The Ravenmaster

"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