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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