An Eochair) is an area of Glasgow, Scotland, on the northern bank of the Clyde east of Clydebank, west of the city centre. From the fourteenth century, the Renfrew Ferry has linked Yoker with Renfrew on the south bank. Although ...

Primary School and

Hillhead High School Hillhead High School is a day school in Glasgow, Scotland, on Oakfield Avenue, neighbouring the University of Glasgow. Admissions It is one of the largest schools in Glasgow. History Grammar school Until 1972 it was a co-educational selectiv ...

. When he was a boy in Glasgow, one of Wight's favourite pastimes was walking with his dog, an

Irish Setter The Irish Setter ( ga, sotar rua, literally "red setter") is a setter, a breed of gundog, and family dog. The term ''Irish Setter'' is commonly used to encompass the show-bred dog recognised by the American Kennel Club as well as the field-bred ...

, in the Scottish countryside and watching it play with his friends' dogs. He later wrote: "I was intrigued by the character and behaviour of these animals... wanted tospend my life working with them if possible." At age 12, he read an article in ''

Meccano Magazine ''Meccano Magazine'' was an English monthly hobby magazine published by Meccano Ltd between 1916 and 1963, and by other publishers between 1963 and 1981. The magazine was initially created for Meccano builders, but it soon became a general hobb ...

'' about veterinary surgeons and was captivated with the idea of a career treating sick animals. Two years later, in 1930, he decided to become a vet after the principal of Glasgow Veterinary College gave a lecture at his high school. Herriot Museum

Wight married Joan Catherine Anderson Danbury on 5 November 1941 at

St Mary's Church, Thirsk St Mary's Church, Thirsk is a Church of England parish church in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. The church is a grade I listed building. History The church dates from the 15th century. The living was augmented in 1811 with £1,200 () and in 1824 with ...

. After they returned to Thirsk, Wight "carried on TB testing fcows in Wensleydale and the top floor of 23 Kirkgate became Joan and Alf’s first home". The couple had two children: James Alexander (born 13 February 1943), who also became a veterinarian and eventually his father's successor in the practice, and Rosemary (born 9 May 1947), who became a general practitioner.

Veterinary practice

Wight took six years to complete the five-year programme at Glasgow Veterinary College because of health issues. According to ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', there was another reason: He "failed many of his classes on the first try: surgery, pathology, physiology, histology, even animal husbandry (which he failed twice)". He graduated on 14 December 1939. The new vet's first position, which he accepted in January 1940, was at a veterinary practice in Sunderland, working for J. J. McDowall. He decided that he would prefer a rural practice and accepted a position in July, based at 23 Kirkgate in

, Yorkshire, near the Yorkshire Dales and the

North York Moors The North York Moors is an upland area in north-eastern Yorkshire, England. It contains one of the largest expanses of Calluna, heather moorland in the United Kingdom. The area was designated as a national parks of England and Wales, National P ...

. The practice owner, Donald Sinclair, had enlisted in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

(RAF) and was soon to leave for training; he gave Wight all the practice's income in return for Wight's looking after it during his absence. (His brother, Brian Sinclair, was not yet a vet.) After Sinclair was discharged from the RAF four months later, he asked Wight to stay permanently with the practice, offering a salaried partnership, which Wight accepted. Wight enlisted in the RAF in November 1942. He did well in his training and was one of the first in his flight to fly solo. After undergoing surgery on an

anal fistula Anal fistula is a chronic abnormal communication between the epithelialised surface of the anal canal and usually the perianal skin. An anal fistula can be described as a narrow tunnel with its internal opening in the anal canal and its externa ...

in July 1943, he was deemed unfit to fly combat aircraft and was discharged as a

leading aircraftman Leading aircraftman (LAC) or leading aircraftwoman (LACW) is a junior rank in some air forces. It sits between aircraftman and senior aircraftman, and has a NATO rank code of OR-2. The rank badge is a horizontal two-bladed propeller. The ra ...

the following November. He joined his wife at her parents' house, where she had lived since he left Thirsk. They lived there until the summer of 1945, when they moved back to 23 Kirkgate after Sinclair and his wife moved to a house of their own. In 1953, the family moved to a house on Topcliffe Road, Thirsk. Wishing for more privacy as the popularity of ''All Creatures Great and Small'' increased, in 1977 Wight and his wife moved again, to the smaller village of

Thirlby Thirlby is a village and civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. With a population of about 120 in 2003, measured at 134 at the 2011 Census, Thirlby is situated approximately east of Thirsk. Unlike its near neighbo ...

