I interviewed author Andrew Redfern about his forthcoming book, Minifigure Monarchs: A History of Great Brits in Little Bricks, which Andy describes as "the retelling of over 1200 years of history using thousands of Lego bricks".

Andy answered the questions both by email and also on a zoom call with me - we go into more detail in the video call, so do watch that below.

Where does your interest in history come from? What are some of the periods you're really fascinated by and why? - I have always loved History, but during lockdown I started reading into periods I am less familiar with and listening to history podcasts. Growing up I loved anything with knights and castles, so naturally the period I am most fascinated by is medieval history such as The Wars of the Roses. You’ll probably have guessed that my favourite Lego theme is Castle.

How did the concept of the book come about? What was the starting idea, then how did the project evolve? -
I’ve always found ways to involve Lego into my work. I’m a teacher and in the past I’ve used Lego to produce revision guides for my students. I wrote a series of books called ‘Business in Bricks’ a revision guide for Business Studies. I’ve also authored a few books in my field. I really enjoyed the publishing process so wanted to do something else that would allow me to play around with Lego whilst creating something unique.
The project has evolved considerably, Some of my builds for the early kings are quite basic, but as time passed the I’ve tried more ambitious builds, spent more time customising the minifigures and added more content to the book. My hobby has allowed me to connect with some great people who share my passion for Lego and history. Some have even agreed to let me use their wonderful creations in the book, for which I am hugely grateful.
What is it about marrying history together with LEGO models that is so appealing? How will the two things will complement each other? - The combination of History and Lego is very popular. That is evident through the MOCs people share on social media or exhibit at Lego conventions. History is a story and Lego is a fantastic medium for storytelling. In the book I’m trying to capture moments in time and modern minifigures with their expressions can really capture the emotions of a moment.
I’ve not shied away from difficult concepts in the book such as slavery, the Holocaust and the British Empire. Lego can make these topics accessible without trivialising them. Lego draws in people of all ages. I’ve not written the book for children, but as a teacher I do hope it will help make history more accessible to a younger audience.
When did you start working on the project? - I think I built the first few scenes for the project in January 2021. I launched the Instagram account in April 2021. To be honest, there was a year in there when I did very little, when our daughter was born!

What was your research process like for the book? - I take a monarch at a time. The process really involves two things. Firstly, working out what the most important and interesting things are to include within a handful of pages. Secondly, deciding on the builds that will work for the situation and time periods, but more importantly, what will be fun to make and will capture peoples imagination. I’m normally reading books and listening to podcasts months in advance to research and plan each king or queen. This is so I have time to plan the builds, gather the pieces, and where necessary, customise the minifigures. Some monarchs obviously take longer than others. Henry VIII took a long time to complete with seven separate builds and George III alone covers 20 pages in the book. George III reign covers so much, including the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
What is your favourite build in the book? - That’s a tough question. There are some really talented builders who are contributing to different sections of the book, but If I had to go for one of my own then I would say The 1st Battle of St. Albans. I choose this because there are so many custom items within the shot. Each suit of armour, shield and flag is custom to the noble family that fought in the battle. I’m also pleased with the lighting of this shot. The scene represent the fighting in the narrow streets of St. Albans during this 15th Century battle.
How can people support/order the book? - The book is being funded as a Kickstarter campaign and is live available throughout July 2025. People can make a pledge to order their copy of the book by going to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/minifiguremonarchs/minifigure-monarchs
I’m also on instagram and can be found at https://www.instagram.com/lego_minifigure_monarchs/.