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Unruly

The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens

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Unruly

Written by: David Mitchell
Narrated by: David Mitchell
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About this listen

 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. Europe Great Britain Royalty England Funny Witty Tudor Comedy

What the critics say

“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

“Mischievous . . . astute and distinctive.”—The Wall Street Journal

“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
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Most Relevant
I loved this book so much I’ve listened to it three times. David’s dry wit is delightful.

Delightful

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I always relish the opportunity to hear Mitchell's discussions, and even his rants, on various topics. So, my lack of initial interest in the subject of England's Kings and Queens didn't dissuade me from picking up this audiobook. Early in the narrative, Mitchell hints that a basic understanding of English history is crucial for the reader—or should I say, listener. Despite this, I chose to continue and I'm glad I did. Residing in the colonies, this book provided a revelatory adventure through British/English/Something history. If nothing else, it served as a great framework, helping categorize the numerous historical dramas I've encountered in movies and TV shows over the years.

Don't care much about monarchies. Loved the book.

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David Mitchell's wit and cleverness makes everything he does interesting and very funny ! I LOVED " UNRULY" partly because I enjoy history, but I bought this book because David's humour is the best!! ( I found myself actually remembering dates and names, ha ha. ) I think this would work perfect as a History book for today's students. (* language is for young "adults" )
Great book Mr. Mitchell, made extra special because it was narrated by you !! Thank you for all the laughs!!
p.s. please write & narrate more books and do more sitcoms, love all your work!! Really wished "UPSTART CROW" could have had more seasons...Just like a good teacher, you educate folks without them even realizing it. I love that too!!
Shelly D. from CANADA 🇨🇦

Humour Helps !!

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Excellent review of English History. Told tongue in cheek which makes it an easy learning / relearning experience.

Presented in the authors standard acerbic style.

Wit Humour and History

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tremendous. completely unaware of the history. always interested in castles and Dave's staire on many many VT's. it just works. humor breaks the harsh reality. Mr Mitchell. you stated in your first chapter to have someone reach out if they were unaware and how statistically it was nearly impossible. I'd love a chat. keep up the great work.

How I was unaware of 1066.

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