#773: Andrew Roberts on The Habits of Churchill, Lessons from Napoleon, and The Holy Fire Inside Great Leaders
Andrew Roberts has written twenty books, which have been translated into twenty-eight languages and have won thirteen literary prizes. These include Napoleon: A Life, Churchill: Walking with Destiny, and most recently, Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Gaza, which he co-authored with General David Petraeus.
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Timestamps:
[00:00:00] Start
[00:06:14] Expelled from Cranleigh school.
[00:07:14] Why MI6 considered Andrew for recruitment.
[00:09:56] The teacher who made history exciting to 10-year-old Andrew.
[00:13:05] Words Andrew avoids when writing about history.
[00:14:20] Are steady-nerved leaders naturally born or nurtured?
[00:16:05] The thinkers who influenced Winston Churchill and his sense of noblesse oblige.
[00:18:26] What made Napoleon Bonaparte the prime exemplar of war leadership?
[00:24:37] Lessons from Winston Churchill's autobiography, My Early Life.
[00:26:22] Napoleon's relationship with risk.
[00:29:26] Andrew's signed letter from Aldous Huxley.
[00:30:49] When historical figures carry a sense of personal destiny.
[00:33:07] The meeting Andrew wishes he could've witnessed as a fly on the wall.
[00:34:30] When historical villains carry a sense of personal destiny.
[00:37:14] What Churchill and Napoleon learned from their mistakes.
[00:39:38] "Dear Diary..."
[00:44:00] Maintaining creative flow during the writing process.
[00:47:18] On working with brilliant publisher Stuart Proffitt (aka Professor Perfect).
[00:52:53] Why are some significant figures immortalized while others go the way of Ozymandias?
[00:57:59] Thoughts on personal legacy.
[00:59:18] Fiction favorites.
[01:02:05] Being objective about the history of imperialism.
[01:03:31] The challenges of teaching and learning history today.
[01:06:40] Why "Study history" is Andrew's coat of arms motto.
[01:10:22] What Andrew, as a history expert, sees for the future.
[01:14:01] Counteracting natural pessimism.
[01:15:34] What to expect from Andrew's latest book Conflict (co-authored with David Petraeus).
[01:19:21] Upcoming book projects.
[01:20:26] Parting thoughts.
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