Episode Summary
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.Sponsors:Our Place's Titanium Always Pan® Pro using nonstick technology that’s coating-free and made without PFAS, otherwise known as “Forever Chemicals”: https://fromourplace.com/tim (10% off all products from Our Place using code TIM) Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: https://shopify.com/tim (one-dollar-per-month trial period)LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 1B+ users: https://linkedin.com/tim (post your job for free)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