• The Ravenmaster

  • My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London
  • By: Christopher Skaife
  • Narrated by: Christopher Skaife
  • Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (528 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Ravenmaster  By  cover art

The Ravenmaster

By: Christopher Skaife
Narrated by: Christopher Skaife
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.99

Buy for $14.99

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

This program is read by the author.

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 listeners 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 audiobook that will surprise and enchant.

©2018 Historic Royal Palaces Enterprises Ltd. (P)2018 Macmillan Audio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"[Christopher Skaife's] natural storyteller's charm results in a performance that is conversational, funny, and self-deprecating...Ravenmaster is a joyful listening experience." (AudioFile Magazine)

Featured Article: The 10 Best Blog Moments of 2022


In 2022, the Audible editors brought you more interviews than ever, from debut and emerging talent to heavy-hitting authors, performers, and cultural icons. We highlighted essential listens on reproductive justice, launched a weekly feature for new releases, and took a moment to share some strange and wonderfully obscure picks from our own libraries. From deep-dive discussions with top creators to an exploration of the most wonderfully weird titles in audio, here are our editors' favorite blog posts from 2022.

More from the same

What listeners say about The Ravenmaster

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    379
  • 4 Stars
    109
  • 3 Stars
    32
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    378
  • 4 Stars
    67
  • 3 Stars
    20
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    350
  • 4 Stars
    87
  • 3 Stars
    27
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very Enjoyable

A great listen!!! Highly recommended!! Engaging non-fiction look at the ravens of the Tower. Brilliant!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fast listen

Great story by a great storyteller. Listened to the book straight through once I started.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

For Raven lovers, a delight!

What wonderful stories that you would never hear elsewhere. And the author as the narrator is always the best. You get a real feel for who he is and the stories beyond the words.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Birds and more birds

I am just cuckoo for birds. This is a lovely book about a man who has dedicated his life to caring for a London treasure, the ravens of the Tower. I enjoyed every minute of it. This is a book totally in the black. #unique #FeelGood #Birdalicious #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Educational and Fun

I bought this book for research about ravens, and not only did I find it to be wonderfully detailed, but the author lent the subject a great deal of charm by sharing the details of his fascinating life with these clever beings. A great listen!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting and likeable

Learning a tad bit about raven behavior and about the ravens who make the Tower Of London their home was interesting. The author of this book, who is the Ravenmaster at the TOL, was pretty neat himself...picture kind of a regular hardworking bloke who just happens to have one of the coolest and unique job ever. It's a light read (or listen) and was just the thing to help me unwind, but now my curiosity is piqued and I have to find out more on raven behavior! Thanks, Audible

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

fascinating for anyone with an aviary affection

I would love to get the chance to talk with Chris Skaife, he is a wonderful story teller and has an incredible job.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love this book! Well done Ravenmaster!

Interesting story and well narrated by the author. The story centers on the ravens, but includes a wide range of historical and personal vignettes that all manage to tie into the overall story of the Tower Ravens. Very well written - interesting from start to finish. Visiting the Tower Ravens is now on my list of places to visit.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Highly Enjoyable

Mr. Skaife is truly an excellent storyteller. I could not imagine anyone else would be able to perform this book as well as him. The topic was one I had not considered before. I was lucky enough to see it and give it a try (so glad I did). Although there were a couple of moments when I started to lose interest (this often happens to me). Hang in there and you will not be disappointed!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating and delightful

This is a wonderful book for bird-lovers as well as an informative and engaging title for history enthusiasts! The author is a captivating narrator and the writing is strong and passionate. I loved the way this book addresses myths about ravens as well as problematic ideas about animal entertainment. Overall this is a balanced work of raven-ology and personal narrative.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!