Unruly

A History of England's Kings and Queens

By: David Mitchell

Narrated by: David Mitchell

Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Discover who we are and how we got here by listening to 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

Funny, interesting and educative

Being a fan of David Mitchell, I thought this would be good. A sort of funny, easy listening confection. But it’s much more than that. I wonder what he’s working on next.

Enjoyable and fun...

OK he did spoil 007 last movie for me ..lol .. and if you ask how is that possible, well then you will get a sense on the construction and diverse and impromptu jumping aground. I don't think unruly has so much to do with the royals, as what it has to do with his train of thought.

Did I learn anything... no sure... but boy was it fun, and entertaining! Highly recommended

Funny and insightful

Well written and well read. DM gives a great modern interpretation of English Royal history up to and including the rule of Elisabeth the first.

Informative and very entertaining.

I loved it. All the info I remember from school lessons but so much more entertainingly told.

A gem from David Mitchell

Great listen from a known history buff. His sardonic delivery works pretty well with the format.

Over 500 years of history encapsulated

Beginning before William the Conqueror David Mitchell takes the reader on a journey through the lives of the Kings (and Queens) of England up to the end of the reign of the Tudors. I enjoyed the trip. The lives of the main cast are taught in school
But David brought them to life with plenty of his own brand of humour. I knew the basic details of history and loved every word of this book.

Just a great listen

This was a great listen, historical English royals through the ages told in a way we’re all thinking, or at least the way a person with a sense of humour thinks. Even after listening once I would listen to it again.

Surprisingly deep

I went in expecting wit, which was delivered aplenty. What surprised me was that Mitchell had so much more to say. About the role of history, the idea of nationalism, the human condition, what civilisation means, the significance of Shakespeare and a range of other subjects. It will be interesting to see if this is a one-off or if this is a new “mode” of Mitchell - from “comedian” to “public intellectual”. I bet that from the inside, the difference is very small - and it all simply feels like a mind at work.

A wonderful book with David Mitchell’s classic humour

David Mitchell has been one of my favourite comedians for a long time and this book does not disappoint.

Finding books written and read by comedians is a real treasure

A charmingly introspective narrative by a Brit "more fond than proud" of British history

This is a very enjoyable listen. I am going through it a third time, decided to be more focused on names and dates; the enjoyable side of the book does distract from the educational aspect! The underlying scope of the book seems to be a kind, but not nationalistic, glance over the truth of the formation towards modern England. As a non-British, I found this introspective retrospection both enlighting and moving.