Legacy

Original Legacy Productions

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.

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171 episodes
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Episodes171

Newest first

Oct 28, 2025 · 40 min
St George | This is England - The Flag Of St George | 1
Peter and Afua explore the surprising story behind England’s most famous symbol — the flag of St George. How did a man born in what’s now Turkey, with Palestinian and Greek roots, become the patron saint of England? And what does his red cross really stand for today? From ancient martyrdom and dragon-slaying myths to the Crusades, royal propaganda, and modern debates about identity, this episode traces how St George’s image has been reinvented through history. Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 23, 2025 · 44 min
Martin Luther | A Man Who Changed The World | 2
Peter and Afua return to uncover the far-reaching — and often unsettling — legacy of Martin Luther. From shaping Henry VIII’s England and Europe’s bloody religious wars to influencing education, nationhood, and even Nazi ideology, Luther’s impact is as complex as it is profound. A flawed revolutionary who changed the world — for better and for worse. Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 21, 2025 · 50 min
Martin Luther | Revolutionary, Hero and Villain | 1
He defied the Church and changed the world. Peter Frankopan and Afua Hirsch explore the life and legacy of Martin Luther — the rebel monk who sparked the Reformation, transformed faith, and left a legacy both heroic and deeply troubling. Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 16, 2025 · 41 min
The Humble Potato | The Famine and the Frontier | 2
Legacy is back with Part 2 of The Humble Potato. How a miracle crop turned to misery — fuelling famine, exile, and the fight for Irish independence. Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 14, 2025 · 45 min
The Humble Potato | The Root Of Empires | 1
Legacy is back! This time, Peter Frankopan and Afua Hirsch dig into the story of the humble potato — before becoming the centrepiece of the Sunday roast, this unassuming root built empires, toppled economies, and quietly changed the world. Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 18, 2025 · 41 min
Joan of Arc | The Birth of a Saint | 4
Joan's last-minute change of heart seals her fate. She faces the end with her usual indomitable spirit, while the King and country she’s given her life for, turn their backs. What is the true legacy of this girl who didn’t even make it out of her teens, but whose courage has inspired us for centuries? Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 11, 2025 · 47 min
Joan of Arc | Trial by Fire | 3
The march on Paris ends in failure and Joan’s star is beginning to wane. Maybe she is not sent from God after all? The English are on the war path, but Joan is still determined to drive them out of France for good. Then, catastrophe strikes. Joan has one last battle to fight - as she’s put on trial for her life. Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 4, 2025 · 46 min
Joan of Arc | The Girl Who Made a King | 2
Joan's prophecy seems to be coming true. She's liberated Orleans and, dressed in her armour and brandishing her flag, is by Charles’ side as he’s crowned King of France. But Paris must still be won. Can Joan lead her troops to victory once more? Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 28, 2025 · 48 min
Joan of Arc | The Maid of Orleans | 1
Joan of Arc is an ordinary French girl, unbothered by the war waging between France and England. Then, in 1425, she starts hearing the voices of saints – and of God. They say that she will be the one to restore Charles the Dauphin to his rightful place on the French throne. Can this teenager be the saviour her country is so desperate for? Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 21, 2025 · 44 min
Stalin | The Stain of Stalin | 4
Stalin's paranoia and violence knows no bounds - even when it comes to those who might have helped him. But despite being denounced by successors from Kruschev to Gorbachev, today his reputation is strong as more and more Russians consider him a great leader. Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 14, 2025 · 44 min
Stalin | Fighting Hitler | 3
When Hitler breaks their deal and attacks the Soviet Union, Stalin falls apart. How can he rally the struggling Soviet Union to defeat the Nazi war machine? And when the end of the war comes, can he persuade Roosevelt and Churchill to redraw the world map in his favour? Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 7, 2025 · 42 min
Stalin | The Terror | 2
With the Bolsheviks in power, Stalin becomes Lenin's right hand man. Then at last his canny plotting wins him the top job, and he can unleash his ruthless vision for the Soviet Union. But the cost is untold thousands of human lives... Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 30, 2025 · 43 min
Stalin | The Georgian Bandit | 1
A violent childhood in Georgia, then part of the vast Russian Empire, sets young Joseph dreaming of a different world. He becomes a Bolshevik and, hardened further by a sudden tragedy, is ready to seize his chance when the revolution finally comes. Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 23, 2025 · 47 min
Freud | Goodnight Vienna | 4
After his beloved daughter, Anna, is taken by the Gestapo, Freud is finally persuaded to leave Vienna. He arrives in England to a rapturous welcome and starts seeing patients. Tragically though, his illness catches up with him and he dies just before WWII breaks out. How do we evaluate the legacy of the man who took us inside our own heads? Are his ideas still relevant? Psychoanalysts and Freud experts, Dr Susie Orbach and Professor Brett Kahr, join the discussion. Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 16, 2025 · 47 min
Freud | Battle of The Egos | 3
Professor Freud is now famous, his ideas part of the zeitgeist – but serious rifts are appearing in his relationship with his friend and protegé, Carl Jung. Plus, the rise of the Nazis is becoming a very real threat to an Austrian-based Jew. Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 9, 2025 · 46 min
Freud | A Meeting Of Minds | 2
Freud may have devised a new revolutionary method, ‘psychoanalysis’ but the problem is: almost no one cares, or reads his books. His controversial insistence that sexual issues are the cause of most psychological problems doesn't help. But then, among the his small following, he notices a young Swiss psychologist who is enthralled by his work – Carl Jung. Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 2, 2025 · 49 min
Freud | Mommy's Boy | 1
The Oedipus complex, Freudian slip, repression, the ego and the id – Sigmund Freud’s ideas have become part of everyday language. He opened up the world’s mind to the idea of the subconscious. He also pioneered the idea that our childhood shapes who we are. But what are the secrets of his own early years? And what started him on the path towards, literally, changing our minds about everything? Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 26, 2025 · 44 min
John Lennon | Imagine | 4
Has Lennon's muse abandoned him? After years of no recording, a dramatic near-disaster at sea reignites his spark. But then his plans are tragically cut short. Today his impact on music is undeniable, but did his imagination really change the world? Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 19, 2025 · 50 min
John Lennon | All You Need is Love | 3
Lennon meets the woman who will change his life: Yoko Ono. Together they ask the world to Give Peace A Chance... but Lennon's band is feeling anything but peaceful... Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 12, 2025 · 52 min
John Lennon | Love Me Do | 2
John Lennon and The Beatles rise from obscurity to success with dizzying speed. Hysterical headlines diagnose "Beatlemania" as screaming fans mob the Fab Four. And the Beatles become synonymous with the drug-fuelled experimentation of the swinging sixties. But amid all the screaming, is Lennon losing his creative touch? If you need help, you can find advice and someone to talk to by visiting https://www.talktofrank.com/ Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more. legacy.supportingcast.fm Stay connected with Legacy: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast TikTok: @legacy_productions Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.