#773: Andrew Roberts on The Habits of Churchill, Lessons from Napoleon, and The Holy Fire Inside Great Leaders

The Tim Ferriss Show

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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