Based on a True Story

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 366) — Homer’s "The Iliad" tells the story of the Trojan War, a tale brought to the big screen in the 2004 film "Troy." But with an ancient epic as its foundation—and Hollywood’s creative liberties—how much of the story is real? Where to watch "Troy" now In this episode, Neil Laird peels back the layers of myth and fiction to uncover the truth. Neil is a multiple Emmy-nominated director and producer of historical films for networks including Discovery, BBC, PBS, and National Geographic. He has produced more than 100 programs worldwide, exploring crumbling Egyptian tombs, lost Mayan cities, and mysterious shipwrecks. He's also the author of his third book called "Prime Time Troy." Get Neil's latest book Also mentioned in this episode Prime Time Travelers Prime Time Pompeii Prime Time Troy (Coming Soon ...) Homer's The Iliad Did you enjoy this episode? Watch the credits roll Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Disclaimer: Dan LeFebvre and/or Based on a True Story may earn commissions from qualifying purchases through these links. Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/366 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 365) — Discover the behind-the-scenes story of Black Hawk Down, as historian Josh Donohue shares insights on the chaotic 1993 mission in Mogadishu. Learn what truly happened versus what Hollywood depicted. Subscribe to Josh's YouTube channel Josh has been on the podcast before to cover the historical accuracy of Thirteen Days and We Were Soldiers, and he's currently working on a new YouTube channel. Where to watch Black Hawk Down now Mentioned in this episode Josh's YouTube channel Josh's article: Heroic Fight for Wake Island Son of Wake Island Book Josh and the BOATS episode about Thirteen Days Josh and the BOATS episode about We Were Soldiers Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/365 Disclaimer: Dan LeFebvre and/or Based on a True Story may earn commissions from qualifying purchases through these links. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 364) — Acclaimed historian Jon Parshall separates fact from fiction in the classic film "The Bridge on the River Kwai" and the brutal realities of the Thai-Burma Railway during World War II, also known as the Death Railway. We'll contrast the film's fictional Colonel Nicholson with his real-life counterpart Lieutenant Colonel Philip Toosey, who sabotaged bridge construction when possible rather than cooperating with the Japanese. Follow Jon's new book at 1942book.com Jon Parshall is an award-winning author who has worked as a historical consultant on numerous TV shows, a tour guide, as well as a frequent lecturer at the U.S. Naval War College, the National World War II Museum, and the Nimitz Museum. As of this recording, Jon is working on a new book that will go into even more depth on all the topics we're learning about today and more. Where to watch The Bridge on the River Kwai now Also mentioned in this episode Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully's Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/364 Disclaimer: Dan LeFebvre and/or Based on a True Story may earn commissions from qualifying purchases through these links. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 363) — In today’s Behind the True Story episode, we take a closer look at the career of award-winning director and producer Robyn Flanery. Robyn's latest project, the documentary series "Profit Over People," explores the failure of the U.S. healthcare system. She previously directed the critically acclaimed documentary "Broken Worlds: The Island" and has worked behind the scenes on historical films such as "The Butler" and "Dallas Buyers Club." Her credits also include major fictional productions like "Django Unchained" and "Planet of the Apes." Find Robyn's work "Profit Over People" on YouTube "Profit Over People" on Substack "Broken Worlds: The Island" on IMDb Find more of Robyn's work at Get It Girl! Productions Did you enjoy this episode? Chat about this episode in Discord Transcript on the episode website link Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/363 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 362) — Author Rob Hilliard joins us to bring "The Pinkertons" miniseries to a close by covering episodes 15 through 22 of the TV show. From John Scobell and Kate Warne to Allan and Will Pinkerton, Rob's book takes what we know from history and fills in many of the blanks with a thrilling narrative. Grab your copy of "In Freedom's Shadow" Also mentioned in this episode Learn more about Dr. Mary Walker Transcript and more for this episode Find the rest of "The Pinkertons" miniseries Listen to "Tombstone with Tom Clavin" Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/362 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 361) — We're continuing a look at "The Pinkertons" by covering episodes eight to 14 of the TV show. Find part one linked here. Coming back for today's episode is "In Freedom's Shadow" author Rob Hilliard. Rob's book is a historical novel based on the incredibly true story of Pinkertons operative John