#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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