The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London

"Two ravens can kill and strip down a pigeon in a matter of minutes. Not long ago I was taking a tour around when I heard a lot of screaming and crying from people in the queues by the Jewel House. I rushed over and saw Erin and Rocky devouring a bird: they were actually eating the pigeon from the inside out while it was still alive. An incredible sight, though maybe not for everyone."<br /><br />The author has a rather dry sense of humour! The book was not quite what the title implies. It was 50% ravens and 50% the author's life in the army since he was 16 up until he became a Yeoman of the Guard at the Tower of London. It is mostly a litany of all he achieved and how great he was and how great army life was and how he couldn't have achieved all that in any other way but the army. Yay for blowing up people and carrying 100lb (or whatever) backpacks and mucking in with the lads in a cold, muddy forest. <br /><br />I enjoyed the sense of humour. The author would be a great companion over lunch or with a group of people who have never got anything to say, he'd keep the party going as it were. The raven stuff was interesting but not very. He wrote about their personalities but he had so little interaction with them personally - deliberately, he wanted them to be as wild as they can be under the circumstances - apart from putting them to bed at night (or into their enclosure to be accurate) that the anecdotes aren't very revealing of them, more of him. The history of them is mostly fake, as he reveals which was also a revelation to me. <br /><br />I didn't not enjoy the book, the writing was chatty and friendly, but there seemed to be a lot of filler, possibly because without it the book would have been too short. But not for me. I had wanted a relaxing book after the heavy stuff I like to read, and this was certainly that but if I hadn't of skimmed the last chapters I would certainly have fallen asleep. <br /><br />A 3.5 star book, rounded down as it isn't even close to a 4 star.<br />__________<br /><br /><b>Reading notes</b> And now for something completely different - enough legal, medical, science, activist or other 'heavy' books i have to concentrate on. Time for something a little relaxing...

Months ago, I read a blurb about The Ravenmaster in The Week magazine and I had been trying to get to it since then. Admittedly, it took a while. Totally worth the wait. <br /><br />This book amused &amp; delighted me as I read it, and again whenever parts popped into my head. Mr. Skaife seems to be a natural story-teller. I know I hung on to every word, but by the end…I still had not gotten my fill of the seven ravens that call The Tower of London home. <br /><br />You can easily imagine my enthusiasm when I realized they have their own Instagram!! Turns out: my procrastination was a perk. In the essay collection, Mr. Skaife shares hopes for the future of the ravens at The Tower. I recently saw on the social media site that one of his goal has been met. So cool!<br /><br />I have a new go-to-gift and it is uniquely excellent in that it is universally appealing. I cannot wait to share it with “my” students and to hand it out to my friends. No need to be into ravens, or even birds at all; the history of The Tower and the evolution of the post that is now The Ravenmaster is incredibly interesting. The bits about Mr. Skaife as a mischievous boy and later, as an eager sponge in the military are equally entertaining.

I vividly remember the day of Brexit. Nobody knew what the hell was going on and the pound fell off a cliff and we saw the leading Brexiteers looking nauseous and terrified as they realised their actions had catastrophic consequences, and the Prime Minister's resignation only made it to #3 on the news agenda. It was chaotic and terrifying in the days when that wasn't standard practice. I was on Twitter of course, and there I saw a tweet from the Ravenmaster with a picture of the Tower ravens that read, simply, "We are still here." <br /><br />I welled up. It meant a lot. <br /><br />This is a marvellous book about a bizarre job. Mr Skaife is a Yeoman Warder and in charge of the Tower ravens because if they ever leave the Tower, the country will fall. He actually shows that to be a relatively recent myth, but that doesn't make it any less true IMO: it's deeply embedded in the national consciousness and every story has to start somewhere. <br /><br />This is very much a book of stories, one of those reads that feels like you're in the pub with a really interesting bloke. Chatty, discursive, a lot about the life that brought him to this point, and loads about the ravens he adores. You learn about raven flight feathers and bird distribution globally and raven myths and Army drumming and what it was like to be on Army duty in South Armagh or Belize and how the Warders cope with the visiting public (taking the mickey, basically), and it's all just a really interesting slice of human life. I'm now desperate to go to the Tower again, tourist trap that it is, just to check out the birds. A lovely book.

