Unruly

Author David Mitchell
Narrator David Mitchell
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Publish Date 28 September 2023
Run Time 11 hours and 40 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Biography and non-fiction prose, Biography: royalty, Collected biographies, European history, History, Humour.

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

Discover who we are and how we got here by pre-ordering comedian and student of history David Mitchell's UNRULY: A History of England's Kings and Queens - a thoughtful, funny exploration of the founding fathers and mothers of England, and subsequently Britain.

Think you know your kings and queens? Think again.

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

Taking us right back to King Arthur (spoiler: he didn't exist), David tells the founding story of post-Roman England right up to the reign of Elizabeth I (spoiler: she dies). It's a tale of narcissists, inadequate self-control, excessive beheadings, middle-management insurrection, uncivil wars, and at least one total Cnut, as the population evolved from having their crops nicked 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 it matters in modern Britain are all questions David 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 about a serious subject, UNRULY is for anyone who has ever wondered how we got here - and who is to blame.

Read by David Mitchell.

©2023 David Mitchell (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critics Review

Unruly is part Horrible Histories part jolly romp guided by Alan Bennett. Perhaps this is how history should be done: not by patient scholars, but by free-swearing actor-comedians cramming more ideas and jokes into their pages than many professionals have committed to print in their careers.

Guardian

Full of jokes and canny insights, 100 per cent sparkier and more revernt than your school textbooks

An enjoyable, rollicking read, definitely not a conventional history book

Sunday Times

I don't think anyone other than David Mitchell could have written this book. It's clever, funny and makes you think quite differently about history we thought we knew

DAN SNOW, HISTORIAN AND BROADCASTER

By turns fascinating and funny - there is a jewel of an insight or a refreshing blast of clarifying wit on every page. David brings a delightfully contrary and hilariously cantankerous eye to the history of the English Monarchy. Informative, illuminating and very very funny

JESSE ARMSTRONG, CREATOR OFu00a0SUCCESSIONu00a0ANDu00a0PEEP SHOW

Mitchell clearly knows his history, with a book that owes as much to Monty Python as it does to Simon Schama

Andrew Marr

A Peep Show history of England

Sunday Times

Clever, amusing, gloriously bizarre and razor sharp. Mitchell - a funny man and a skilled historian - tells stories that are interesting and fun. His rants alone are worth the price of the book. And amid all the jokes and delightful nonsense, Mitchell sneaks in a serious message about English identity. Here is Horrible Histories for grownups - stripped of their finery, devoid of reverence, UNRULY's monarchs emerge as mortals with ordinary flaws. I learnt a lot and laughed a lot, and people who have never before picked up a history book will read and enjoy this one. That's an accomplishment

Gerard DeGroot, The Times

Chatty, irreverent and liberally sprinkled with gags and opinions. Horrible Histories with added swearing.

Guardian

I can't recommend this book enough. Very funny and interesting, it is above all a proper work of history

Charlie Higson

User Reviews

Book 4.7

Narration 4.9

5.0

Kiks 10/06/2025

4.0

5.0

Funny, interesting and excellently narrated

Addy 25/01/2025

5.0

GaelleK 16/12/2024

5.0

alisonleeper 01/12/2024

5.0

Chris.Wright 01/10/2024

4.0

5.0

jonosdsutton 25/09/2024

5.0

I really enjoyed David's comedic style to tell such a blood thirsty time in history.

Jimjim31 08/09/2024

5.0

Who's have thought kings could be fun... even with all the killing.

vincenze 21/07/2024

5.0

Ecellant

Ratnachuda 10/06/2024

3.0

5.0

emilypike 21/04/2024

5.0

Great book, listened again and again. Loved learning and laughing at the same time, such and easy and engaging listen

alavender 01/04/2024

5.0

pat512 20/02/2024

5.0

David has surpassed himself in this book. Totally irreverent, currently weaving topical events into his narrative. I wonder how they will pan out in 10 or 20 years time. Glorious expose of our inglorious past. Well done ! ! !

Geoff Miles 25/01/2024

5.0

Which king exploded? What was the role of Gaviscon in the dark ages? I'm ready for my GCSEs!

TB 20/01/2024

5.0

4.0

bookwormchick99 02/01/2024

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