Unruly

The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens

By: David Mitchell

Narrated by: David Mitchell

Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

INSTANT #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER • A rollicking history of England’s kings and queens from Arthur to Elizabeth I, a tale of power, glory, and excessive beheadings by award-winning British actor and comedian David Mitchell

“Clever, amusing, gloriously bizarre and razor sharp. Mitchell [is] a funny man and a skilled historian.”―The Times

Think you know the kings and queens of England? Think again.

In Unruly, David Mitchell explores how early England’s monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects’ destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky bastards who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear today in their portraits.

Taking us back to King Arthur (spoiler: he didn’t exist), Mitchell tells the founding story of post-Roman England up to the reign of Elizabeth I (spoiler: she dies). It’s a tale of narcissists, inadequate self-control, middle-management insurrection, uncivil wars, and a few Cnuts, as the English evolved from having their crops stolen by the thug with the largest armed gang to bowing and paying taxes to a divinely anointed king.

How this happened, who it happened to, and why the hell it matters are all questions that Mitchell answers with brilliance, wit, and the full erudition of a man who once studied history—and won’t let it off the hook for the mess it’s made.

A funny book that takes history seriously, Unruly is for anyone who has ever wondered how the British monarchy came to be—and who is to blame.

©2023 David Mitchell (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Clever and amusing . . . gloriously bizarre . . . razor sharp . . . People who have never before picked up a history book will read and enjoy this one.” —The Times

“David Mitchell brings a delightfully contrary and hilariously cantankerous eye to the history of the English monarchy, offering a jewel of an insight or a refreshing blast of clarifying wit on every page. Unruly is informative, illuminating, and very, very funny.” —Jesse Armstrong, writer and creator of Succession

“A sardonic, endlessly funny update to the classic 1066 and All That.” —Kirkus Reviews

Great Book, A sarcastic view of British History

Enjoyable read. Funny and highly sarcastic. The early history of the kings and queens of England I have read several times from famous authors. I prefer the Mitchell version.

Informative and funny!

I love Mitchell’s humor and had no idea he had studied history.
He found a way to
Impart a lot of knowledge into this humorous history.
Even if you aren’t British but love British humor this is a great read

Unparalleled Brilliance

It’s is rare to come across an author, a reader, and a book that is both scholarly, philosophical, and insanely entertaining. David Mitchell’s sense of humor and comedic talent alone would earn this book 5 stars. But the depth in its research and the conclusions drawn are equally impressive. It’s almost intimidating to discover that great feats of writing, research and performance are here in our midst. But how exciting to know that we live among great people who can teach us the true history of English royalty, the majestic use of the English language and the value of a fart joke all in one book.

A funny and informative telling of the history of England through its monarchy

As somebody less acquainted with English history, this book felt more entertaining than informative - it didn’t dwell on kings and queens and assumed some knowledge of them already by readers, but I enjoyed it just the same.

David Mitchell is a fun historian

Enjoyed David's narration, jokes, takes on some English kings and queens. This is a witty and raucous ride through swaths of British history. I relished it and found it totally mesmerizing.

Clever and Entertaining

Mitchell’s description of young Henry III’s coronation would be enough to purchase this book. It’s a touching yet humorous observation and reflects the best of his writing.

authors wit, expression and focus

I sometimes got lost if I took a break for a couple of days. a visual aide would have helped

Brilliant, informative & Hilarious

A little overwhelming for an American who is used to a much shorter national history. David is hilarious and very entertaining 😁

Best thing I've read this year

I don't usually write reviews, but DANG this is good! Everything about it is good! It makes an excellent reality check for the usual history of kings and queens, and it's literally a laugh a minute.

Outstanding.

Insightful and, even if you previously knew every factoid it collects, insightful and, above all fun. Mitchell’s interest in the subject matter is so evident that it doesn’t matter if he, as he himself points out, is not a historian.