Pre-Publication Endorsements of:
City of Ravens: How ravens came to the Tower of London, why they stayed, and what they tell us about nature and humankind
by Boria Sax
City of Ravens a wonderful contribution to the modern history and mythology of one of the world's greatest cities: but also one to the understanding of myth itself, and of the changing relationship between humans and animals."
Ronald Hutton, Professor of History, University of Bristol; Author, The Triumph of the Moon; Commissioner of English Heritage
"Boria Sax’s book City of Ravens—as all his work— is both a delight and a profound illumination of his subject. In his telling of the story of the ravens in the Tower of London, Dr Sax meticulously explores the origins of a celebrated British myth, coming to unexpected and fascinating conclusions. With the greatest sympathy and erudition, this book examines the human need for myths, tracing through time the history of the orgins of Raven myths, exploring as it does so, the timeless, intimate relationship between man and this most intelligent and resourceful of corvids.
Suffused with a deep sense of humanity, ‘City of Ravens’ provides valuable insights into every area of our history and behaviour from the execution of kings to our attitudes towards the creatures with whom we share the earth, inspiring us as it does, to a greater sense of care, reverence and respect.
Not only does ‘City of Ravens’ encourage us to examine more, to question more and most important of all, to understand more, it charms us as it does so."
Esther Woolfson
Author, Corvus
“Boria Sax traces the history of the ravens in the Tower of London, with accurate scholarship and engaging stories. Sax, who understands both history and ravens as do few others, has shown how the legend that Britain will fall if the ravens leave the Tower stems not from Charles II but from the bombs and breweries during World War II. He reveals both the symbolic power and the true magic of the Tower Ravens today.”
John Marzluff,
Author, Avian Conservation and Ecology in an Urbanizing World, In the Company of Crows and Ravens
"As in his book Crow, Boria Sax contributes significantly to our understanding of how this species affects and defines our thinking and culture. The mythic status of ravens among many people today from streets or London to the tundra is a reminder that species sharing our environment are far more than a collection of weights, dimensions and distribution maps. Boria Sax has not only clarified history, but, with his review of the Raven’s symbolic presence in Britain, he has revealed it as an enduring metaphor for survival through adversity. By protecting the Raven, we are also sustaining ourselves."
Tony Angell (from the Introduction)
Artist and Author of Ravens, Crows, Magpies and Jays
Co-Author with John Marzluff of In the Company of Crows and Ravens