Victor Gilling

Czechoslovakia, 1952. For some, life under the post-war Stalinist regime is hardly worth living and although the escape route to the West is almost suicide, the rewards - prosperity, political freedom, even luxury - make it a risk worth taking.

The trials and misadventures of the staff at a country veterinary office in Yorkshire. James Herriot, a young animal surgeon, moves to a small Yorkshire town to begin his first job.