

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

Feb 21, 2024 • 40min
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 14, 2024 • 39min
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 7, 2024 • 39min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 31, 2024 • 41min
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) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 24, 2024 • 35min
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) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 17, 2024 • 46min
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) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 10, 2024 • 43min
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) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 3, 2024 • 35min
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 27, 2023 • 33min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 20, 2023 • 41min
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