, about from Thirsk. Wight lived there until his death in 1995.Wight, Jim. 2000. ''The real James Herriot: A memoir of my father''. New York: Ballantine Books. Wight became a full partner in the Thirsk practice in 1949 and retired from full-time practice in 1980 but continued to work part time. He fully retired in 1989 (or 1990 according to some sources); by then, he had worked in his field for roughly 50 years.

Death

In Wight's will, his share of the practice passed to his son. Wight had been diagnosed with

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...

in 1991 and was treated in the

Friarage Hospital Friarage Hospital is a 189-bed hospital located in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, England. The hospital covers a large section of rural North Yorkshire and the Vale of York which amounts to over 120,000 people in . The hospital is run by the Sou ...

Northallerton Northallerton ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Hambleton District of North Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Vale of Mowbray and at the northern end of the Vale of York. It had a population of 16,832 in the 2011 census, an increase ...

. He died on 23 February 1995 at home in Thirlby at age 78, leaving an estate valued for probate at £5,425,873 (equivalent to £ in )."WIGHT, JAMES ALFRED of Mire Beck, Thirlby, Thirsk, North Yorkshire" in Probate Index for 1995 at probatesearch.service.gov.uk, accessed 5 August 2019 His remains were cremated and scattered on

Sutton Bank Sutton Bank is a hill in the Hambleton District of the North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire in England. It is a high point on the Hambleton Hills with extensive views over the Vale of York and the Vale of Mowbray. At the foot of Sut ...

. His wife's health declined after his death, and she died on 14 July 1999.

Remembering Alf Wight

In 2001, a book by Wight's son, Jim, was published. A review of ''The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father'' noted, "Wight portrays his father as a modest, down-to-earth and generous man, utterly unchanged by fame, a private individual who bottled up his emotions, which led to a nervous breakdown and electroshock therapy in 1960." Wight's obituary confirmed his modesty and preference to stay away from the public eye. "It doesn't give me any kick at all," he once said. "It's not my world. I wouldn't be happy there. I wouldn't give up being a vet if I had a million pounds. I'm too fond of animals." By 1995, some 50 million of the James Herriot books had been sold. Wight was well aware that clients were unimpressed with the fame that accompanied a best-selling author. "If a farmer calls me with a sick animal, he couldn't care less if I were

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

," Wight once said.

Career as an author

Although Wight claimed in the preface of ''James Herriot's Yorkshire'' that he had begun to write only after his wife encouraged him when he was 50, he in fact kept copious diaries as a child, as a teenager wrote for his school's magazine, and wrote at least one short story during his college years. In the early 1960s he began analysing the books of successful authors that he enjoyed reading, such as

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

and

Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

, to understand different writing styles. During this time he also began writing more seriously, composing numerous short stories and, in his own words, 'bombarding' publishers with them. Based on the year when he started work in Thirsk, the stories in the first two books would have taken place early during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Wight preferred to have them take place in a quieter era so he set them in pre-war years. The author required a pseudonym because the

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is the regulatory body for veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom, established in 1844 by royal charter. It is responsible for monitoring the educational, ethical and clinical standards of the v ...

