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

BIZ Experiences Staff

Want to be an BIZ Experiences 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 BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Science & Technology

OpenAI's Latest Move Is a Game Changer — Here's How Smart Solopreneurs Are Turning It Into Profit

OpenAI's latest AI tool acts like a full-time assistant, helping solopreneurs save time, find leads and grow their business without hiring.

Social Media

How To Start a Youtube Channel: Step-by-Step Guide

YouTube can be a valuable way to grow your audience. If you're ready to create content, read more about starting a business YouTube Channel.

Money & Finance

These Are the Expected Retirement Ages By Generation, From Gen Z to Boomers — and the Average Savings Anticipated. How Do Yours Compare?

Many Americans say inflation prevents them from saving enough and fear they won't reach their financial goals.

Science & Technology

AI Isn't Plug-and-Play — You Need a Strategy. Here's Your Guide to Building One.

Don't just "add AI" — build a strategy. This guide helps founders avoid common pitfalls and create a step-by-step roadmap to harness real value from AI.

Starting a Business

I Built a $20 Million Company by Age 22 While Still in College. Here's How I Did It and What I Learned Along the Way.

Wealth-building in your early twenties isn't about playing it safe; it's about exploiting the one time in life when having nothing to lose gives you everything to gain.