The Lord God Made Them AllThe Lord God Made Them All
Score Classic
What it's about
After World War II, James Herriot returns from the Royal Air Force to his veterinary practice in Darrowby, in the Yorkshire Dales, and to his wife Helen and their growing family. The farm work is still hard and often comic: difficult calvings, stubborn farmers, beloved dogs and their eccentric owners. He also travels abroad for the first time, accompanying livestock on a ship to the Soviet Union and on a flight to Turkey.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It's the fourth of Herriot's beloved memoirs, warm, funny and full of affection.
You'll love it if you liked
All Things Bright and Beautiful
All Things Wise and Wonderful
Pilgrim at Tinker CreekGood to know
It can be read on its own, but All Creatures Great and Small is the place to start. Each chapter is a self-contained story.
By the numbers
- Readers98 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller50 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #80 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #124 of the 762 classics we rank
- #399 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by James Herriot
All Things Wise and WonderfulAll Things Bright and Beautiful
Every Living ThingIf you like this, read next
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
Maus
Notes of a Native Son
Parting the Waters : America in the King Years 1954-63
A Bright Shining Lie
I Know Why the Caged Bird SingsExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Lord God Made Them All worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #399 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 79.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Lord God Made Them All about?
After World War II, James Herriot returns from the Royal Air Force to his veterinary practice in Darrowby, in the Yorkshire Dales, and to his wife Helen and their growing family. The farm work is still hard and often comic: difficult calvings, stubborn farmers, beloved dogs and their eccentric owners. He also travels abroad for the first time, accompanying livestock on a ship to the Soviet Union and on a flight to Turkey.
How long does it take to read The Lord God Made Them All?
About 9 hours (373 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Lord God Made Them All?
If you liked it, try All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot, All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot or Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard.