Legacy
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.
Listen to Legacy on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/legacy now.
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.
Season 15
Season 14
Season 13
Season 12
Season 11
