Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens (Unabridged)
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4.6 • 34 Ratings
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
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.
Customer Reviews
Hope for part two
Very enjoyable and made me smile so much on my boring commute
A fantastic listen
I love the comedy of David Mitchell and was delighted when I saw he had written a book on the history of the medieval kings of England. As a historical enthusiast, I leapt at the chance to learn more about what is to me a fairly obscure branch of history as an American. Not only that, the fact that it was written by one of my favorite comedians only increased my desperation to read it as quickly and thoroughly as possible. To top it off, the fact that it is read by Mitchell seals the deal. I highly recommend this text to anyone who might be looking for an excellent text of history that is more focused on what makes historical treatises interesting than what doesn’t. Dates and names factor in, of course. But the interpretation of the importance, the cause and effect, is what makes this highly accessible while still being perfectly deep on the subject matter. Please read this book, perhaps it will encourage the author to keep writing on other interesting subjects, something I am desperate to see more of