Westwood, Jennifer, and Jacqueline Simpson. The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England’s Legends, from Spring-Heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys. London: Penguin, 2005.
Wilson, Derek. The Tower of London: A Thousand Years, 2nd rev. ed. London: Allison and Busby, 1998. Orig. pub. 1978.
Younghusband, George. A Short History of the Tower of London. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1926.
________. The Tower from Within. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1918.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Little did I know as I sat one balmy evening in the Yeoman Warders Club having a few drinks with friends that it would lead me on such an epic journey into the labyrinth of publishing. This book has been a labor of love and I have seen my fair share of highs and lows.
So before I start thanking the amazing people who have been with me throughout this journey, I have two very special people in my life without whose love and support this book would undoubtedly still only be a dream.
Jasmin, thank you for all your love, support, and cake! You are my world, without you I am nothing. I love you, xxx.
Mickayla, you will always be my little girl, you are beautiful in every way and I’m so proud of you. I love you, xxx.
* * *
Who would have ever thought when I was a young boy growing up in the sleepy backwaters of Dover that I would become the author of a book about the Tower of London’s famous ravens? Certainly not my schoolteachers, or the policeman who grabbed me by the scruff of the collar and dragged me out of the old Ford Anglia car that I was about to drive off in!
Throughout life I have tried my very best to surround myself with people who say “Yes you can do it” rather than “No you can’t.” You have two choices: you can have a glass that is half full or a glass that is half empty. I prefer my glass full to the brim.
Talking about full glasses, I raise mine and want to say a huge thank-you to my good friends Lindsey Fitzharris and Adrian Teal, who have made me do endless tours around the Tower, meeting with absolutely anyone who would listen to us ranting on about our crazy ideas. They have forced me to drink copious amounts of gin (Beefeater, of course) and have always believed in me. CHEERS!
* * *
Sometimes we meet people who are destined to enrich and change our lives forever, and Devon Mazzone and the team at Farrar, Straus and Giroux are such people. Devon, thank you for being such a huge corvid fan and having the foresight and belief in me to tell my story about my beloved ravens.
Anna Sproul-Latimer at the Ross Yoon Agency, I dip my feathered hat to you for being my agent and taking on such a mammoth task. If you had wings you would be an angel, albeit a rather dark one! We have greatly appreciated your patience and guidance throughout.
Amanda Moon and Colin Dickerman, my editors at Farrar, Straus and Giroux, thank you so much for your hard work—you and your team are now part of Tower history. Ian Sansom, where are you, sir? Yes … I see you standing there, watching, and listening to my endless ramblings. Your patience and attention to detail is legendary. You are a true gentleman and a literary genius, and I can’t thank you enough for bringing the story of the Tower Ravens to life.
John Brown and James Murly-Gotto at Historic Royal Palaces, I thank you. John, you were a great advocate for me and had the foresight to support me from the very start. James, you have been a constant throughout this process, and I thank you for the tremendous hard work you have done on my behalf, and I look forward to watching your children grow up around the ravens on Tower Green.
A huge thank-you must go to all the staff at Historic Royal Palaces, especially Catherine Steventon and Sarah Kilby for keeping me on the straight and narrow. And to “Team Raven,” Shady, Barney, Mark, Steve, and Jase, who suffer my insanity every day. Also, thank you to the vets both past and present at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) for the care you have given the ravens over the years.
I thank Dr. Nathan Emery for his love and dedication to corvids and for sending me his students from Queen Mary University of London. Boria Sax (City of Ravens), you were right! Thank you for your amazing contribution. Lori Burchill, thank you for your kindness and for welcoming Team Raven into your family. We miss Martin greatly and will take good care of Harris for you.
Thank you to all the social media followers who like, share, or comment on my posts on a daily basis, enjoying my raven photos, stories, and silly quips. The power of social media! Let’s use it positively—it’s much more fun!
Looking after the ravens of the Tower has been a constant part of my life since I took over as Ravenmaster, and as a result of that, they have provided me with enrichment and endless inspiration. But I have shared my passion with my family and friends, perhaps a little more than I should have! As the ravens have been a big part of my life, so have they been a big part of my family’s life too.
I want to thank you all for putting up with my early mornings and late nights, chasing ravens and endlessly chatting about their antics, especially considering that most of you prefer power tools … Stuart!
Children teach us so much and the children in my life are absolutely no exception!
* * *
Flynn, thank you for listening to my endless childhood stories, even though your mum wasn’t always best pleased about my more enlightening ones! Lottie, you always laugh at my silly jokes—you are a rare breed indeed! Thank you for humoring me. Fergus, we have watched you grow into a fine young man, feeding the ravens and experiencing “Tower Life”—thank you for letting me and the ravens be part of your childhood memories.
Little Charlie, never lose your love of the Tower and its magnificent ravens. Your constant excitement when you visit us simply inspires me.
I have two young ladies in my life who visit me often. Nyah and Izzy can recite all the ravens’ names and love to help me put the ravens to bed at night. They frequently ring me up asking for information on their next school project! This has given me endless joy and entertainment, so a big thank-you from “Christopher Robin,” as they affectionately know me.
I want to thank all my friends who I have neglected throughout this whole process—you know who you are, and I promise I will be back in the land of the living soon … well, for a little while, at least.
And finally, I want to thank the ravens. They won’t know, nor do I suspect they care, that they have unintentionally changed my life forever and filled it with joy.… I can ask for nothing more from them. A very special thank-you to Munin. During the publication of this book, sadly, Raven Munin passed away due to complications of old age. Her presence at the Tower will be greatly missed by her partner, Jubilee; by Team Raven; and by all staff at Historic Royal Palaces.
A NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Before becoming Yeoman Warder and Ravenmaster at the Tower of London, Christopher Skaife served in the British Army for twenty-four years, during which time he became a Drum Major as part of a specialist machine gun platoon. He has been featured on the BBC, the History Channel, PBS, BuzzFeed, Slate, and other media. He lives at the Tower with his wife, his daughter, and, of course, the ravens. Follow him on Twitter at @ravenmaster1. You can sign up for email updates here.
Thank you for buying this
Farrar, Straus and Giroux ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content,
and info on new releases and other great reads,
sign up for our newsletters.
Or visit us online at
us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup
For email updates on the author, click here.
CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
1. Silhouette
2. Ravenmaster
3. The Rules
4. Roll Call
5. Bird Life
6. Tower Green
7. Biscuits and Blood
8. The Menagerie
9. Black Birds
10
. The Raven Spreads His Wings
11. The Great Escape
12. Resistance to Interrogation
13. Citizens of the World
14. Double-Hatting
15. The Story
16. Application
17. Speaking in Ravenish
18. Bird Brains
19. Ravenology
20. The Legend of the Ravens at the Tower
21. Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red
22. My Mistress’ Eyes Are Raven Black
23. Birds and Books
24. Death and the Raven
25. The Ghosts of My Life
26. And So to Bed
27. Great Traditions
28. Sentinels of the White Tor
29. Rising Above
Photographs
Notes
Appendix: Ravenmasters Since 1946
Suggested Reading
Acknowledgments
A Note About the Author
Copyright
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
175 Varick Street, New York 10014
Copyright © 2018 by Historic Royal Palaces Enterprises Ltd.
All rights reserved
First edition, 2018
E-book ISBN: 978-0-374-71713-1
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
www.fsgbooks.com
www.twitter.com/fsgbooks • www.facebook.com/fsgbooks
The Ravenmaster Page 17
