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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
14 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 52min
Global Impact of Economic Shocks | 1915 and the Dardanelles | 1
A deep dive into how control of narrow straits can reshape economies and politics. The 1915 Dardanelles closure and its choke on Russian trade come into focus. Naval gambles, amphibious failures and the human toll are highlighted. Parallels are drawn to modern maritime flashpoints like the Strait of Hormuz.
10 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 45min
Great Environmental Shocks in History | How An Earthquake Splintered The World | 4
A deep look at the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and how a colossal rupture produced devastating tsunamis. Exploration of Fukushima’s nuclear crisis and the heroic efforts to stabilize reactors. Examination of how the disaster rewired global energy politics, prompting German nuclear shutdowns and new dependence on Russian gas. Reflection on how engineering and geopolitics are vulnerable to sudden geological shocks.
Mar 19, 2026 • 49min
Great Environmental Shocks in History | Before the Plague | 3
They trace a cascade of environmental shocks around 1300, from abrupt cooling and torrential rains to cattle-killing pestilence. They map how livestock collapse crippled ploughing, food supplies and urban life. They highlight social unrest, scapegoating and state attempts to cope. They explore how childhood malnutrition left a generation more vulnerable to later pandemics.
12 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 45min
Great Environmental Shocks in History | Darkness at Noon - The Justinianic Plague | 2
A dramatic volcanic winter in 536 AD and its global climate fallout. How crop failures and cold decades reshaped trade, religion and political fortunes. The rise of pandemic conditions as plague moved along shipping routes. Connections between climate shocks and big cultural shifts from Norse myth to Buddhist expansion.
Mar 12, 2026 • 54min
Great Environmental Shocks in History | The Remaking of the Ancient World | 1
A massive Alaskan volcanic blast ripples across ancient politics and climate. Strange skies and Nile failures link environmental shock to famine, economic collapse and political turmoil. The narrative traces how distant climate chaos opened the door for Roman expansion and the remaking of Mediterranean power.
7 snips
Mar 10, 2026 • 34min
Iran | Feat. Christopher de Bellaigue | On The Eve Of Confrontation | 3
Christopher de Bellaigue, journalist and historian of the modern Middle East, offers concise context on Iran’s long reformist currents. He traces 19th-century encounters with the West, the 1906 constitutional movement, and Mossadegh’s nationalization. He discusses Persian identity, diaspora influences, the rise of youth-led protests, the monarchy question, and the danger of a violent showdown with armed hardliners.
20 snips
Mar 5, 2026 • 35min
Iran | Feat. Kim Ghattas | The Legacies Of 1979 | 2
Kim Ghattas, an Emmy-winning journalist and author on Middle East affairs, joins to unpack 1979's seismic legacy. She traces Iran’s transformation into a theocratic, militarised state and its proxy wars. She explores recurring protest waves, generational politics, and how Western misreads and the Saudi–Iran rivalry shape present tensions.
17 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 44min
Iran | Feat. Ali Ansari | Seen From The Inside And Out | 1
Ali Ansari, professor of Iranian history and founding director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at St Andrews, offers expert historical and institutional perspective. He unpacks Iran’s imperial memory and sense of mission. He explores the dual narratives of cultural pride and long-standing Western betrayal. He outlines the Supreme Leader’s power and the economic Ponzi-style crisis threatening the country.
Feb 26, 2026 • 47min
Ernest Hemingway | One True Sentence | 2
A probing look at Ernest Hemingway’s rise and fall, from celebrated public persona to decline fueled by alcohol, head injuries and untreated trauma. They unpack his wartime bravado, risky adventures and intelligence contacts. The conversation critiques his portrayals of women, colonial safari myths and corrosive macho image. They also highlight his craft, including the famed “one true sentence” writing ideal.
Feb 24, 2026 • 43min
Ernest Hemingway | The Lost Generation | 1
They trace a young Midwestern hunter becoming a wartime ambulance driver and the trauma that reshaped him. They unpack his habit of embellishing life and turning personal myth into fiction. They follow his Paris years with the Lost Generation, literary friendships, and the rise of his iceberg theory of writing. They also touch on his anti-fascist reporting and turbulent love life.
