Think you know your kings and queens? Think again. In Unruly, David Mitchell explores how England’s monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects’ destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky sods who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear today in their portraits. From King Arthur (spoiler: he didn’t exist) to Elizabeth I (spoiler: she dies), David tells the founding story of post-Roman England: a tale of narcissists, inadequate self-control, excessive beheadings, uncivil wars and at least one total Cnut. A funny book about a serious subject, Unruly is for anyone who has ever wondered how we got here – and who is to blame.