- 258 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
"Packed with insight and anecdote [this memoir] brings the Tower ravens to vivid life." —George R .R. Martin, #1
New York Times–bestselling author of
A Game of Thrones
The ravens at the Tower of London are of mighty importance: rumor has it that if a raven from the Tower should ever leave, the city will fall.
The title of Ravenmaster, therefore, is a serious title indeed, and after decades of serving the Queen, Yeoman Warder Christopher Skaife took on the added responsibility of caring for the infamous ravens. In The Ravenmaster, he lets us in on his life as he feeds his birds raw meat and biscuits soaked in blood, buys their food at Smithfield Market, and ensures that these unusual, misunderstood, and utterly brilliant corvids are healthy, happy, and ready to captivate the four million tourists who flock to the Tower every year.
An intimate, and inspiring partnership has developed between the ravens and their human, the Ravenmaster, who shares the folklore, history, and superstitions surrounding the ravens and the Tower. Shining a light on the behavior of the birds, their pecking order and social structure, Skaife shows who the Tower's true guardians really are—and the result is a compelling and irreverent narrative that will surprise and enchant.
"An unending fount of raven lore." —Petra Mayer, NPR
"A beguiling, fascinating, and highly amusing account of the strangely magical birds." —Helen MacDonald, The Atlantic
"A natural storyteller, Skaife writes with affection and insight." —PD Smith, The Guardian
"Skaife] fill[s] in the story with scads of local color." —Peter Lewis, The Boston Globe
"Splendid." — Booklist, starred review
"A rollicking tale fit for nearly any armchair adventurer." — Publishers Weekly
The ravens at the Tower of London are of mighty importance: rumor has it that if a raven from the Tower should ever leave, the city will fall.
The title of Ravenmaster, therefore, is a serious title indeed, and after decades of serving the Queen, Yeoman Warder Christopher Skaife took on the added responsibility of caring for the infamous ravens. In The Ravenmaster, he lets us in on his life as he feeds his birds raw meat and biscuits soaked in blood, buys their food at Smithfield Market, and ensures that these unusual, misunderstood, and utterly brilliant corvids are healthy, happy, and ready to captivate the four million tourists who flock to the Tower every year.
An intimate, and inspiring partnership has developed between the ravens and their human, the Ravenmaster, who shares the folklore, history, and superstitions surrounding the ravens and the Tower. Shining a light on the behavior of the birds, their pecking order and social structure, Skaife shows who the Tower's true guardians really are—and the result is a compelling and irreverent narrative that will surprise and enchant.
"An unending fount of raven lore." —Petra Mayer, NPR
"A beguiling, fascinating, and highly amusing account of the strangely magical birds." —Helen MacDonald, The Atlantic
"A natural storyteller, Skaife writes with affection and insight." —PD Smith, The Guardian
"Skaife] fill[s] in the story with scads of local color." —Peter Lewis, The Boston Globe
"Splendid." — Booklist, starred review
"A rollicking tale fit for nearly any armchair adventurer." — Publishers Weekly
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription.
At the moment all of our mobile-responsive ePub books are available to download via the app. Most of our PDFs are also available to download and we're working on making the final remaining ones downloadable now. Learn more here.
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1 million books across 1000+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn more here.
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more here.
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS or Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access The Ravenmaster by Christopher Skaife in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Social Sciences & Social Science Biographies. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- 1. Silhouette
- 2. Ravenmaster
- 3. The Rules
- 4. Roll Call
- 5. Bird Life
- 6. Tower Green
- 7. Biscuits and Blood
- 8. The Menagerie
- 9. Black Birds
- 10. The Raven Spreads His Wings
- 11. The Great Escape
- 12. Resistance to Interrogation
- 13. Citizens of the World
- 14. Double-Hatting
- 15. The Story
- 16. Application
- 17. Speaking in Ravenish
- 18. Bird Brains
- 19. Ravenology
- 20. The Legend of the Ravens at the Tower
- 21. Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red
- 22. My Mistress’ Eyes Are Raven Black
- 23. Birds and Books
- 24. Death and the Raven
- 25. The Ghosts of My Life
- 26. And So to Bed
- 27. Great Traditions
- 28. Sentinels of the White Tor
- 29. Rising Above
- Photographs
- Notes
- Appendix: Ravenmasters Since 1946
- Suggested Reading
- Acknowledgments
- Additional Praise for The Ravenmaster
- A Note About the Author
- Newsletter Sign-up
- Contents
- Copyright