Discover who we are and how we got here in comedian David Mitchell's UNRULY: A History of
England's Kings and Queens - a thoughtful funny exploration of the entitled and enthroned.
'JUST FANTASTIC. DELIGHTFULLY CONTRARY AND HILARIOUSLY CANTANKEROUS. VERY VERY FUNNY' JESSE
ARMSTRONG CREATOR OF SUCCESSION AND PEEP SHOW 'CLEVER AMUSING GLORIOUSLY BIZARRE AND RAZOR
SHARP. MITCHELL - A FUNNY MAN AND A SKILLED HISTORIAN - TELLS STORIES THAT ARE INTERESTING AND
FUN. HERE IS HORRIBLE HISTORIES FOR GROWNUPS' GERARD DEGROOT THE TIMES 'CLEVER FUNNY MAKES
YOU THINK QUITE DIFFERENTLY ABOUT HISTORY' DAN SNOW HISTORIAN AND BROADCASTER -------- 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. -------- 'Mitchell clearly knows his history with a book that
owes as much to Monty Python as it does to Simon Schama' ANDREW MARR BROADCASTER '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 'Who knew a history of England's rulers could be this hilarious? A brilliantly
entertaining romp through monarchs' i '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 OF SUCCESSION AND PEEP SHOW'I can't
recommend this book enough. Very funny and interesting it is above all a proper work of
history' CHARLIE HIGSON *The Times Number One Bestseller October 2023*
