Rating: 4/5
I seem to be going through a bit of a phase. First I indulged myself in Irish myth then gorged upon the French Revolution. Now it’s a guided tour through Britain’s royalty by a comedian with the ability to go off into a rant in two point five seconds. As mentioned before I like my history with a bit of fiction and focused on the more quiet voices, but David Mitchell’s Unruly: A History of England’s Kings and Queens (2023) proves a dash of humour can make a history lecture go far. While at times the repetitive names and bouts of waffle can make readers lose train of thought, Unruly is a book that gets its readers wondering how it is the monarchy have survived this long.
Spanning from the Dark Ages (yes. I said it history academics of the world) to the end of The Tudor line, Unruly details Britain’s relationships and conflicts with royal houses, the church and our neighbours, the French. All without overloading readers with a textbook of facts. Instead Mitchell presents his work through almost allegorical language. I don’t’ know about other readers, but I found his comparison of the end of William The Conquers’ reign to the end of No Time to Die (2021) to be highly amusing. And his rant over why The Dark Ages is no longer an acceptable term is justifiable. His fascination for history clearly shows and his comparisons offer readers an alluring perspective on the United Kingdom and its society. The only suggestion I could make to fully enjoy the experience is location and patience. When reading Unruly in a public place I found it difficult to focus and whenever Mitchell became too engrossed with his banter I began skimming the informative moments, forcing me to backtrack at times. If reading this book I would recommend doing so in a quiet place. I would also recommend using the family trees provided at the start. There are gonna be a lot of Henry’s and Edward’s to remember. A lot. But that is a criticism reserved for the royal families rather than Mitchell, who twists it in favour of his comical talents.
Unruly is a fun, not too in-depth analysis, which both history and non-history lovers will enjoy. The laughs are comparable to a Bill Bryson novel. Just be sure to exclude yourself from the world's rabble.
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