A country veterinary surgeon is a dedicated man.

Being a vet in the late 1930s and early 1940s is not a job for the weak of heart. Many of the calls that James, Siegfried, and Tristan answer come in the middle of the night, sometimes twice in one night, without regard to the outside temperature or day of year it is. The life of a country vet is at the mercy of the call of duty, much as the life of a military man is. In All Things Wise and Wonderful, Herriot relates many of the things he is required to do when in training with the RAF, and he often compares such requirements to his experiences as a vet. One night James must answer a call, it is winter, bitter cold, he has a cold, and the only people who can help him are two old farmers who...