Summary of James Herriot's The Lord God Made Them All

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Book Preview: #1 I recalled the last time I had visited the Ripleys, which was to nip some calves. It was always a safari to visit Anson Hall because the old house lay at the end of a ridged and rutted track that twisted across the fields through seven gates.

#2 I visited Mr. Ripley to nip some calves. The farmer had promised me faithfully that he would get a new gate, but when I arrived he had eight shaggy heads in a box. They were not calves, but bulls. Mr. Ripley said that time gets on, and he was right.

#3 The last animal was the biggest of all. I had to open the arms of the Burdizzo beyond right angles to grip the great fleshy scrotum, and then close them again. It was difficult, and the farmer didn’t manage to close them. But he understood what I had been explaining.

#4 I was re-integrating into civilian life after the war, and I was enjoying my wife’s cooking. But when the phone rang and I had to go to a farm to help a farmer with his cow, I was dreading it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Mar 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669354642

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

I recalled the last time I had visited the Ripleys, which was to nip some calves. It was always a safari to visit Anson Hall because the old house lay at the end of a ridged and rutted track that twisted across the fields through seven gates.

#2

I visited Mr. Ripley to nip some calves. The farmer had promised me faithfully that he would get a new gate, but when I arrived he had eight shaggy heads in a box. They were not calves, but bulls. Mr. Ripley said that time gets on, and he was right.

#3

The last animal was the biggest of all. I had to open the arms of the Burdizzo beyond right angles to grip the great fleshy scrotum, and then close them again. It was difficult, and the farmer didn’t manage to close them. But he understood what I had been explaining.

#4

I was re-integrating into civilian life after the war, and I was enjoying my wife’s cooking. But when the phone rang and I had to go to a farm to help a farmer with his cow, I was dreading it.

#5

I was finally at the farm where the gate was. I had been expecting something different, but the old iron gate was still there, and unheeded. I had to push it away from me to get out, and my legs slid from under me when I tried to escape. I was trapped.

#6

I visited the farm of Anson Hall to see the cow that had left her meal lying on the table. The farmer had gone to the pub, and I had to wait for him to return. I felt a sense of peace when I looked back at the house.

#7

I had to see the cow’s foot, which was covered in caked muck. I scraped away the muck with a hoof knife, and there, glinting dully, was the cause of the trouble. I seized the metal stud with forceps and dragged it out.

#8

The farmer said he would guarantee that nothing like this would happen again. I wagged a finger at him and spoke quietly, but my weariness was clear. I had been away from Yorkshire too long and was beginning to miss it.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

I was called to help a man named Humphrey Cobb with his dog, Myrtle. Her heart was not beating very fast, and I felt a warm surge when I saw that she was a beagle like my own dog, Sam.

#2

The author was called to treat a dog that was panting excessively due to being too close to