Just before Christmas I was lucky enough to be at a Waterstones event featuring a gaggle of writers, one of which was Christopher Skaife, the Ravenmaster at the Tower of London. I bought several of his books and got them signed, as I thought they’d make good Christmas presents. They did.
On the way home I opened my copy of the book, to see what I might find inside. I didn’t put it down until I got to the end. What a book! Once I had read it, I left if alone for a week and then read it again. I have read aloud more than a couple of passages to Sam, my husband, who has now read it and loved it, and the book has inspired a family visit to the Tower to see the ravens.
The Ravenmaster is a very special book. If you are interested in either birds, history, literature, the military, life in a castle, folklore, mythology, unusual careers, interesting people, then this book will delight you.
Even if you are not remotely interested in any of those things, this books is a biographical, non-fiction work that is quick to read, well written, funny in places and sometimes utterly profound. The relationship between the Ravenmaster and the ravens in the tower is fascinating. The job is fascinating. Christopher Skaife is fascinating. The birds are fascinating.
I cannot think of a single type of person who wouldn’t enjoy this book. Please, pick up a copy and read it. It is the very best kind of book. It gets my full five ***** and is appropriate for readers 12 and up.