Unruly

The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens

By: David Mitchell

Narrated by: David Mitchell

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

David Mitchell's Crowning Moment

David Mitchell isn't a historian.
You don't have to question that—he says it outright.

That being said, since most of us aren't historians (like as a job or in any way that precludes clicking the number behind an article on Wikipedia to show we checked our sources) what he offers is an excellent discourse on history both as a reflection on the past and a discussion of the future.

My favorite English monarch (it's okay to have one) has always been Elizabeth I, and while I felt he was a little cheap with his time spent on her after rightfully saying that monarchical history is almost entirely a dudefest—I think he hit the major strides and adopted a good sympathetic narrative (or fair assessment of her strengths and flaws) all the same.

Really, it's listening to David Mitchell's genius on a topic he's allowed to expend his philosophical energy on to good result. My only criticism and this is to be taken lightly, is that the things that make the book amazing also limit it in some ways.

For one, Mitchell writes from a cynical position on monarchy–as well he should. However, because he has an agenda to underline his disdain for monarchies, at times it causes him to overly emphasize things more to remind us he actually doesn't like the things he clearly does. Which is fine, no one's perfect. But I didn't like having to passively nod and agree that it's bad when people kill people. It was a little, to use his own words, virtue signally.

The other thing that kept my overall from being a 5 (I wish I could give a 4.9), was that at times his comedic genius and observational wit get in the way of what he's saying. A few of his asides go a bit long and though I can appreciate it, there was one point that made me wonder if he forgot what we were talking about.

And that's it. The strength is that he's so conversational and engaging that it feels like a discussion mixed into a lecture. Regardless, it's an amazing way to spend 11 hours. Don't pass it up.

If you're in love with the idea of royalty, detest it, love human nature or reflecting on the conditions we're defined by, it's just stellar.

I'm also actively leaving out the best part of the book, but I think it's better to experience that yourself. Know you're getting more than what you pay for with the title—and be glad for it. Really.

Listening to David Mitchell’s Unruly made my work emails sound more posh and British but thank God no one has noticed.

Basically, I volunteered to wash dishes more so I could keep listening. Instead of eating lunch at my desk, I sat in my car with the windows down because I was halfway through the chapter on Queen Elizabeth the First. I am not really an Anglophile—I am from the rural South in the US. I don’t care about the current royals in the slightest. But I enjoy medieval history, military battles, and Shakespeare. All of which were represented to me in understandable (as it possibly could be with everyone being named Henry, Richard, Edward, and Effy-Foo) and hilarious prose. I told everyone about it at my work, which is good for David Mitchell because I work in a university library. I would buy the physical book, but it’s far better listening to him reading it than reading it to yourself in what you think his voice would sound like. Also, when he is at his most sincere and serious, and it’s genuinely expressed in his voice, it elevates the ending to something more sublime and beautiful than the preceding pages of historical entertainment (which is most of the book).

It’s not boring. And I know that can be high praise for English history books when everyone has the same name. Although I will confess I had to consult Wikipedia on occasion to remind myself visually which Richards were which. Download this to get more dishes done, enjoy more time in the car, and make your work emails sound more witty, dry, and British. A bit.

Wonderful David Mitchell is Wonderful

As with all things David Mitchell (the actor and writer, not the historian), Unruly is charming, informative, interesting, moving, and hilarious. Highly recommend.

David Mitchell is just as hillarious in book form as he is on the Big Fat Quiz .

Loved him taking sides with dead rulers! Best parts were his witty and acerbic delivery of facts about hisorical personages that we traditionally speak of respectfully. He was giving us the tea!

Fun and informative

My ancestors may have helped George Washington cast off royal authority in the eighteenth century, but as an American I definitely enjoyed this overview of English monarchs from their beginnings through the Middle Ages. While multiple references to British culture went over my head (Mitchell doesn’t seem to realize he has fans outside the UK), I was impressed and amused as always with his signature style of humor mixed with strong opinions and well thought out conclusions. If you’ve ever watched David Mitchell’s Soapbox this is essentially a written edition. This was my first deep dive into English/UK monarchs beyond George III or Elizabeth II, and while I admit events like the Wars of the Roses went in one ear and out the other, I certainly learned a lot and recommend this book for those wanting to learn more about a system of government that manages to be even more complicated than I anticipated.

Mitchell delivers intrigue and wit!

David Mitchell has produced an accessible and informative history from “King Arthur” through Elizabeth I. His performance is characteristically dry and facetious. I laughed a lot, even though the Middle Ages and Medieval periods in England could be very grim. A great listen!

SPOILER WARNING: This book describes the ending to James Bond “No Time To Die” without warning.

I’m disappointed with the completely random and unnecessary inclusion of the surprise ending to Daniel Craig’s final Bond film. Otherwise, it’s great! /s

Great narration with a fun way to brush up on your British history

I enjoy David narration, the matter of fact way this English history book is written and read is great. The modern day comparisons, conversational tone, and great timely jokes.

History explained in an entertaining way

David Mitchell tackles the problem of the English monarchy with wit and wisdom. From the myth of Arthur to Elizabeth the First, Mitchell lays it all out with his good-natured humor and encyclopedic knowledge. I sincerely hope this is only the first of many delves into the abyss of history with David as guide. Might I suggest World War I as a future project?

Entertaining and Educational

I was hooked from start to finish! The writing style and the narration were wonderful. Very informative and often hilarious. A wonderful take on history that's not dry or boring at all.