Andrew Roberts Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Andrew Roberts

Andrew Roberts is widely regarded as one of the preeminent British biographers and military historians of our time. Known for his deep archival research and narrative flair, he writes history that reads with the page-turning pace of a novel. If you are new to his bibliography, there are two clear starting points depending on your historical interest:

• For Biography Fans: Start with Napoleon: A Life (2014) (published in the UK as Napoleon the Great). This definitive single-volume biography uses the newly published collection of Napoleon's 33,000 personal letters to present a vivid, multi-dimensional portrait of the French emperor as an intellectual, reformer, and hyper-energetic strategist rather than a simple warmonger.
• For 20th-Century History Fans: Start with Churchill: Walking with Destiny (2018). Benefiting from unprecedented access to the private diaries of King George VI, this masterwork captures Winston Churchill's leadership, humor, flaws, and grit in a way that feels fresh even to those who have read dozens of other Churchill books.

Thematic Reading Pathways

Because Andrew Roberts writes narrative non-fiction, you do not need to follow a strict series order. Instead, his books are best read in thematic pathways. Below are the recommended reading paths to get the most out of his historical insights.

Path 1: The Napoleon and Wellington Duel

This pathway follows the legendary rivalry and clashes of the early 19th century. Although written years apart, reading them in this order provides a brilliant narrative arc of the Napoleonic Era:

1. Napoleon and Wellington: The Long Duel (2001): Start here for a focused, comparative study of the two military titans, analyzing how they perceived one another throughout their parallel careers.
2. Napoleon: A Life (2014): Next, dive deep into the full, sweeping story of the French emperor's life, from his Corsican childhood to his rise, zenith, and final exile on St. Helena.
3. Waterloo: June 18, 1815: The Battle for Modern Europe (2005): Conclude this path with this detailed, hour-by-hour examination of the epic battle where the two giants finally faced off on the battlefield.

Path 2: The World War II & Allied Leadership Path

Roberts has dedicated much of his career to analyzing the strategy, politics, and human dynamics of the Second World War. To understand how the war was fought and won at the highest levels, follow this progression:

1. Hitler and Churchill: Secrets of Leadership (2003): A great primer comparing the diametrically opposed leadership styles, strategies, and psychological approaches of the two wartime leaders.
2. Masters and Commanders: How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941-1945 (2008): Follow the intense, often combative relationships between Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke, and General George C. Marshall as they shaped allied strategy.
3. The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War (2011): The grand overview. This single-volume narrative explains the military, logistical, and political realities of the entire global conflict, offering a compelling thesis on why the Axis lost.
4. Churchill: Walking with Destiny (2018): The crowning achievement of this path, exploring the full life of the man at the center of Britain's war effort.
5. Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine (2023): Co-authored with retired U.S. Army General David Petraeus, this book acts as a modern sequel, examining how military leadership and strategy have evolved from the end of WWII up to the modern battlefields of Ukraine.

Path 3: British Leaders & Monarchy Path

If you are interested in the broader landscape of British politics and royal history, Roberts has written several major works covering key figures from the Victorian era to the present day:

1. Salisbury: Victorian Titan (2000): A masterful biography of Robert Cecil, the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, who served as Prime Minister three times during the peak of the British Empire.
2. The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III (2021): A revisionist biography that uses George III's personal papers to challenge the caricature of the "mad king" who lost the American colonies.
3. The House of Windsor (2000): Roberts' contribution to the A Royal History of England series. (Note: While some booksellers group the other volumes in this series under his name, Roberts only authored this specific volume; see details below).
4. A History of the English-Speaking Peoples Since 1900 (2006): A continuation of the classic history style popularized by Winston Churchill, charting the cultural, political, and military journeys of the English-speaking world through the 20th century.

Anthologies, Counterfactuals, and Fiction

For readers looking for something slightly different from standard historical narrative, Roberts has worked on several unique projects:

• The Aachen Memorandum (1995): Roberts' only foray into fiction. This satirical dystopian thriller is set in a future where Great Britain has been absorbed into a European superstate, following a rigged referendum. It features a historian protagonist who uncovers the truth.
• What Might Have Been (2004) & What If? 2 (2000): These are fascinating collections of counterfactual history essays where Roberts and other leading historians explore how the world might have changed if key historical events had turned out differently.
• The Great Commanders Series: Roberts has also edited several multi-author anthologies profiling key military leaders across history, including the Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern, and Modern worlds.

Publication Order of Andrew Roberts’ Non-Fiction Books

If you prefer to read Roberts' non-fiction works in the order they were written to see how his historical perspective and style developed, follow this chronological list:

1. 'The Holy Fox': The Life of Lord Halifax (1991)
2. Eminent Churchillians (1994)
3. Churchill: Embattled Hero (1995)
4. Salisbury: Victorian Titan (2000)
5. The House of Windsor (2000) (Part of the A Royal History of England series)
6. Napoleon and Wellington: The Long Duel (2001)
7. The Secret History of PWE: The Political Warfare Executive 1939-1945 (2002)
8. Hitler and Churchill: Secrets of Leadership (2003)
9. Waterloo: June 18, 1815: The Battle For Modern Europe (2005)
10. A History of the English-Speaking Peoples Since 1900 (2006)
11. Masters and Commanders: How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941-1945 (2008)
12. The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War (2011)
13. Love, Tommy: War Letters from the Frontline 1914-2010 (2012)
14. Letters from the Front: From the First World War to the Present Day (2014)
15. Napoleon: A Life (2014) (Also published as Napoleon the Great)
16. Elegy: The First Day on the Somme (2015)
17. Churchill: Walking with Destiny (2018)
18. Leadership in War: Essential Lessons from Those Who Made History (2019)
19. The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III (2021)
20. Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine (2023) (Co-authored with David Petraeus)

What to Know Before You Start

Before diving into Roberts’ library, keep these important reading caveats and details in mind:

• Royal History of England Clarification: You will sometimes see The Stuarts, The Tudors, and The Houses of Hanover and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha associated with Andrew Roberts on retail sites. In reality, the A Royal History of England series was edited by Antonia Fraser. The other books were written by Maurice Ashley, Neville Williams, and John Clarke & Jasper Ridley respectively. Roberts only wrote The House of Windsor volume.
• Alternative Titles: Due to publisher differences between the US and the UK, some books have different titles depending on the edition. Napoleon: A Life is published in the UK as Napoleon the Great. Similarly, The Last King of America is published in the UK as George III: The Life and Reign of Britain's Most Misunderstood Monarch. The content inside is identical.
• Standalones: Every single non-fiction book by Andrew Roberts is a standalone work. You do not need to have read any of his previous books to fully understand or enjoy his later biographies.