Legacy

Wondery

From Wondery and Goalhanger Podcasts, Afua Hirsch and Peter Frankopan tell the wild stories of some of the most extraordinary men and women ever to have lived – and ask whether they have the rep they deserve. Should Nina Simone’s role in the civil rights movement be more celebrated than it is? When you find out what Picasso got up to in his studio, can you still admire his art? Was Napoleon a hero or a tyrant - or both? (And, while we’re at it, was he even short?) Legacy is the show that looks at big lives from the perspective of now – and doesn’t always like what it sees.

Follow Legacy on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. Prime Members and subscribers can binge full seasons of Legacy ad-free on Amazon Music. Wondery+ subscribers can binge full seasons ad-free -- join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.

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Our Editor's Take

The Legacy podcast reexamines famous individuals reputations. Cohosts Peter Frankopan and Afua Hirsch redeem some figures through their research. Other legends lose their hero status. The hosts reveal how prominent people's pasts affect their reputations in the present.

The hosts say the next generation should reassess current leaders. Those considered gods and mentors in their time might have a different reception as society evolves. Likewise, those who seem disruptive or contrarian might later achieve innovator status. Frankopan and Hirsch are fitting cohosts. Each is creating a legacy of intentionality.

Hirsch wrote an award-winning book about race, gender, and class, Brit(ish). The former lawyer is a journalist for The Guardian, documentary filmmaker, and TV host. Hirsch is also an activist who works with SIKA to honor her Ghanaian heritage.

Frankopan is a British historian and best-selling author. He's a professor at Oxford University and King's College. The entrepreneur is a hotelier and chair of the Frankopan Fund. He's the director of the Oxford Centre for Byzantine Research. Frankopan is a fellow of geographical, scientific, Asiatic, literary, and art societies. He's most proud of representing Croatia in cricket.

Each season of Legacy explores one renowned person, starting with Napoleon Bonaparte. Historians describe the military general in conflicting terms. Some call him a warmonger or enslaver. Others label him a visionary or despot. Which perception is accurate? Listeners might hear things about Napoleon's personal life for the first time. It begins with a schoolyard swordfight Napoleon waged at 14. Hirsch explains how the outcome became a metaphor for his future.

Season two analyzes Cecil Rhodes. The Cape Colony prime minister and De Beers diamond miner was an English colonialist. He established the Rhodes Scholarship at the University of Oxford.

So why were his statues removed from college campuses? Are accusations of his white supremacist views valid? Hirsch and Frankopan provide these and other fascinating answers.

New Legacy podcast episodes appear as complete seasons once a month.

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HistoryHistory

Play Trailer

Introducing…Legacy

Introducing…Legacy

Legacy lands Wednesday 15th November. Afua Hirsch and Peter Frankopan tell the wild stories of some of the most extraordinary men and women ever to have lived – and ask whether they have the rep they deserve.Amazon Prime members can binge entire seasons early on Amazon Music. Wondery+ subscribers can binge full seasons early in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Season 6

Alan Turing | An Awkward Genius | 1

Alan Turing | An Awkward Genius | 1

A curious bookish boy, Alan Turing is already an outsider at a young age. But at Cambridge, he comes up with an idea that shapes the foundation of computer science. His genius will later alter the course of the Second World War. But Turing's personal life will destroy his reputation for generations to come.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alan Turing | Cracking the Code | 2

Alan Turing | Cracking the Code | 2

The stakes are high for Turing and his team of codebreakers as they try to decrypt Nazi messages. Known as “Prof”, Turing and his eccentricities are central to life at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. Will he and his team be able to turn the tide in Britain’s favour?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alan Turing | Illegal Love | 3

Alan Turing | Illegal Love | 3

Turing returns to a normal social life after the war, where he is open about his sexual orientation with his friends. Until a burglary turns everything upside down and Turing faces the reality of being criminalised for who you love. Will Turing survive this?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alan Turing | A Forgotten Hero | 4

Alan Turing | A Forgotten Hero | 4

Alan Turing’s life is tragically cut short. And his crucial impact during the war remains unknown for years. But in the 21st century, his legacy in Artificial Intelligence is more relevant than ever and so is his identity as a queer man. How should we reassess the legacy of Alan Turing?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Season 5

Nina Simone | The Road to Carnegie Hall | 1

Nina Simone | The Road to Carnegie Hall | 1

Born in the Jim Crow South, Nina Simone's talent is obvious from an early age. She dreams of becoming the first black classical pianist but after a life-changing rejection, she has no choice but to reinvent herself...You can listen to the songs mentioned in this series here: https://music.amazon.co.uk/playlists/B0CVXPPT7G or search 'Nina Simone: The Legacy Playlist' in the Amazon Music app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nina Simone | To Be Young, Gifted and Black | 2

Nina Simone | To Be Young, Gifted and Black | 2

Nina Simone's star is rising - however cracks in her personal life are starting to show. Meanwhile, the civil rights movement is catching up with her. Where does she stand in the midst of this? And will she be on the right side of history?You can listen to the songs mentioned in this series here: https://music.amazon.co.uk/playlists/B0CVXPPT7G or search 'Nina Simone: The Legacy Playlist' in the Amazon Music app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nina Simone | Breakdown | 3

