Set in Glasgow in the 1930s,Young James Herriotis the fascinating story of Herriots formative years at veterinary college, recounting the tales behind his calling to work with animals and his early friendships. With no modern drugs, and a lot of trial-and-error, James sets about learning how to treat the local farm animals and the pets of city folk.

Accompanied by a cast of eccentric professors and an ensemble of aspiring veterinarians, this book reveals a world now lost to us, showing how life in pre-war Britain changed an enthusiastic young student named Alf Wight into the man who would charm millions of readers the world over.

John Lewis-Stempel is the author ofThe Wild Life,Meadowland,Where Poppies Grow, The Running Hare, The Secret Life of the Owland most recently,The Wood: the life and times of Cockshutt Wood. He has twice won the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing, forMeadowlandandWhere Poppies Grow, and was shortlisted forThe Running Hare,which was also shortlisted for the Independent Bookshop Week Book Award and the Richard Jefferies Society Award.He writes a column on nature and farming forCountry Lifeand was the 2016 BSME Magazine Columnist of the Year.He lives on the borders of England and Wales with his wife and two children.

The story of James Herriot's formative years at veterinary college - now in paperback