Scobell. Mentioned in this episode Get your copy of Rob's book "In Freedom's Shadow" Transcript and more for this episode Find the rest of "The Pinkertons" miniseries Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/361 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 360) — We're beginning of a three-part miniseries covering all 22 episodes of "The Pinkertons." Today, we examine the first seven episodes of the television series. Joining us for the miniseries is author Rob Hilliard, whose book "In Freedom's Shadow" is a historical novel based on the true story of Pinkerton operative John Scobell, and includes many of the characters we see in the series. Mentioned in this episode Get your copy of Rob's book "In Freedom's Shadow" Transcript and more for this episode Find the rest of "The Pinkertons" miniseries Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/360 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 359) — Today is the 80th anniversary (January 25, 1945) of the official end of the Battle of the Bulge campaign during World War II. On our episode today, we'll learn about the classic film from 60 years ago (1965) that has often been criticized for many of its historical inaccuracies as it depicts the battle. Where to watch Battle of the Bulge To help us separate fact from fiction, we'll be joined by Robert B. O'Connor, author of the novel called Jeep Show: A Trouper at the Battle of the Bulge. After finishing today's episode, discover a fresh perspective on the iconic battle when you grab a copy of Robert's gripping novel. Get Robert's book Jeep Show Also mentioned in this episode See a photo of Mickey Rooney performing during a Jeep Show Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/359 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 358) — In 2000's Thirteen Days, we see a lot of the behind-the-scenes discussions and decisions that took place during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962. To help us separate fact from fiction, we'll get to hear from Joshua Donohue, who is the Adjunct Professor of History at Suffolk County Community College as well as Farmingdale State College. Where to watch Thirteen Days Follow Josh's work Heroic Fight for Wake Island Check back soon for more of Josh's work linked here... Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/358 Disclaimer: Dan LeFebvre and/or Based on a True Story may earn commissions from qualifying purchases through these links. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 357) — A new biopic from director Pablo Larraín tells the story of renowned opera singer Maria Callas. Unfortunately, the movie falls short in telling the true story of the real Maria Callas. Today we'll get to learn from Sophia Lambton, the author of The Callas Imprint: A Centennial Biography. Get the Maria Callas biography Earlier this year, Sophia's biography of Maria Callas took home the 2024 ARSC Awards' Best Historical Research in Recorded Classical Music. It is the best way to learn more about the true story of Maria Callas. Listen to the real Maria Callas Also mentioned in this episode Find more of Maria Callas' music Where to watch Maria Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/357 Disclaimer: Dan LeFebvre and/or Based on a True Story may earn commissions from qualifying purchases through these links. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 356) — Today we're tackling all five movies in the storied Indiana Jones franchise that needs no further introduction. To help us separate fact from fiction, we'll learn from multiple Emmy-nominated director and producer Neil Laird. Learn more about Neil's work While his name may not be as popular as Indiana Jones, if you've watched programming on Discovery, BBC, PBS, History Channel, or National Geographic, then you're likely familiar with his work. From Mysteries of the Abandoned and Secrets of the Lost Ark to Forbidden History and Shark Week, Neil has produced over 100 programs around the globe that feature many of the real places and topics popularized by the Indiana Jones franchise. Get Neil's latest book Neil is also the author of the Jared Plummer vs the Ancient World series about a TV director who travels back in time to shoot the greatest documentary ever made. Currently, there are two books in the series, Prime Time Travelers which features Jared going back to ancient Egypt and Prime Time Pompeii. Also mentioned in this episode Prime Time Travelers Prime Time Pompeii Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/356 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 355) — Today is the 83rd anniversary of the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor that was depicted in the 1970 movie Tora! Tora! Tora! Often praised for its accuracy, Tora! Tora! Tora! has also perpetrated some myths about what really happened. Where to watch Tora! Tora! Tora! now To help us separate fact from fiction, we'll be joined by Jon Parshall, an award-winning author who has worked as a historical consultant on numerous TV shows, and as a frequent lecturer at the U.S. Naval War College, the National World War II Museum, the Nimitz Museum, just to name a few. Get updates