I was completely charmed by this book. Coming off of two decades of military service, Skaife applies and eventually gets a position as a Yeomen Warder at the historical Tower of London. He now has the additional title of Ravenmaster as he is responsible for the six ravens that reside at the Tower. It's a job that was voted strangest in England, but the way Skaife describes it shows it to be a strictly regimented yet hands-off position that allows the birds to be as wild as possible. But his careful husbandry keeps the birds safe from urban foxes, from the massive crowds of tourists who visit the tower each year, and also from each other.<br /><br />Skaife is a lover of stories and history which is what attracted him to his position in the first place. He not only cares for the ravens but gives tours to the public, detailing the long and often grizzly history of the Tower. In this book you get a front row seat to this history as well as Skaife's own background. Then, of course, there are the birds: fiercely intelligent creatures called by one scientist, "apes with wings" because of their huge brains. The author may not be an ornithologist, but he's well-read on the subject while having more one-on-one experience with the birds than any of us would have at our day jobs.<br />His love for the birds and his job rings (or should I say squawks and clicks?) through this book. Let this storyteller talk to you about his birds for 250 pages. You certainly won't regret it.

I found every aspect of this book incredibly well done. From the personal tone it is written in, to all the interesting information it imparts. We get to know the Ravenmaster, his time in the military, and what it takes to get this position in the tower. We learn about the Ravens, not only the stories that surround their being at the tower, but an up close look at their habitats, and even their personalities. One of their favorite snacks are dog bones soaked in blood. Well, they are carnivores, after all.<br /><br />All the superstitions associated with Ravens, from the heralders of death, to one of my favorite parts, the connection between the esteemed Charles Dickens and his use of Ravens in his novels. The most famous being the Raven Grip in Barnsby Rudge. As the author notes, "I may have a rather partial view, but to my mind Dickens counts as a genius not because of his prolific output, nor because of his famous public performances and his great public works, but because he gets every single detail about Ravens right!"<br /><br />Of course the famous inhabitants of the Tower, and stories associated with them and the tower itself are included. In fact, for a book without a large number of pages, there is much information s d entertainment to be found. I enjoyed every moment of my reading experience, but then again this is the season for the macabre.

I've been a fan of ravens for a long time and always detested their bad reputation thanks to silly old superstitions that seem to mostly derive from their physical appearance and the fact that they are omnivores. Especially the latter seems only yet another sign of their extreme intelligence because all of us who've paid attention in biology know that highly specialized (picky) animals are much more likely to die out (yes, I'm also talking about you, sabre-toothed tigers).<br><br>It all began with Sir David Attenborough, as is often the case. Yes, I adore the man and always will. He is the prime example of a human not caring about looks but ability and he was the one telling me (through one of his BBC programmes) about the intelligence tests (Kerplunk games) for ravens that most of them seem to ace every time.<br><br>Then, some time ago, I somehow heard about the Ravenmaster on Twitter. I didn't know anything about the man or his job but the tweet had the picture of a gorgeous raven so I clicked and scrolled - and became addicted to the man's updates. Through his photographs and little videos I got to share his enthusiasm and see some of the quirky birds almost every day.<br><br>My plan had been to see London eventually, the plans having been thwarted by a lack of money for a long time, and those plans only got invigorated by the prospect of meeting these special corvids personally when visiting the historic site! And this year my dream finally came true. I had the money and didn't care that I'd had to go on vacation on my own, I could do this! Thus, I booked tickets and made plans and got really excited.<br><br>Imagine my delight, therefore, when I heard that the man was going to publish a book about his life at the Tower and the ravens there! So when I was in London this past week, I had to get a copy before making my way to the Tower and I did. It wasn't the edition I had originally wanted but I didn't care (unusual for me). Packed and ready to go, I got there early and went on one of the apparently famous Yeoman Warder tours (like an idiot I hadn't known much about the Tower in advance except for some juicy historical bits).<br><br>Following the sarcastic "elderly and rude" (his words) Yeoman Warder and listening to his take on the history of the fortress was delightful. Afterwards, I met a raven posing for tourists when exiting the exhibition of the crown jewels. I took some pictures, moved on. After walking through yet another exhibition (the Fusiliers Museum), I made my way to the raven enclose, heart set on meeting the Ravenmaster and getting my book signed. And he was there! I only noticed by a complete coincidence despite his uniform. I chatted him up and ...<br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1538938844i/26414418._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br>However, like a complete idiot, despite him being so nice and friendly and us chatting for a few solid minutes about everything from the ravens themselves to our shared admiration for Sir David Attenborough, I forgot to ask for a feather - because it is mentioned in the book that the Ravenmaster sometimes has some that he hands out. *doh*<br><br>He had to leave, however, because despite it being his day off, he had to watch some students who were researching and filming the ravens' behavioral patterns and talking to some journalists (I was lucky he was there at all)!<br><br>Thus, I made my way to yet more interesting sights around the Tower (there is no shortage of those), tried kicking myself for not having remembered to ask about the feather, kept watching the birds and even entered the gift shop where I got a cute raven pin and pencil with a raven on top. I was contemplating my chances of finding him again when I noticed him while walking the battlements and made a split-second decision to stalk the poor man. So I descended the stairs, keeping an eye on the Ravenmaster and the reporters filming him, waited in front of the enclosure where Poppy (youngest member of the raven staff) promptly entertained me when a student entered her enclosure and tried to take one of her toys away (yes, pure Schadenfreude, but the woman deserved it - she wanted to take a toy away!), which prompted the cheeky bird to show her who the boss was and chasing her out. Yes, I chuckled, I may have even laughed loudly (no, I'm not sorry) because even the bird looked at me. BWAHAHAHAHAHA! <br>The Ravenmaster then walked down and out of the enclosure with the journalists, I followed (yes, I know, but I wanted a feather!), waited until the journalists had said goodbye for what must have been the fourth time - and then I made my move! If you ever read this, Ravenmaster, I really am sorry. *lol*<br>Anyway, I found the courage to chat him up again, inquired about the feather an lo and behold, I didn't get one but TWO!!!<br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1538938844i/26414419._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br>But that isn't the end of this glorious tale, nope. I was so incredibly happy after leaving the food preparation rooms where he kept dead chicks and the afore-mentioned feathers that I had to sit down. I opted for one of the benches around White Tower, hoping for a good shot of one of the ravens. And suddenly there was Poppy! She was walking from left to right and left again behind my bench, probably trying to scare me so I'd drop some food. Alas, I had deliberately nothing on me. Instead, I turned around, facing her and started talking to her. Yes, I talk to animals, I don't care what you think about that. But here is the amazing thing: she cocked her head, hopped onto the litter bin and from there onto my bench next to me AND STARTING CHATTING BACK (no idea what else to call it)!!! She came so close, I could have easily stroked her feathers but of course I didn't. I wasn't scared or anything, I just figured she wouldn't like that (imagine if even only a quarter of all tourists tried that, how annoyed she would have to be). So I sat there, eyeing her, talking, listening to her sounds. Then I took the picture below (yes, she was definitely posing when she wasn't cleaning her beak) and then she took off.<br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1538938844i/26414420._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>Nothing - and I mean NOTHING - could compare to that during my vacation. I wasn't walking, I was floating for the rest of the day.<br><br>Tonight, I finally finished this compelling, funny and insightful book that gave me historical information as much as some great insight into the Ravenmaster's military career and the mischief of these extraordinary birds. I am no longer surprised that they actually are working the crowds (two of them did after my encounter with Poppy, first performing for one side, then turning around and doing the routine on the other, it was glorious to watch).<br><br>From the bottom of my heart: THANK YOU, Ravenmaster, for a book that isn't only entertaining (though it definitely is) but also moving and THANK YOU for spending some of your precious (free) time with this fan and being so generous to her.<br>And THANK YOU, Poppy, for not doing to me what you did to that female student (she totally deserved it). ;)<br><br><br><br>P.S.: This hardcover edition has nearly 300 pages, by the way, not only 208 as Goodreads claims.

