Afua Hirsch

Shows

Episodes

  1. Encore: Gorbachev | The Boy from Stavropol | 1

    22H AGO

    Encore: 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.   Stay connected with Legacy Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | 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.

    39 min
  2. Encore: Charles Dickens | The Final Curtain | 4

    2D AGO

    Encore: Charles Dickens | The Final Curtain | 4

    At the height of his fame, Dickens falls in love with a young woman (Nelly Ternan) and a city (Paris). He survives a train crash and public disapproval over his separation from his wife. People turn out in droves to see him perform his works on stage. But his lifestyle is catching up with him and his health is failing. What is his final scene to be? We look back at his life and try to work out what “Dickensian” really means. Stay connected with Legacy Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | 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.

    43 min
  3. Jane Austen | Making The Small Things The Right Size | 1

    12/09/2025

    Jane Austen | Making The Small Things The Right Size | 1

    Jane Austen’s world wasn’t quiet, genteel, or boring — it was full of scandal, class tension, family drama, and the pressures that shaped one of literature’s sharpest minds. In this episode, we trace the messy, revealing early life that forged the writer who made the small things enormous. Stay connected with Legacy Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | 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.

    48 min
  4. Jane Austen | Proud Or Prejudiced |2

    12/11/2025

    Jane Austen | Proud Or Prejudiced |2

    Jane Austen wrote about drawing rooms, dances, and marriage plots — but beneath the lace and manners she was dissecting power, class, gender, and the world-changing revolutions unfolding outside her window. In this episode, Peter and Afua explore the sharp politics, hidden tensions, and unexpected radicalism behind Austen’s most “polite” novels. Stay connected with Legacy Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | 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.

    50 min
  5. Jane Austen | Feat. Marlon James | It's Jane Austen's World And We're Living In It | 3

    12/16/2025

    Jane Austen | Feat. Marlon James | It's Jane Austen's World And We're Living In It | 3

    Booker Prize winning author - Marlon James joins Afua and Peter to tear open Jane Austen’s world — from slavery shadows to savage social critique — and reveal why her novels still cut like a knife. Stay connected with Legacy Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | 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.

    34 min
  6. Encore: Charles Dickens | A Very Dickens Christmas | 3

    12/25/2025

    Encore: Charles Dickens | A Very Dickens Christmas | 3

    “A Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, everyone!” A Christmas Carol is a huge success and Dickens is an international celebrity. There’s lots of money coming in – Bleak House, Hard Times, David Copperfield all do well - but he has a big family and a lavish lifestyle to fund, as well as his Home for Homeless Women. Plus, there’s trouble in his marriage when Dickens’ eye is caught by the turn of a pretty ankle. Stay connected with Legacy Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | 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.

    51 min
  7. Napoleon | Vive La Revolution | 1

    11/15/2023

    Napoleon | Vive La Revolution | 1

    A Corsican boy, an outsider, seizes his chance to make a name for himself when France is turned upside down by a long and bloody revolution. He’s relentless in his pursuit of power, and in the pursuit of one woman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    42 min
  8. Encore: Charles Dickens | Hard Times | 1

    12/18/2025

    Encore: Charles Dickens | Hard Times | 1

    A young Charles is filled with imagination and ambition, but his childhood with humiliation and uncertainty. His father is in and out of debtors’ prison and he is forced to sacrifice his education for a string of menial jobs to make ends meet. But he discovers he has a skill. He can paint pictures with words like no one else can. Could this be his destiny? Stay connected with Legacy Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | 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.

    47 min
  9. Encore: Charles Dickens | Dickensmania | 2

    12/23/2025

    Encore: Charles Dickens | Dickensmania | 2

    Dickens’ star is on the rise. Sketches by Boz is a success and he publishes The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist and more. Plus, he is a hit on both sides of the Atlantic with ‘Dickensmania’ sweeping the United States. But there is tragedy at home. And when his new novel doesn’t do as well as he’d hoped, he needs a new idea. Something to do with Christmas maybe? Stay connected with Legacy Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | 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.

    48 min
  10. Napoleon | Charlemagne's Crown | 2

    11/22/2023

    Napoleon | Charlemagne's Crown | 2

    It’s not enough for Napoleon to dominate France. He fights right across Europe before sweeping into Notre Dame, Josephine at his side, to claim an imperial crown, watched by Europe’s elite. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    43 min
  11. The Rise of the Nazis | How Disaster Lead to Catastrophe | 1

    11/25/2025

    The Rise of the Nazis | How Disaster Lead to Catastrophe | 1

    A collapsing empire, a starving population, and a country drowning in humiliation — this is how Germany fell apart after WWI. In this episode, we trace how chaos, revolution, and a brutal peace deal created the perfect conditions for the Nazis to emerge. Stay connected with Legacy Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | 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.

    47 min
  12. Martin Luther | Revolutionary, Hero and Villain | 1

    10/21/2025

    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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min
  13. The Humble Potato | The Root Of Empires | 1

    10/14/2025

    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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    46 min
  14. The Rise of the Nazis | How Disease and Religion Paved the Way for Evil | 2

    11/27/2025

    The Rise of the Nazis | How Disease and Religion Paved the Way for Evil | 2

    Germany’s crises didn’t end with Versailles — they mutated. Hyperinflation, political extremism, spiritual panic, and a pandemic all collided to push an obscure drifter named Adolf Hitler toward power. This episode shows how a broken society helped unleash a catastrophe. Stay connected with Legacy Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | 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.

    45 min
  15. Greenland | This Is Greenland | 1

    11/18/2025

    Greenland | This Is Greenland | 1

    Greenland: colossal, misunderstood, and suddenly the centre of global power politics. From Viking PR stunts to Danish colonialism to today’s strategic tug-of-war, this is the story of the world’s most important island. Stay connected with Legacy Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | 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.

    47 min
  16. Kellogg | From The End Of The World To Wellness | 1

    12/02/2025

    Kellogg | From The End Of The World To Wellness | 1

    A breakfast empire built on purity, fear, and some of the strangest medical ideas of the 19th century. From apocalypse cults to anti-masturbation crusades, this is the real story behind Kellogg’s rise from Battle Creek to global wellness. Stay connected with Legacy Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social 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.

    46 min
  17. Martin Luther | A Man Who Changed The World | 2

    10/23/2025

    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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    45 min
  18. St George | This is England - The Flag Of St George | 1

    10/28/2025

    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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min
  19. Greenland | The 51st State? | 2

    11/20/2025

    Greenland | The 51st State? | 2

    Greenland’s coat of arms has changed, Trump is circling, and Denmark is suddenly sweating. We dive into why the world’s largest island has become the hottest geopolitical prize of 2025 — and what it means for all of us. Stay connected with Legacy Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes stories, and new episode drops: Instagram: @originallegacypodcast | BlueSky: @legacy-productions.bsky.social | 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.

    40 min
  20. The Humble Potato | The Famine and the Frontier | 2

    10/16/2025

    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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min
Afua Hirsch on Apple