📖 Book Review ~ Celebrating All Creatures Great and Small : For the Love of the Yorkshire Dales written by James Steen

 

Michael O’Mara Books
17 December  2024

Thanks to the publisher and Alison Menzies for my copy of this book

Featuring hundreds of spectacular shots from all four series, plus an in-depth look at the characters and real-life inspiration for the show, this book tells the fascinating story of the programme’s main character : the Yorkshire Dales.

Packed full of heartwarming photographs of the landscape, the set and the characters, as well as soundbites from the cast, this is everything you need to know about James and Helen Herriot, the beloved setting of Skeldale House and, of course, the animals.

Lavish, celebratory and richly detailed, this is an unmissable and sumptuous guide to All Creatures Great & Small, which showcases how Darrowby and its inhabitants have paid homage to such an incredible heritage. The perfect book for anyone with an interest in the Yorkshire Dales and James Herriot.

Foreword written by Rosie Page, James Herriot’s daughter.

📖 My Review..

I’m old enough to remember the original series of All Great and Small and living in Yorkshire at the time I had various spin off touristy type books which I used to explore the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. It was such a treat therefore when Channel 5 decided, in 2020, to launch a new adaptation of the books which were originally published by James Herriot, pen name of vet Alf Wight, in the 1970s. Whilst this new version is different from the original stories it still has all the charm of the original TV series, which ran from 1978 to 1990. With a new cast and sumptuous production, the charming tales of life in a country veterinary practice were once again brought to life and set to charm a new generation of fans by showcasing the beautiful Yorkshire Dales countryside.

Having watched all five of the Channel 5 series I consider myself to be something of a fan as not only have I thoroughly enjoyed this latest production but to have this official companion has been a real treat to read. With its beautiful glossy pages and stunning photographs it is definitely a book to treasure and re-read. Nicely divided into five distinct sections we are whisked away to the fictional village of Darrowby and meet those well loved characters who call this lovely place ‘home’. With lots of background information about the making of the series and vignettes of the cast there is a sense that this is a close knit community of talented people who really care about what they are producing and it shows in the popularity of the series which continues to grow and grow.

Just as James Herriot’s original novels were a love story to the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales and its people so this companion book is a love story to the TV series and to all the talented cast, including the animals, and amazing crew who bring All Creatures Great and Small to life in such glorious detail. 

If you’re  a fan of the series as I am or if you love the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, then treat yourself  by pre-ordering this lovely book in time for Christmas, and then just sit back, read and enjoy.

X @OMARABOOKS #AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall