Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens

David Mitchell

Oct 2023 · Sold by Crown

About this ebook

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.

Ratings and reviews

This rollicking history explores the eccentric lives of early English monarchs, from the Roman collapse to the death of Elizabeth I. Tracing the transition from armed thugs to anointed despots, it uncovers the narcissism, self-indulgence, and strife behind the origins of the British monarchy. The book is laugh-out-loud funny but also offers important historical insights. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

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About the author

David Mitchell is a British comedian, actor, writer, and TV personality, part of the comedy duo Mitchell and Webb, best known in the U.S. for the TV cult classic Peep Show and the Ben Elton-penned historical comedy Upstart Crow, which also became a West End hit. He writes articles for The Guardian and Observer.