I was interested in this month’s book , both because of its veterinary subject and its location. As
regular readers of The Library Door blogs will know, I am a veterinary nurse and I was initially
inspired to go into the veterinary profession because of the James’s Herriot stories. I read the
books , watched the 1975 film , starring Simon Ward and Sir Anthony Hopkins no less, and was
obsessed by the 1978 TV series. Several years ago , I got to visit Alf Wright (the real James’
Herriot) premises which are now a museum featuring many of the props from the series.
So why the location? Well I studied very little geography at school, but of course I have a
recognition of the Falklands in relation to the images from the 1982 invasion and war. l do
remember being taught about Tristan da Cunha in geography class so I was excited to make its
reacquaintance in this book. My geography knowledge being what it is , however, I was
convinced that this was where native people had their homes built on stilts, so I was in for a
surprise and an education., by this months book, which is The Vet at the End Of the Earth by Jonathan Hollins, published by Duckworth Books ( http://www.duckworthbooks.co.uk ) in October.

This book is a memoir by Jonathon Hollins, who was the resident vet in the remote British
Overseas Territories of the Falklands, St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. His role
encompassed the complexities of caring for the world’s oldest living land animal, MoD mascots,
relocating herds or reindeer, pursuing mystery creatures and invasive micro- organisms and
rescuing animals, all based in extraordinary landscapes from subtropical cloud forests to
volcanic cliff faces.

This was an interesting and thought provoking read, not only improving my geography but also
educating me on the flora and fauna, the struggles and ingenuity of the human population, along
with varied role of the resident vet. Jonathan seemed to approach the myriad problems he faced
in the same stoic and determined manner in which the locals approach life. I found his
explanations of step by step problem solving interesting and could only admire the tact and
diplomacy he seemed to utilise in dealing with colleagues, locals and bureaucrats alike. The joy
he experienced in visiting and living in these remote environments shone through the pages. A
great bit of armchair adventuring.

This is English author and vet, Jonathan Hollins ( http://www.jonathanhollins.co.uk ) first book. Originally from the south of England, Jonathan trained at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and has been a working vet for four decades. Since the mid-2000s, he has spent long periods as a senior vet in the British Overseas Territories of the South Atlantic and has a home on St Helena. He has written for the UK national press and presented documentary features for BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4.

As the book is broken into different stories and with beautiful photographs, you could read it in
its entirety or dip in and out. Some are sad but most have happy endings, or at least the
satisfaction of a well reasoned and considered opinion.

There were some memorable characters within the varied stories in the book, not all of them
human, but the most engaging was Jonathon Hollins himself. I’d recommend this to any animal
lover or budding anthropologist who facies a walk on the wild side.

Reviewed by Georgina Murphy (RVN)

This book review is part of a Random Things Blog Tour, to see what the other reviewers thought, visit their blogs listed below. Then, if you get a copy, comeback and tell us what you thought. We’d really appreciate the feedback.