Nina Simone | Breakdown | 3

Amidst marital and financial problems, Nina escapes the US for an eclectic life abroad - finding love in Barbados, happiness in Liberia, and a better education for her daughter in Switzerland. But mental health struggles soon come to the fore and before soon Nina Simone will reach a new low.You can listen to the songs mentioned in this series here: https://music.amazon.co.uk/playlists/B0CVXPPT7G or search 'Nina Simone: The Legacy Playlist' in the Amazon Music app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nina Simone | Rebirth | 4

Nina Simone | Rebirth | 4

The tide is turning for Nina Simone. A new generation falls in love with her music, she's reconciled with her daughter and her mental health has recovered. But alongside the civil rights movement, Nina's significance as an activist is forgotten until recent events in the US give them new relevance.You can listen to the songs mentioned in this series here: https://music.amazon.co.uk/playlists/B0CVXPPT7G or search 'Nina Simone: The Legacy Playlist' in the Amazon Music app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Season 4

Gorbachev | The Boy from Stavropol | 1

Gorbachev | The Boy from Stavropol | 1

Shaped by the brutality of the Stalin regime, Gorbachev’s childhood was one of poverty and hardship. But the communist system also works to his strengths, and allows him to reach the very top. All along, he remains a true believer but knows change must happen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gorbachev | Shutting Down the Cold War | 2

Gorbachev | Shutting Down the Cold War | 2

With the levers of power now in his control, Gorbachev steps out on the international stage with one aim: to avoid a nuclear war. He forges a new relationship with US President Reagan, but will it be enough to remove the shadow of armageddon? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gorbachev | Meltdown | 3

Gorbachev | Meltdown | 3

On a spring morning in 1986 one of the most catastrophic events in global history occurs - Chernobyl. It brings chaos to the environment, chaos to Europe and chaos to Mikhail Gorbachev's premiership. Will he survive this?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gorbachev | The Man Who Lost an Empire | 4

Gorbachev | The Man Who Lost an Empire | 4

Under Gorbachev's leadership the once sprawling empire that was the Soviet Union collapses. Is this his true legacy? Or was it all inevitable? And with present day Russia looking to the past for glory, what lessons can we learn from history's last Soviet leader? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Season 3

Picasso | Bullfights, Brothels & Bohemia | 1

Picasso | Bullfights, Brothels & Bohemia | 1

His father wants him to become a great classical painter, but teenage Pablo Picasso has other ideas. He joins the heady bohemia of Barcelona and Paris, where tragedy transforms his art and puts him on the road to fame.Artwork:The Little Yellow Picador, Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1889)The First Communion, Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1896)La Vie, Pablo Picasso (1903)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Picasso | The Muse | 2

Picasso | The Muse | 2

Picasso finds inspiration in an unlikely setting and changes art forever. He also finds his first muse, then his second... and then his third - leaving a trail of suffering behind him.Artwork:Family of Acrobats with Monkey, Pablo Picasso (1905)Portrait of Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso (1905-6)The Young Ladies of Avignon, Pablo Picasso (1906)Olga in an Armchair, Pablo Picasso (1917)The Dream, Pablo Picasso (1932)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Picasso | The Weeping Woman | 3

Picasso | The Weeping Woman | 3

Death is ever more present in Picasso’s work, as horrific events in his home country inspire him to create one of the defining paintings of the 20th century. Meanwhile his own mortality weighs on him as he approaches old age.Artwork:Guernica, Pablo Picasso (1937)The Weeping Woman, Pablo Picasso (1937)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Picasso | Drawing Lessons | 4

Picasso | Drawing Lessons | 4

A bombshell memoir by a former lover annoys and embarrasses Picasso in his final years. But it is only half a century after his death that his misogyny is seen as truly problematic. And leaves many now grappling with how to separate the art from the artist.Artwork:The Woman in a Chair, Pablo Picasso (1948)Seated Woman in Green, Pablo Picasso (1953)Self Portrait Facing Death, Pablo Picasso (1972)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Season 2

Cecil Rhodes | Eureka! | 1

Cecil Rhodes | Eureka! | 1

A sickly vicar’s son travels from England to Africa to join the diamond rush. Cecil Rhodes wants to make his fortune. But he also wants to extend the British Empire. Drama in his private life threatens to undermine both ambitions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cecil Rhodes | The Rise of Rhodesia | 2

Cecil Rhodes | The Rise of Rhodesia | 2

Rhodes dashes back to Kimberley to be with his dying friend. He then redoubles his colonial efforts, using ruthless tactics to trick the indigenous population out of their land. But an ill-fated scheme to take on the Boers is about to hurt him.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cecil Rhodes | A Brooding Spirit | 3

Cecil Rhodes | A Brooding Spirit | 3

Rhodes deals with the fallout from the Jameson Raid as questions about his conduct reach the British parliament. He finds a new cause to further his ambition but years of ill-health are starting to catch up with him.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cecil Rhodes | Must Rhodes Fall? | 4

Cecil Rhodes | Must Rhodes Fall? | 4

More than a century after Rhodes' death students in South Africa and Britain thrust his name back into the spotlight. Should statues of colonialists like him be torn down? And, in Africa, how is Rhodes' legacy felt today?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.