A Shadow Above: The Fall and Rise of the Raven

Early in the book, the author makes a confession: 'I came to birds late'. Joe Shute may have misspent his adolescence - youth without ornithology is, by definition, wasted - but he's made up for it. This hymn to Corvus corax is the work of a birdman -- John Lewis-Stempel * Country Life * Shute writes superbly and his book is both evocative and provocative -- Hephzibah Anderson * Mail on Sunday * Shute's enthusiasm, although lightly worn, is deeply infectious [...] he is never pretentious or aggrandising. At his best, he writes with a charming, immediate humanity -- Robert Leigh-Pemberton * Daily Telegraph * He has brought the raven out of the shadow into the light -- John Lewis-Stempel * Country Life * Filled with glimpses of ravens in the wild, woven together with fascinating historical details, this book sheds light on the role the bird has played in the life of these islands. Ravens appear in many guises: harbingers of death, but also heralds of new beginnings; thieves and murderers, but also affectionate and loyal. Brilliant! -- Michael Morpurgo * The Week *