The Real James Herriot

A Memoir of My Father

De: Jim Wight

Narrado por: Liam Price

No one is better poised to write the biography of James Herriot than the son who worked alongside him in the Yorkshire veterinary practice when Herriot became an internationally bestselling author. Now, in this warm and poignant memoir, Jim Wight talks about his father—the beloved veterinarian whom his family had to share with half the world.

Alf Wight (aka James Herriot) grew up in Glasgow, where he lived during a happy childhood and then through the challenging years of training at the Glasgow Veterinary College. The story of how the young vet later traveled to the small Yorkshire town of Thirsk, aka Darrowby, to take the job of assistant vet is one that is well known through James Herriot's internationally celebrated books and the popular All Creatures Great and Small television series.

But Jim Wight's biography ventures beyond the trials and tribulations of his father's life as a veterinarian to reveal the man behind the stories—the private individual who refused to allow fame and wealth to interfere with his practice or his family. With access to all of his father's papers, correspondence, manuscripts, and photographs—and intimate remembrances of all the farmers, locals, and friends who populate the James Herriot books—only Jim Wight could write this biography of the man who was not only his father but his best friend.

©1999 Jim Wight (P)2024 Tantor Media

Narrator is the worst I have ever heard

I am not sure I can’t even finish this because the narration is so poor. This is the first time I have ever wanted to get my money back after buying an audible book. The story is fantastic, but I cannot seem to get past the narrator.

Narrator was awful.

The book is a pretty good accounting of the life of James Herriot, but the narrators swooping intonation combined with annoying tones did the story no favors.

Excellent account of the authors.

Beautiful account of Alfred Wight written by his son. Nicely presented the real James Herriot.

Great story

I did not like the narrator. But I loved getting to know the real «James Herriot»

FANTASTIC life

This story should have had an excellent narrator. Beautiful life, God given talent. Thank you for writing the book.

I can’t finish because of the narrator

I am returning this book to Audible, and I’m buying a physical copy of this book so that I can read it with Nicholas Ralph’s voice in my head instead of this narrator. I cannot get into and enjoy the book because the narrator’s intonations keep taking me out of it. I would LOVE it if they would have Nicholas Ralph read this book. He is the iconic voice of All Creatures Great and Small 😊

Loved it

I loved seeing how Alf’s real life was woven into the story. I’ve seen all tv episodes of All Creatures up to date and could easily see, “Oh, that’s where he got that idea.”
It was so sweet to see the father/son relationship and honor given. I was surprised by the whole tax issue and it was great to hear Alf wasn’t a greedy man.
The reader’s voice could get a bit predictable with his ups and downs-I almost thought it could have been AI generated.

Loved hearing the background story of James Herriot

The narrator, even though he was the son just didn’t help the story at all. It sounded like it was done by AI. That may be his son read a little bit of the story and the rest of it was created by AI.??
The narrator made it hard to want to listen to the rest of the story, but the story was well told so I stuck it out and it was very interesting.
I wish they would redo the story with a different narrator …..

Awful Narration; Worth the Pain of Listening to It

The narrator’s voice continually goes up in very odd places, like listening to an unsure middle schooler trying to figure out if they have anything worth saying, like OK? However, if like me, your only chance of reading this book is via listening to this narrator, I recommend soldiering on as the story is worth it.