I loved this book. It was a joy to read. It’s clever and funny. It is highly informative. I loved Mitchell’s sense of humor and his sarcasm. I loved his personal opinions and commentary. The historical context is excellent. What a great way to learn history. Thank you to Netgalley and Crown for the advance reader copy.

"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.

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."

This book is also for everyone who loves and adores David Mitchell. Yes, that means me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through the British monarchy. Not sense my college professor told an animated tale of William the Conqueror's casket bursting open from his body swelling, and from being packed into a too small coffin, have I been so entertained by the lives of the monarchs. This is accessible and informative while being a touch irreverent. After all, these kings and queens were just people at the end of the day.