' regulations prevented vets from any type of advertising. A reliable source states that he "chose the name after attending a football match in which the Scotland internationalist Jim Herriot played in goal for Birmingham City." Wight's early efforts at having his writing published were unsuccessful, which he later explained by telling

Paul Vallely Paul Vallely CMG is a British writer on religion, ethics, Africa and development issues. In his seminal 1990 book ''Bad Samaritans: First World Ethics and Third World Debt'', he first coined the phrase that campaigners needed to move "from char ...

in a 1981 interview for the ''Sunday Telegraph Magazine'', "...my style was improving but ..my subjects were wrong." Choosing a subject where he was more experienced, in 1969 he wrote ''If Only They Could Talk'', a collection of stories centred around his experiences as a young veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales. The book was published in the United Kingdom in 1970 by

Michael Joseph Ltd Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.Thomas McCormack of

St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, in the Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under si ...

in New York City received a copy and arranged to have both books published as a single volume in the United States that same year. Wight named this volume ''All Creatures Great and Small'' from the second line of the hymn "

All Things Bright and Beautiful "All Things Bright and Beautiful" is an Anglican hymn, also sung in many other Christian denominations. The words are by Cecil Frances Alexander and were first published in her ''Hymns for Little Children'' of 1848. The hymn is commonly sung ...

". The resulting book was a huge success.

Achieving success

Wight wrote seven more books in the series started by ''If Only They Could Talk''. In the United States, the first six books of the original series were thought too short to publish independently. Most of the stories were collected into three omnibus volumes; the final two books were published separately. The last book of the series, ''Every Living Thing'', sold 650,000 copies in six weeks in the United States and stayed on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list for eight months. Recent research indicates that the first two books sold only a few thousand copies in the UK initially. "It was a New York publisher [

] who changed the childish-looking cover art[,] combined the works under the title ''All Creatures Great and Small''," and reaped the benefits when the work achieved best-seller status in the US. Its US editor, Tom McCormack, attributed the title to "a British guy in our marketing department, Michael Brooks"; however, in a 1976 BBC interview Wight said it was "my daughter's title" and "she thought that one out." Contrary to widespread belief, Wight's books are only partially autobiographical, with many of the stories only loosely based on real events or people. Where stories do have a basis in genuine veterinary cases, they are frequently ones that Wight attended in the 1960s and 70s. Most of the stories are set in the fictional town of

Darrowby Darrowby is a fictional village in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England, which was created by author Alf Wight under the pen name of James Herriot James Alfred Wight (3 October 1916 – 23 February 1995), better known by his pen name J ...

, which Wight described as a composite of Thirsk, its nearby market towns

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

Leyburn Leyburn is a market town and civil parish in the district of Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, England, sitting above the northern bank of the River Ure in Wensleydale. Historically in the North Riding of Yorkshire, the name was derived from 'L ...

, and

Middleham Middleham is an English market town and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire. It lies in Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales, on the south side of the valley, upstream from the junction of the River Ure and River Cover. ...

, and 'a fair chunk of my own imagination'. Wight anonymised the majority of his characters by renaming them: Notably, he gave the pseudonyms Siegfried and Tristan Farnon, respectively, to Donald Sinclair and his brother

Brian Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word me ...

, and used the name Helen Alderson for his wife Joan. When Wight's first book was published, Brian Sinclair "was delighted to be captured as Tristan and remained enthusiastic about all Wight's books." Donald Sinclair, however, was offended by his portrayal and said, "Alfred, this book is a real test of our friendship." (He never called Wight 'Alf', mirrored in the books by Siegfried's always referring to Herriot as 'James' rather than 'Jim'.) Things calmed down, however, and the pair continued to work together until they retired. Wight's son wrote in ''The Real James Herriot'' that in fact Donald Sinclair's character in the novels was considerably toned down, and in an interview described him as 'hilarious', 'a genius', and 'chaotic'. ''The New York Times'' also stated that Donald Sinclair had far more rough edges than the Siegfried character. "Sinclair’s real-life behaviour was much more eccentric. (He once discharged a shotgun during a dinner party to let his guests know it was time to leave.)" When asked whether Donald Sinclair was eccentric, actor

Samuel West Samuel Alexander Joseph West (born 19 June 1966) is an English actor, narrator and theatre director. He has directed on stage and radio, and worked as an actor across theatre, film, television and radio. He often appears as reciter with orche ...

(who researched the vet for his role in the Channel 5 TV series) replied, "Oh, no ... he was mad." The books are novels, and most sources agree that about 50 percent of the content was pure fiction. In a BBC interview taped in 1976, Wight recalled his life in Yorkshire, his career, and the success of his books.

Film and television adaptations

Wight's books have been adapted for film and television, including the 1975 film '' All Creatures Great and Small'', followed by ''

It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet ''It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet'' (in the United States also known as ''All Things Bright and Beautiful''), is a 1976 sequel to the 1975 film '' All Creatures Great and Small''. Although having the same title as James Herriot's second novel, the ...

'' in 1976. The

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

produced a television series based on Wight's books titled '' All Creatures Great and Small'', which ran from 1978 to 1980 and 1988–1990; ninety episodes were broadcast altogether. Wight was often present on set and hosted gatherings for the cast and crew. "After filming we used to go for wonderful evenings in the Wensleydale Heifer with Tim Hardy and Chris Timothy," said Sandy Byrne, wife of the writer of the television series, Johnny Byrne. "Alf and Joan would come along. It was always immensely exciting. We made very good friends with Alf and Joan. We saw them several times over the years. Alf was still practising then, so his car would be packed with dogs. Joan was a very easy, down-to-earth person, I liked her very much. We also got to know their children, Jim and Rosie, very well."''All Memories Great & Small'', Oliver Crocker (2016; MIWK) In September 2010, the Gala Theatre in Durham presented the world premier professional stage adaptation of ''All Creatures Great and Small''. In 2010, the BBC commissioned the three-part drama '' Young James Herriot'', inspired by Wight's early life and studies in Scotland. The series drew on archives and the diaries and case notes which Wight kept during his student days in Glasgow, as well as the biography written by his son. The first episode was shown on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...

on 18 December 2011, and drew six million viewers. The BBC announced in April 2012 that the series would not return. A book titled ''Young James Herriot'' was written by historian and author

John Lewis-Stempel John Lewis-Stempel (born 1967) is an English farmer, writer, and '' Sunday Times'' Top 5 best selling author. He was born in Herefordshire, where his family have lived for over 700 years. Career He has written on a range of subjects from Nativ ...

to accompany the series. A new production of '' All Creatures Great and Small'' was produced by

Playground Entertainment Playground Entertainment is a television, film and theatre production company with offices in New York and London, founded in 2012 by Sir Colin Callender, former President of HBO Films. Television The company has produced over 90 hours of televis ...

for Channel 5 in the United Kingdom, and

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

in the United States. The production received some funding from Screen Yorkshire. Most of the filming was completed in the

, including many exteriors in

Grassington Grassington is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. The population of the parish at the 2011 Census was 1,126. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is situated in Wharfedale ...

as the setting for the fictional town of

. The first series, of six episodes and a special Christmas episode, premiered in the UK on Channel 5 on 1 September 2020 and in the US on

as part of ''

Masterpiece A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

'' on 10 January 2021. ''All Creatures Great and Small'' was renewed for a second series, also of six episodes plus a Christmas special.

Recognition and tourist industry

Thirsk has become a magnet for fans of Wight's books. Following his death, the practice at 23 Kirkgate was restored and converted into a museum,

The World of James Herriot World of James Herriot Ltd is a visitor attraction in the former Thirsk writer's home, home and veterinary surgery of author James Herriot. Displays include recreations of James Herriots 1940s Apartment, flat; depictions of rural life and veter ...

