The Ravenmaster
My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London
By Christopher Skaife
Published by 4th Estate, 2018
This book is *exactly* what it "says on the tin" :-)
After a long and exemplary military career, Christopher Skaife applied to become a Yeoman Warder of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London. He subsequently ended up becoming The Ravenmaster.
He debunks many of the myths which have grown up about the Tower and its ravens, but what he reveals about these incredibly intelligent and fiercely independent birds and their interaction with humans is even more fascinating and valuable in its turn.
This really is a superb book, a fascinating, side-splitting, sometimes heartbreaking description of his life and work, entwining folklore, history, natural history, science and the minutiae of his and the ravens' daily routines.
I found it absolutely riveting and I was really very sad when I reached the end. My only quibbles are 1/ that the US version apparently has a super cover photo of The Ravenmaster in his official dress uniform rather than the brooding and rather Edgar Allen Poe-esque cover designed for the British market, and 2/ that the few photographs are black and white, but these are very minor quibbles and in no way detract from the quality of the book.
1 comment:
Ooh, that looks really good! I don't know any ravens personally, but I so love our crows.
Post a Comment