| Description |
299 pages (large print), 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 23 cm. |
| Physical Medium |
large print. rda |
| Series |
Thorndike Press large print popular and narrative nonfiction
|
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references. |
| Summary |
The first behind-the-scenes account of life with the legendary ravens at the world's eeriest monument 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. A rewarding, intimate, and inspiring partnership has developed between the ravens and their charismatic and charming 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, and the tricks they play on us, Skaife shows who the Tower's true guardians really are--and the result is a compelling and irreverent narrative that will surprise and enchant. |
| Contents |
Silhouette -- Ravenmaster -- The rules -- Roll call -- Bird life -- Tower Green -- Biscuits and blood -- The menagerie -- Black birds -- The raven spreads his wings -- The great escape -- Resistance to interrogation -- Citizens of the world -- Double hatting -- The story -- Application -- Speaking in Ravenish -- Bird brains -- Ravenology -- The legend of the ravens at the Tower -- Blood swept lands and seas of red -- My mistress' eyes are raven black -- Birds and books -- Death and the raven -- The ghosts of my life -- And so to bed -- Great traditions -- Sentinels of the White Tor -- Rising above. |
| Subject |
Skaife, Christopher, 1965-
|
|
Yeomen Warders -- Biography.
|
|
Tower of London (London, England)
|
|
Tower of London (London, England) (OCoLC)fst00630900
|
|
Yeomen Warders. (OCoLC)fst00772746
|
|
Ravens -- England.
|
|
Large type books. (OCoLC)fst00992678
|
|
Ravens. (OCoLC)fst01090401
|
|
England. (OCoLC)fst01219920
|
|
Ravens -- England.
|
| Genre/Form |
Large type books.
|
|
Autobiographies. (OCoLC)fst01919894
|
|
Biography. (OCoLC)fst01423686
|
|
Autobiographies.
|
| ISBN |
9781432859831 (large print : hardcover) |
|
1432859838 (large print : hardcover) |
|
