It is the animals, the famous horses and top horse and rider combinations that make her such a universally loved figure in television, and that she speaks of so warmly and honestly in this delightful book that you are unable to put down.

A curious boy and a lenient, loving mother together make this a wildly eccentric ride, in the best way.His descriptive writing almost drips from the page so that you feel every detail in your imagination as a real sense.

From the protective Candy to the pot-bellied Valkyrie and the rather frisky Hattie, each horse and each dog has their own unique character and their own part to play in Claire Balding’s life. He casts a spell on you not only when he portrays quite spectacular species but also quite prosaic ones. The magnolia tree loomed vast over the house, its branches full of white blooms, like a hundred miniature reflections of the moon, and their thick, sweet scent hung over the veranda languorously, the scent that was an enchantment luring you out into the mysterious, moonlit countryside.It was apparent in the gleam of flower petals, the flash of bird wings and the sparkle in the dark, liquid eyes of the peasant girls. It turned out to be the author's memoir of her first twenty or so years of life, focused around the animals that were important to her at any given time. Whilst My Animals and Other Family is entertaining, with her trademark no frills style, this account of her formative years, at school and around her Father's stables, held together by tales of family dogs and horses, somehow lacks something and left me wanting more but in an unsatisfied, 'is that it? Not the book I thought I was getting from the library (expecting My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell) but delightful nonetheless. And even though I am not into sports and have no clue into horse racing, I found it an enjoyable experience.

Young Gerald explored his passion for the animal kingdom with his inspirational tutor, Dr Theodore Stephanides.

My Family and Other Animals (1956) is an autobiographical work by British naturalist Gerald Durrell. There’s been very few days, months, years since then that I have lived without a dog or cat in my home. The book was first published by Rupert Hart-Davis Ltd in 1956, and in paperback by Penguin Books in 1959, and has remained in print ever since. a meeting with a convict let out for a temporary jaunt, and the appointments with various tutors (including one with quite the impressive bird collection) all pointed to the fact that Gerry lived quite an extraordinary young life.