Unruly cover art

Unruly

The Number One Bestseller ‘Horrible Histories for grownups’ The Times

Preview
This Season's Biggest Deal

£0.99/mo for 3 months + £10 Audible bonus

Auto-renews at £5.99/month after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 28 December, 2026.
More purchase options

Unruly

By: David Mitchell
Narrated by: David Mitchell
Get this deal

Auto-renews at £5.99/mo. after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 28 December, 2026.

Buy Now for £15.51

Buy Now for £15.51

This Season's Biggest Deal | £0.99/mo for 3 months + £10 Audible bonus

£5.99/mo after 3 months - terms apply. Cancel monthly
Summary

THE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Read by David Mitchell.


A funny book about a serious subject, Unruly is for anyone who has ever wondered how we got here - and who is to blame.

Think you know your kings and queens? Think again.

Taking us right back to King Arthur (spoiler: he didn't exist), Unruly 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, excessive beheadings, middle-management insurrection, uncivil wars, and at least one total Cnut.

How this happened, who it happened to and why it matters in modern Britain are all questions David 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.

*The Times Number One Bestseller October 2023*

'Clever, amusing, gloriously bizarre and razor sharp. Mitchell – a funny man and skilled historian – tells stories that are interesting and fun. Here is Horrible Histories for grownups’ GERARD DEGROOT, THE TIMES

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

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

©2023 David Mitchell (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Europe Great Britain Historical Politics & Activism Royalty England Funny Thought-Provoking Witty Comedy Feel-Good Arthurian Tudor War
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

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.
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
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
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
Mitchell clearly knows his history, with a book that owes as much to Monty Python as it does to Simon Schama
A Peep Show history of England
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
Chatty, irreverent and liberally sprinkled with gags and opinions. Horrible Histories with added swearing.
I can’t recommend this book enough. Very funny and interesting, it is above all a proper work of history
All stars
Most relevant
I love the tone of the writing, and hearing it read by the author made it even better!

Fabulous romp through royal history!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Really loved this factual but tong in cheek canter through English history. My only criticism was that the second half accelerated like he was late for an appointment

Great fun and informative

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Pleasant canter through the mugwumps of the sais. Have been sending quotes to my buddy as I’ve gone along. Some absolute crackers.

Very funny.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

An excellently written book made better by having David Mitchell do the narration himself. Thoroughly recommend.

Superb

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I never review things, but this book is just superb. Brilliantly written, unique, irreverent and very funny. David Mitchell’s love for this history is clear. Mitchell is such a funny guy. What a shame it had to finish. Do yourself a favour; listen to it.

Brilliant history. Great fun.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews