James Herriot Books in Order: The Complete All Creatures Great and Small Reading Guide
There is one important catch: readers may find a different list of James Herriot books when searching for the original UK editions. The American editions combined material from several of Herriot’s earlier UK books, so the titles and number of volumes can look different depending on which edition you buy.
James Herriot was the pen name of British veterinarian and author James Alfred Wight, whose warm, humorous stories about practicing veterinary medicine in the Yorkshire Dales became beloved around the world.
His books are based on his experiences as a country veterinarian, but they are about much more than animals. Herriot writes about eccentric farmers, difficult patients, friendship, family, romance, rural life, professional mishaps, and the emotional bond between people and their animals.
That mixture of humor and tenderness is what makes the books so enduring.
The stories also became the basis for the much-loved All Creatures Great and Small television adaptations.
James Herriot Books in Order
For readers using the commonly available five-volume collection, this is the recommended reading order.
1. All Creatures Great and Small (1972)
This is the perfect introduction to James Herriot’s world.
A young veterinarian arrives in the Yorkshire Dales and begins working alongside the eccentric Siegfried Farnon and his unpredictable younger brother, Tristan. Between difficult farm calls, stubborn animals, colorful farmers, and the challenges of settling into country life, James gradually discovers that veterinary medicine is rarely as straightforward as it looks.
This is where the characters, setting, humor, and distinctive storytelling style that define the series begin.
2. All Things Bright and Beautiful (1974)
James continues his veterinary adventures in the Yorkshire countryside, dealing with everything from farm animals to beloved household pets.
His professional life becomes increasingly intertwined with his personal life, and readers get more of the relationships, friendships, mishaps, and unforgettable animal cases that make the series so charming.
3. All Things Wise and Wonderful (1977)
The third book takes James’ story into a new phase as World War II approaches and his future becomes less certain.
The veterinary cases remain at the heart of the book, but there is a stronger sense of change as James considers his responsibilities, his family, and his future.
4. The Lord God Made Them All (1981)
James returns to the Yorkshire Dales after his wartime experiences, bringing readers back to the people and animals who made his earlier life so memorable.
The book combines humor and nostalgia with some of Herriot’s most touching observations about veterinary work, aging, friendship, and the countryside.
5. Every Living Thing (1992)
Published more than a decade after The Lord God Made Them All, this is the final major volume in the core Herriot series.
James is now older, married, and established in his veterinary practice. The book introduces new characters while bringing back familiar faces, giving the series a sense of continuity while showing how much James’ life has changed.
Why Do Some Lists Have More Than Five James Herriot Books?
This is the part that can confuse new readers.
The five-book list is the commonly published American sequence, but the original British books were published under different titles and divided into more volumes.
The original UK sequence begins with:
- If Only They Could Talk
- It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet
- Let Sleeping Vets Lie
- Vet in Harness
- Vets Might Fly
- Vet in a Spin
- The Lord God Made Them All
- Every Living Thing
American publishers combined material from several of these earlier books into the editions marketed as All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, and All Things Wise and Wonderful. This is why two perfectly legitimate James Herriot reading lists can appear to disagree.
So if you’re shopping for the books, check the edition before assuming a title is missing.
Which James Herriot Reading Order Should You Follow?
For most readers, I recommend the five-book American edition order:
All Creatures Great and Small
↓
All Things Bright and Beautiful
↓
All Things Wise and Wonderful
↓
The Lord God Made Them All
↓
Every Living Thing
This is particularly convenient because these five titles are widely available together as the core James Herriot collection. Macmillan currently presents these five books as the All Creatures Great and Small series.
If you specifically want the original UK editions, however, follow the longer sequence of individual books instead.
What About James Herriot’s Other Books?
Herriot wrote several other books outside the main five-volume veterinary memoir sequence.
Some are collections, illustrated books, children’s stories, or books about Yorkshire rather than additional installments in the main series.
James Herriot’s Yorkshire
Published in 1979, James Herriot’s Yorkshire is a pictorial exploration of the landscape that inspired the All Creatures Great and Small books.
It isn’t necessary to read it to understand the main series, but it is an appealing companion for readers who want to learn more about the real countryside behind Herriot’s stories.
James Herriot’s Books for Children
Herriot also created a popular collection of animal stories for younger readers.
Some notable titles include:
- 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)
These aren’t additional books in the main All Creatures Great and Small reading order. They are separate children’s stories inspired by Herriot’s love of animals.
Do You Need to Read James Herriot’s Books in Order?
Yes, if you want to follow James’ life and relationships as they develop.
The books are collections of veterinary stories rather than conventional novels with one continuous plot, so you can certainly open almost any volume and enjoy individual anecdotes.
However, reading them in order gives you a better understanding of James’ career, his relationship with Helen, his colleagues at Skeldale House, his family life, and the changes brought by World War II.
For that reason, publication order is the most satisfying choice for a first-time reader.
Is All Creatures Great and Small the First James Herriot Book?
Yes and no, depending on the edition.
All Creatures Great and Small is the first book in the commonly used five-volume American collection. However, If Only They Could Talk was the original UK book that began Herriot’s publishing career.
This distinction is one of the biggest reasons James Herriot reading-order searches can produce conflicting answers.
If you buy the five-volume collection, simply begin with All Creatures Great and Small. If you are deliberately collecting the original UK editions, start with If Only They Could Talk.
Where Should You Start With James Herriot?
For almost everyone, the answer is All Creatures Great and Small.
It introduces the Yorkshire setting and the central characters while showcasing Herriot’s trademark combination of animal stories, gentle humor, rural characters, and heartfelt observations.
If you have watched the television adaptation and want to experience the original books, this is also the natural starting point.
And if you happen to find an original UK edition of If Only They Could Talk, don’t worry that you’ve found the “wrong” book. You’ve simply found the original version of the beginning of Herriot’s literary journey.
Final Thoughts
James Herriot’s books are not really about following a complicated plot from one cliffhanger to another. Their appeal comes from something quieter: the feeling of spending time in the Yorkshire countryside with a veterinarian who sees the funny, frustrating, heartbreaking, and beautiful sides of life.
That’s why the reading order matters less for individual stories than it does for experiencing James’ life as a whole.
For the easiest reading experience, start with All Creatures Great and Small and continue through the five-book collection. And if you later discover that your edition has titles such as If Only They Could Talk or It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet, you’ve encountered the original UK publication structure—not a different James Herriot series.
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