Prince Harry's 'Spare' Memoir Shoots to Top of Bestseller Lists Even ahead of its Tuesday release, the book was raking in major sales numbers.

By Steve Huff

Dan Kitwood | Getty Images

The numbers from booksellers like Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Powell's make it clear: Prince Harry's Spare, his memoir about his life as a royal, was already dominating bestseller lists by the time it was released Tuesday. The day before its publication, Jan. 10, Spare was first on Amazon's U.S. bestseller list for books in the U.S. and number one on Barnes & Noble's "B&N Top 100: Book Bestsellers."

Spare also made it onto Books-A-Million and Powell's lists. It was well situated in many ways to end up charting high. The memoir was released around a month after the last three episodes of Harry & Meghan, the six-part Netflix docuseries centered around the Duke of Sussex and his American-born wife, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. The series clocked 81 million hours of viewership in its first four days alone.

Response to Spare has been an interesting portrait of how the public sees the British royal family. The BBC's review called it "the weirdest book ever written by a royal," about "a profoundly odd life, moving suddenly between this lack of [glamor] to time with the international jet set."

Some, however, take the book very seriously — like royal biographer Angela Levin. She spoke to Euro News about Spare, and called Prince Harry "a real bully" whose memoir "is well over the line."

While the New York Times noted a number of leaks from Spare as well as revealing articles might affect book sales, the paper also quoted B&N and Waterstones head James Daunt, who said Harry's book is "clearly going to be an interesting book that's going to keep on selling and it's going to keep on being part of the conversation."

Steve Huff

Entrepreneur Staff

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Leadership

Lead From the Top: 5 Core Responsibilities of a CEO

Knowing exactly what the chief executive's role entails is critical for steering a company to success.

Business News

Another '30-Under-30' Business Superstar Was Convicted of Fraud — This Time for Defrauding JPMorgan Chase Out of $175M

Charlie Javice, founder of a student-finance startup called Frank, was found guilty of defrauding JPMorgan Chase.

Leadership

The 4 Pillars of Leadership — How Planning-Driven Leaders Keep Teams Focused and Moving Forward

Here's how to understand what it means to be a planning-driven leader and how to bring the best out of this leadership style.

Growing a Business

Is Your Business Struggling? Take These Steps to Drive Your Company to Success

By embracing victories and rigorously analyzing weaknesses, you can forge a powerful plan that ensures not just survival but also thriving success.