The Tim Ferriss Show

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

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Episode notes

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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