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

This book is a fascinating mix of memoir, history, and day-in-the-life of a Yeoman Warder in the Tower of London. The short chapters were well suited for my chapter-a-day nonfiction reading habit. In fact, they’re so short, I often read 2-3 a day.
It’s not terribly in-depth, and I don’t think it’s meant to be. He’s really just letting the reader look through a window into life at the Tower (the warders and their families live there), its history, and specifically, what it’s like to care for the ravens.
I can’t like that they clip their feathers to keep them close. I was glad to learn there’s a way to do it so they can still fly, but the fact that flight, and therefore the ravens’ freedom, is still limited, doesn’t show more sit right with me. The care of the Tower ravens has improved over the years, and it’s clear that Skaife has a strong affection for the birds and wants to continue to make improvements to the tradition of keeping ravens at the Tower.
I had some mixed feelings while reading this, but I really liked how the author balanced telling his own story and that of the ravens and the Tower. show less

According to legend, Britain will crumble if ravens are no longer present at the Tower of London. Christopher Skaife, a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London, is charged with care for the half-dozen or so ravens that live there. His memoir is a humorous and insightful story of his own life in the military and becoming a Yeoman Warder, stories of the individual ravens, and reflections on ravens in arts, literature, and mythology. Skaife even researches the central legend of the ravens and the Tower and finds it's much more recent than you expect.

During his time as Ravenmaster, Skaife worked to allow the ravens to be more wild which included not training them to do tricks or mimic speech (most especially NOT to say "Nevermore"). He also show more trims their feathers minimally which allows them to fly more to explore the Tower and gives them greater agility to escape foxes (curiously, wild foxes are common in London, but wild ravens no longer live in the metropolitan area, although they could return). Skaife's entertaining stories will be enjoyed by lovers of birds, history buffs, and anyone who appreciates an unusual job well done. show less

The book delighted me by being an intertwining of ravens, the Tower of London, and the author's own life. I had been expecting the first two elements, but had rather unconsciously assumed science would be the third; I'm glad that it wasn't. Because the author wove in his own life experiences we get something uniquely intimate. I especially enjoyed the parallels he draws between his life as a soldier and his life as a carer for ravens, the similarities were completely unexpected and enlightening.

Ultimately this book feels exactly like a great conversation with a favorite uncle down at the pub one long and relaxed evening.

So fun! I recommend the audio, read by the author. It's like... it's like that rarely-reached jackpot for travelers, meeting a stranger in a bar or on a train who is full of interesting stories, and you pass hours listening to them without noticing, just learning a whole new life.

I try to read a variety of books and as a result I often find myself saying "not quite my type of book" in my reviews. Well, this is my type of book! Distracting and fascinating, offering a new perspective, telling amusing stories, and I get to focus on something that has flickered in my peripheral vision for a while - that's all I really want.

Memoir by the current Ravenmaster at the Tower of London. Having never been there or even knowing ravens hung out there it was all new. Skaife has a bartenders gift for conversation, honed over years with the public, and VIP guests at the Tower bar. The focus is on the ravens which are interesting enough. His theory about the ravens origins at the Tower is pretty good, but who knows. This is a light and easy read, notable for Skaife's personality and insider access to a popular tourist spot.

One of the most surprising books I’ve read in a long time. Who thought that a book about an ex-infantry squadie who lives in an old castle looking after seven blackbirds could be so engrossing that I literally couldn’t put it down? This was an unplanned single sitting read. Skaife’s has a simple honest prose style (and I mean that as a compliment) that immediately engages and entertains. He comes across as a consummate story-teller and educator as well as a highly empathetic human. But the real stars are the Tower Ravens who emerge as distinct individuals with their own personalities and behavioral quirks.

Subtitle: My Life With the Ravens at the Tower of London

This memoir details Skaife’s career path to what has become his life’s work: the Ravenmaster at the Tower of London. He recounts what led to his joining the Army, some of his experiences in service and his chance decision to apply for a position as a Yeoman Warder at the Tower upon retirement from active service. But he spends most of the book regaling the reader with stories about the ravens.

Skaife is clear at the outset: he is not a scientist. But he has a passion for his work and has made a determined effort to educate himself on the history, anatomy, habits and natural behaviors of corvids in general, and ravens in particular. His dedication to his position as Ravenmaster show more is evident, as is his great love for the birds. But there were times when I felt the book dragged as he overwhelmed me with scientific detail. I most enjoyed the stories of his various escapades: tracking an escaped raven, climbing scaffolding in the near-dark to get a recalcitrant bird “ready for bed” or embellished histories used to amuse (and partly to educate) the public.

Final verdict: interesting but not gripping. show less