, which focuses on his life and writings. A local pub renamed itself the "Darrowby Inn", after the village name that Wight created to represent the locale in which he practised. (By 2020, the pub had been renamed The Red Bear.) Portions of the surgery sets used in the ''All Creatures Great and Small'' BBC series are on display at the museum, including the living room and dispensary. Some of the original contents of the surgery can be found at the

Yorkshire Museum of Farming The Yorkshire Museum of Farming is located in Murton Park near York in England. It is housed on a grass field site of approximately , and is the only museum in the district specifically dedicated to the subject of farming. In the autumn of 2010 ...

in Murton, York. Grand Central rail company operates train services from Sunderland to London King's Cross, stopping at Thirsk. Class 180 DMU No. 180112 was named 'James Herriot' in Wight's honour, and was dedicated on 29 July 2009 by his daughter Rosemary and son James. Actor

, who played Herriot in the BBC television series, unveiled a statue of Wight in October 2014 at

Thirsk Racecourse Thirsk Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, England. The course is a left handed oval of about 1 mile 2 furlongs with a 3 furlong finishing straight and a 6 furlong chute. The present course opened ...

. Wight received an

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

from

Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted univ ...

in 1979, and was made an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) in the

1979 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1979 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 1 January 1979 to celebr ...

. In 1994, the library at

was named the 'James Herriot Library' in honour of Wight's achievements. Wight was deeply gratified by this recognition, replying in his acceptance letter, "I regard this as the greatest honour that has ever been bestowed upon me." He was a lifelong supporter of

Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club (, ) is an English professional football club based in the city of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. Formed in 1879, Sunderland play in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club has won six t ...

, and was made an honorary president of the club in 1991. A

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...

was placed at Wight's childhood home in Glasgow in October 2018. There is also a blue plaque at 23 Kirkgate, Wight's former surgery. Another blue plaque was unveiled by his children at his Brandling Street birthplace in Sunderland in September 2021.

Minor planet According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''minor ...

4124 Herriot is named in his honour.

Published works

The original UK series

*''If Only They Could Talk'' (1970) *''It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet'' (1972) *''Let Sleeping Vets Lie'' (1973) (including a few chapters that were not included in the omnibus editions ''All Creatures Great and Small'' and ''All Things Bright and Beautiful)'' *''Vet in Harness'' (1974) *''Vets Might Fly'' (1976) *''Vet in a Spin'' (1977) *''The Lord God Made Them All'' (1981) *''Every Living Thing'' (1992)

Collected works from the original UK series

In the United States, Wight's first six books were considered too short to publish independently, so they were combined in pairs to form three omnibus volumes. *''All Creatures Great and Small'' (1972) (incorporating ''If Only They Could Talk'', ''It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet'', and three chapters from ''Let Sleeping Vets Lie'') *''All Things Bright and Beautiful'' (1974) (incorporating the majority of the chapters from ''Let Sleeping Vets Lie'' and ''Vet in Harness'') *''All Things Wise and Wonderful'' (1977) (incorporating ''Vets Might Fly'' and ''Vet in a Spin'') *''The Lord God Made Them All'' (1981) *''The Best of James Herriot'' (First Edition: 1982) ; (Complete Edition: 1998) *''James Herriot's Dog Stories'' (1986) *''James Herriot's Cat Stories'' (1994) *''James Herriot's Yorkshire Stories'' (1998) *''James Herriot's Animal Stories'' (2015)

Books for children

*''Moses the Kitten'' (1984) *''Only One Woof'' (1985) *''The Christmas Day Kitten'' (1986) *''Bonny's Big Day'' (1987) *''Blossom Comes Home'' (1988) *''The Market Square Dog'' (1989) *''Oscar, Cat-About-Town'' (1990) *''Smudge, the Little Lost Lamb'' (1991) *''James Herriot's Treasury for Children'' (1992)

Other books

*''James Herriot's Yorkshire'' (1979) *''James Herriot's Yorkshire Revisited'' (1999)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Herriot, James 1916 births 1995 deaths People from Sunderland Writers from Tyne and Wear People educated at Hillhead High School Fellows of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Alumni of the University of Glasgow Deaths from cancer in England Deaths from prostate cancer British autobiographers British children's writers British humorists British veterinarians Officers of the Order of the British Empire Royal Air Force personnel of World War II 20th-century British novelists British male novelists People from Thirsk Writers about Yorkshire Royal Air Force airmen 20th-century pseudonymous writers