Length: 39 minutes
Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legacy/id1711362652?i=1000644373276
I like the theory behind this podcast. Spending 4 episodes going through the lives of important historical figures. Today I listened to Episode I of Gorbachev. So far the podcast has covered Napoleon, Cecil Rhodes, Picasso, and currently Gorbachev. The hosts of the podcast are Afua Hirsch and Peter Frankopan.
The podcast begins with the funeral of Gorbachev and outlines his legacy in the west and in Russia. Then it jumps back to Gorbachev’s birth. I like the set up. We hear what his legacy is and then the hosts ask if it is justified. They then will outline his life.
The title of this podcast is slightly misleading. The Boy from Stavropol led me to believe this episode would focus on his early years. Yet 25 minutes into the podcast he has already become the leader of the Soviet Union at the age of 54. I would like to have seen more information about his early years or a different title so that my expectations would have been different.
The hosts provided some details about Gorbachev’s life and then they would insert their commentary. They work together pretty well and it was a quick listen. I will listen to the rest of this season on Gorbachev and then decide if this podcast is added to my library.
Thomas Aquinas is credited as one of the greatest proponents of natural law. During his time in Cologne he was taught by Albertus Magnus. Magnus used the teachings of Aristotle in his mentorship of Thomas Aquinas.
Samuel Adams believed in American Independence from Great Britain. He is one of the most well know Son's of Liberty. On August 1, 1776 he gave a speech to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
Hefei, China Thursday 6:00AM
The rising sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. The darkness of night was about to give way to the light of day. The sleeping city would soon be bustling with activity completely unaware of what had occurred while it slept.
Zhao Kai stood outside a small warehouse looking building. For all of the modernization that had been occurring in China this building had been skipped. At least on the outside. It appeared old and nearly abandoned but the inside told a different story. Before Kai entered the building he glanced at the rising sun. This was his favorite moment of the day. The blinding light of the sun was a weapon that he used literally.
On numerous occasions he would take a prisoner to a spot where there was an unobstructed view of the rising sun. Then he would bind them in such a way that they had to stare directly into the sun. If he did his job right they would not be able to close their eyes and would return to their prison cells blinded for life. If he didn’t just kill them. That punishment would not be on the table today but perhaps tomorrow. He liked ...