on Jon's new book at 1942book.com Also mentioned in this episode Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully's Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway Day of Infamy, 60th Anniversary: The Classic Account of the Bombing of Pearl Harbor by Walter Lord At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor by Gordon Prange with Donald M. Goldstein and Katherine V. Dillon Tora! Tora! Tora!: Pearl Harbor 1941 by Mark Stille Pearl Harbor by H.P. Willmott No One Avoided Danger: NAS Kaneohe Bay and the Japanese Attack of 7 December 1941 by J. Michael Wenger, Robert J. Cressman, and John F. Di Virgilio Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/355 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 354) — Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, we're walking into Casablanca on this episode to answer: How historically accurate is the movie? Where to watch Casablanca now Helping us separate fact from fiction is Bob LeMent from Static Radio. Listen to Bob's show at StaticRadio.com Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/354 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 353) — During the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, the United States sent shockwaves around the world as they upset the four-time defending gold medalist Soviet Union team in a game that would go on to be called the "Miracle on Ice." That story is told in the 2004 Disney movie we'll be talking about today. Where to watch Miracle now To help us separate fact from fiction, we'll be talking to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame coach Lou Vairo. Most relevant to our discussion today among Lou's long list of achievements was as a scout for the U.S. Men's Ice Hockey Team at the 1980 Winter Olympics which is depicted in the movie. So, he was there for a lot of the events depicted in the movie and will share a lot of behind the scenes of the true story. Get Lou's new autobiography Also mentioned in this episode Lou Vairo's bio at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/353 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS THIS WEEK (OCT 14-20, 2024) — This Wednesday is the anniversary of Marie Antoinette's execution in 1793 that we saw inn the opening sequence of Ridley Scott's Napoleon (2023). After that, we'll travel exactly 169 years from 1793 to 1962, because Wednesday is also depicted in Thirteen Days (2000) as it's showing the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis. For our final historical event from the movies this week, we'll hop to October 19th, 1781 as it's shown in The Patriot (2000) to see how it shows the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. After learning about this week's birthdays from historical figures in the movies, we'll wrap up this episode by comparing history with another of Ridley Scott's movies, The Last Duel, which released in the U.S. on October 15th, 2021. Finally, we'll get a little behind the scenes update about BOATS This Week episodes for the remainder of 2024. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Events from this week in history Wednesday: Napoleon (2023) | BOATS Napoleon Miniseries Wednesday: Thirteen Days (2000) Saturday: The Patriot (2000) | BOATS #60 Birthdays from this week in history Monday: Dwight D. Eisenhower in The Longest Day (1962) Wednesday: Oscar Wilde in Wilde (1997) Sunday: Mickey Mantle in 61* (2001) Historical movies releasing this week in history Tuesday: The Last Duel (2021) Mentioned in this episode JFK's October 22nd, 1962 speech Cuban Missile Crisis timeline Eric Jager's book that they based The Last Duel on Eric Jager's article Modern-day photos of Saint-Martin-des-Champs Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/352 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS THIS WEEK (OCT 7-13, 2024) — 57 years ago tomorrow, Che Guevara was captured in Bolivia just before his execution. Then, two years later, Omar Sharif portrayed him in the movie version of Che's story that we'll compare to the true story of this week's event. Then, we'll shift to Eight Men Out because as baseball season comes to a close, one of the darkest moments in Major League Baseball history happened this week back in 1919. This Saturday marks the anniversary of Christopher Columbus making landfall, which was shown in the movie 1492: Conquest of Paradise. For this week's historical movie release, the Tom Hanks movie Captain Phillips was released 11 years ago this Friday. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Events from this week in history Tuesday: Che! | BOATS #115 Wednesday: Eight Men Out | BOATS #132 Saturday: 1492: Conquest of Paradise | BOATS #186 Birthdays from this week in history Wednesday: Eugene Bullard in Red Tails Friday: Eleanor Roosevelt in The First Lady Sunday: Jane Grey in Becoming Elizabeth Historical movies releasing this week in history Friday: Captain Phillips | BOATS #28 Mentioned in this episode Meet Félix Rodríguez, The CIA Operative Who Captured Che Guevara And May Have Tortured A DEA Agent by Marco Margaritoff Infamous America's and the Black Sox Scandal A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/351 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS THIS WEEK (SEP 30-OCT 6, 2024) — Thousands of years ago this week, Alexander the Great fought his final decisive battle against Darius III so we'll start our journey by comparing the true story of Gaugamela with the battle in 2004's Colin Farrell movie. Then we'll hop onto the baseball field because tomorrow, October 1st, 1961, is when Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's MLB home run record. We'll learn about the Billy Crystal-directed movie called 61* (we'll learn about the * in the movie's title in the episode). For our third event from this week in history according to the movies, we'll learn about the Battle of Mogadishu—or, as it's commonly called, the Black Hawk Down Incident. That happened on Thursday this week, October 3rd, 1993. Then, after a few historical birthdays from this week in history, we'll wrap up today's episode by comparing history with 2010's The Social Network. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Events from this week in history Monday: Alexander | BOATS #157 Tuesday: 61* Thursday: Black Hawk Down | BOATS #105 Birthdays from this week in history Wednesday: Paul von Hindenburg in Hitler: Rise of Evil Wednesday: Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi Saturday: Ray Kroc in The Founder Historical movies releasing this week in history Tuesday: The Social Network Mentioned in this episode Steven Bertoni's article on Sean Parker Wall Street Journal article on Peter Thiel and Facebook's political ads Baseball this week: See "The Whammer" in The Natural Baseball this week: Say Hey, Willy Mays! Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/350 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS THIS WEEK (SEP 23-29, 2024) — AMC's Turn: Washington's Spies shows us how Benedict Arnold's treason was discovered back on September 24th, 1780. The next day, on Wednesday this week, marks the anniversary of Operation Market Garden coming to a close, which we see in the classic film A Bridge Too Far. And then The Godfather, Part III has a key plot point surrounding a very real event that happened on September 26th, 1978: The death of Pope John Paul I. This week's movie premiere to compare with history is the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans, which has its 24-year anniversary this Sunday. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Events from this week in history Tuesday: Turn: Washington's Spies | BOATS #139 Wednesday: A Bridge Too Far Thursday: The Godfather, Part III Birthdays from this week in history Wednesday: Fletcher Christian in Mutiny on the Bounty | BOATS #156 Thursday: T.S. Eliot in Tom & Viv Friday: Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici in Medici Historical movies releasing this week in history Sunday: Remember the Titans Mentioned in this episode Turn: Washington's Spies: The "Treason House" where Arnold and Andre met this week in history Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/349 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS THIS WEEK (SEP 16-22, 2024) — Tuesday is the 99th anniversary of the bus accident that changed Frido Kahlo's life, and we'll learn more about the way the movie Frida shows it happening. After that we'll jump to the movie with Robert Downey Jr. as Charlie Chaplin for his being kicked out of the U.S., which happened 72 years ago on Thursday this week. Then we'll learn a bit about the start of an adventure that ended this week in history when The Hobbit was published on September 21st, 1937. Finally, Wednesday is the release anniversary of a classic Martin Scorsese gangster movie releasing, so we'll wrap up this week by learning more about the true story of Goodfellas. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Events from this week in history Tuesday: Frida Thursday: Chaplin | BOATS #283 Saturday: Tolkien | BOATS #141 Birthdays from this week in history Wednesday: Greta Garbo in The Silent Lovers Friday: Maxwell Perkins in Genius Friday: "Red" Auerbach in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty Historical movies releasing this week in history Wednesday: Goodfellas Mentioned in this episode Scott Eyman's book Charlie Chaplin vs. America: When Art, Sex, and Politics Collided BBC documentary with Tolkien Did you enjoy this episode? Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/348 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 347) — Travel back to the 1960s during the Vietnam War while historian Joshua Donohue unpacks the real events behind the 2002 film We Were Soldiers. From the crucial role of helicopter pilots in the heat of battle, to the heart-pounding "Broken Arrow" moment, discover what Hollywood got right and where it took creative liberties depicting the Battle of Ia Drang in We Were Soldiers. Where to watch We Were Soldiers now Where to start learning more of the true story We Were Soldiers Once...and Young Josh's article: Heroic Fight for Wake Island Also mentioned in this episode Wikipedia's map of the battle Records about Ia Drang at the Library of Congress Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/347 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices