ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – Celebrating All Creatures Great and Small
Happy All Creatures Great and Small day to all those who celebrate. Yes, one of my favourite series is back on the television this evening and I’m so looking forward to getting back to Darrowby, to James and Helen, Mrs Hall, Tristan and my favourite loveable curmudgeon, Siegfried Farnon.
Celebrating All Creatures Great & Small – For the Love of the Yorkshire Dales will be published by Michael O’Mara Books on 26th September in glorious full colour hardcover and eBook and when Alison Menzies emailed about a review copy I snapped her hand off. Thank you Alison and the publishers for sending it.
The official All Creatures Great & Small companion, offering a glimpse behind the scenes of the award-winning show, with beautiful photography throughout.
‘All Creatures Great & Small is the loveliest place in (fictional) Britain.’ The Telegraph
‘The show that heals cows and soothes souls.’ The New York TimesFeaturing 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.
This companion book to the popular television series that is about to start its fifth series is a joy to behold. What’s really nice about it is that it looks in depth at the show and the characters, and it also celebrates the splendour of the Yorkshire Dales setting. There are some beautiful photos of the area.
The foreword is by Rosie Page, daughter of the real life James Herriot, Alf Wight. She mentions being invited to watch the filming of her ‘parents’ getting married and how much the actors playing the current incarnations of James and Helen are like her parents.
The book then proceeds with sections covering Home and Away, Family and Friendship, Love and Romance, Order and Chaos, and Yorkshire Spirit (and Pudding). There’s lots of background information, not just about the show but about the settings and the people the characters are based on. There are also details about the cast and snippets from episodes. It’s the sort of book that works well if you dip into it, but the way it’s constructed makes it just as good, if not better, to read from front to back.
It covers all of the previous four series and leads us nicely to the beginning of season five, with a new young Herriot at Skeldale House. It’s a delightful book that reminded me of everything I love about All Creatures Great and Small: the camaraderie, the support, the laughter, the love, the friendship, and let’s not forget the all-important animals. Highly recommended for fans of the series.
These pages remind me of my favourite episode of all, the one where James leaves to take up his post in the Royal Air Force during WWII. He gets on the bus, gets out a photo of himself and Helen on their wedding day and we hear him recite My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose. Well, I mostly heard him over the sound of my sobbing. 😭😭😭 It was such a beautiful scene that I watched it more than once.
All Creatures Great & Small is a Playground Production for Channel 5, in association with All3Media and Screen Yorkshire. The classic veterinary drama, based on James Herriot’s adventures in 1930s Yorkshire, is directed by Brian Percival (Downton Abbey) and stars Nicholas Ralph, Samuel West and Anna Madeley. The first series was nominated for Best Drama Series by the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards.
This looks a gorgeous book. I loved the James Herriot books as a teen and collected them all. My favourite TV memories are of the original TV series with Christopher Timothy as James.
I’ve never read any of the Herriot books but I do remember the Christopher Timothy series. I highly recommend the new series although there’s a fair bit to catch up on. Samuel West plays a brilliant Siegfried.
I haven’t actually watched any of the new version but I loved the original TV series. The theme tune alone brings back memories!
It’s strange how some theme tunes stay with you. I remember the original too. Highly recommend the new version! James Herriot is Scottish in this one, like in the original books.
Another fan of the original series here and I’m pretty sure I used to play the theme music on the piano. May just have to rifle through my music scores and inflict it on my husband
I’m sure he will be pleased to hear it! It’s a memorable and jaunty tune. It was played at the end of the very first episode of this new version which was a nice touch.