Some might have already seen <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2318957236" rel="nofollow noopener">my review for this book</a>.<br>As mentioned before, this edition here is actually the one I wanted because the cover is much more beautiful, showing raven Merlina as well as the Ravenmaster and the Tower, hinting at the history theme that also permeates this great story along with the anecdotes about Christopher Skaife's life and his many adventures with the ravens.<br><br>Thus, although I already have the red UK edition, I had to have this one as well. When it finally arrived today, I discovered that the cover wasn't the only thing different about this! The US/CA version also features colour photographs unlike the UK's b/w ones and there are more photographs overall. Oh, and there's a historical map of the Tower in the front and back (you know you can always get me with maps).<br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1539805935i/26463646._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1539805935i/26463647._SX540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br>(Yes, this is a group photo with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.)<br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1539805935i/26463648._SY540_.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br>(The bottom one is quite important for three reasons. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="98cb0fe1-16e4-4ebe-baa7-67cf3126ca8c" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="98cb0fe1-16e4-4ebe-baa7-67cf3126ca8c">Reason #1 being that it's the art installation that was erected as a commemoration to WWI; reason #2 being why that art installation was/is so dear to the author's own heart; and reason #3 being that the Ravenmaster even named the newest Tower raven after it: Poppy.</label>)<br><br>So while I love my red edition because I bought it in London and the author signed it (for the full adventure, read my original review linked to above), this one is a little bit special in its own way and I'd actually encourage readers to get this one for the extra images.<br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1539805935i/26463649.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1539805935i/26463650._SY540_.jpg" width="400" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>For anyone interested: there is not just a visual difference between the two Yeoman Warder uniforms. Christopher Skaife did explain it, making him wearing "the other one" in the picture shown above as well as on the cover even more hilarious. *lol*</["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]></["br"]>

Ravenmaster<br />by Christopher Skaife<br />This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary. <br />This is one of the best non-fiction books I have read this year. I enjoyed everything about this book! The book is laid out wonderfully simple and efficiently. This is a book about taking care of the 6-7 ravens at the tower of London! The author is the Ravenmaster. It is his job to keep the ravens safe and healthy and at the tower. This sounds simple but as he tells it, there is a lot to this job and it is also fascinating! I would love to be an assistant!<br />He tells the history of the tower, of the job, we meet each raven and their personalities, odd things the ravens have done, odd things people have done (including the assists and Ravenmaster), ghosts, life in the tower, and so much more! Each chapter is truly amazing! I was spellbound! I really think he has an awesome job because I love ravens! He also discusses famous visitors, death of some ravens, what they do then, and more. I imagine the physical book might have pictures but I googled it. <br />The author's love for these birds, his job, his humor, intelligence, and pride in his country really shines through! I giggled a lot while listening to this! He also narrated the book which was wonderful to hear it from the Ravenmaster himself! <br />I recommend this book to everyone!!!<br />

Delightfully entertaining! I loved listening to Christopher Skaife narrate his own story with an enthusiasm and wit that kept me engaged and wanting more. Skaife writes lovingly about the ravens he tends at the Tower of London and also about other famous ravens. For instance, did you know that the author Charles Dickens stuffed his pet raven after its demise and this same raven can be seen at the Free Library in Philadelphia? No, neither did I! <br /><br />Sage advice from Skaife as he has learned from dealing with the feisty Merlina: "Don't think for one minute you're just going to be able to walk up to your raven and sweep her off her talons by looking lovingly into her dark-brown beady eyes and gather her up in your big strong arms and take back home. This is not how raven rescue works. You need to be cunning. You need to be stealthy. You need to be quick. You need to pretend you're not interested, that you just happened to be in the vicinity and then, with the speed of a cobra, you need to grab her when she least expects it. And that is how to catch a miscreant raven, ladies and gentlemen!"

Rtc