Unruly: The Number One Bestseller ‘Horrible Histories for grownups' The Times

Unruly by David Mitchell revisits the history of England’s monarchs with a sharp, comic eye. It challenges the idea of kings and queens as all-powerful figures who confidently shaped their subjects’ lives, presenting them instead as individuals who were often as odd and foolish in reality as they appear in their portraits.

The narrative ranges from the founding story of post-Roman England through to the reign of Elizabeth I, and it questions familiar legends along the way. Mitchell frames this period as a succession of volatile personalities and turbulent events, including insurrection, civil conflict and repeated beheadings, while tracing a shift from rule by local force to obedience and taxation under a divinely anointed monarch.

Key details

• Author: David Mitchell
• Covers England’s monarchs from post-Roman origins to Elizabeth I
• Described as a funny book about a serious subject
• Referred to as a number one bestseller

Synopsis

Unruly explores how England’s monarchy developed and what that meant for the people living under it. Moving from early origin stories to the Tudor era, it presents a history marked by power struggles, poor judgement and violence, alongside the gradual emergence of a system built on deference and taxation. It also considers how these events connect to modern Britain, asking how the country arrived where it is and who bears responsibility.