BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 381) — My love of history started with the legend of King Arthur. While there are many King Arthur movies to pick from, today we'll learn about the one that marketed itself as being more historically accurate than the others.

Dorsey Armstrong on The Great Courses Plus

Historian Dorsey Armstrong breaks down the historical accuracy of the 2004 film King Arthur. Learn the true story behind the legends of Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin, the Round Table, and more.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

2:30 Movie's Historical Claims

5:10 Sarmatians and Lancelot

10:45 Merlin's Real History

15:20 Woads, Picts, and Round Table

22:00 Christianity and Pelagius

28:15 Final Mission and Freedom

34:50 Guinevere and Ice Battle

40:30 Battle of Badon Hill

45:15 Sword in the Stone

49:00 Legend Surprises

53:30 BOATS Update for 2026 and Outro

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BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 380) — Today we dive into the 2013 film Captain Phillips directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks—and discover how much of Hollywood's version actually matches the true story of the Maersk Alabama hijacking. Trial attorney Brian Beckcom, who represented the crew of the container ship after the Somali pirate attack, shares accounts of what really happened during this dramatic rescue operation and reveals the major inaccuracies that made it to the screen.

Lessons from Leaders with Brian Beckcom

Find where to watch the movie

Chapters

0:00 Intro

3:38 Today's Movie: Captain Phillips

5:19 The True Context of Somali Piracy

12:17 Why Captain Phillips Made His Fateful Decision

15:46 Security Protocols vs. Hollywood Drama

19:42 The First Pirate Attack

24:43 Pirates Board the Maersk Alabama

30:18 The Crew's True Heroism in the Engine Room

34:29 Captain Phillips' Role in the Crisis

40:35 The Navy Enters the Picture

43:22 The Truth Behind the Rescue Operation

49:47 Captain Phillips' Escape Attempt (Fact vs. Fiction)

54:51 The Final Navy Seal Operation

57:31 About Brian Beckcom's Podcast

59:03 Two Truths and a Lie Answer

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BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 379) — Most movies focus on the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, but the true story of December 7th, 1941, involves a coordinated global offensive across the Pacific. In this episode, history professor Joshua Donohue returns to explore what the movies miss—including attacks on Wake Island, the Philippines, and military installations across Oahu that extended far beyond the harbor itself. From civilian casualties to pilot heroics to the international scope of Japan's ambitious assault, we separate fact from fiction across multiple Pearl Harbor films.

Josh's Latest Work

• Embattled Marines at Air Station Ewa

Chapters

0:00 Intro & Two Truths and a Lie Game

3:16 From Here to Eternity: Life Before the Attack

10:20 The Global Scope of Japan's Offensive

12:40 Wake Island Under Siege

20:04 Oahu's Airfields and Widespread Attacks

28:23 American Aircraft in the Air During the Attack

43:20 Civilian Casualties and Friendly Fire

58:23 American Morale and the Movies' Coverage

1:05:02 Pilots Beyond Pearl Harbor

1:11:13 The Final Countdown: What If Scenario

1:22:32 Two Truths and a Lie Answer Reveal

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BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 378) — Discover the historical accuracy behind the 2025 film "Nuremberg" which is adapted from Jack El-Hai's book "The Nazi and the Psychiatrist."

Get Jack's Book: The Nazi and the Psychiatrist

Learn about the real Dr. Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) and his complex relationship with Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe) during the historic Nuremberg trials. What did the filmmakers get right and what did they change from the true story? Tune in to find out!

Also Mentioned

• Jack El-Hai Official Website
• Nuremberg (2025 Film)
• 22 Cells in Nuremberg by Douglas Kelley
• Howie Trieste's Book on Nuremberg Experiences
• Stars and Stripes Military Newspaper

Chapters

0:00 Intro

2:35 Movie Overview - Nuremberg and Main Characters

5:45 Historical Grade and Book Comparison

9:10 Goering's Capture by Allied Forces

14:20 Douglas Kelley's Role as Psychiatrist

18:55 Goering and Rudolf Hess Relationship

23:45 Goering's Narcissism and Motivations

29:00 Concentration Camp Films and Kelley's Turning Point

33:15 Reporter Character and Kelley's Departure

37:00 Howie Trieste's Story as German-Jewish Translator

41:45 Kelley Handing Over Research to Prosecutors

45:15 Goering's Cyanide Pill and Suicide

48:00 Final Lessons and Democracy Warnings

50:30 Behind-the-Scenes Film Production Story

52:15 Two Truths and a Lie Answer Reveal

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BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 377) — The first season of FX’s “Feud” chronicles the turbulent making of the 1962 thriller “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” Over eight episodes set against Hollywood's fading Golden Age, “Feud” focuses on a simmering resentment between aging stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, on-set clashes over performances and camera work, and the film’s premiere.

Get Scott's book

Where to watch Feud

To help us separate fact from fiction in the series today is Scott Eyman, whose new biography Joan Crawford: A Woman’s Face reveals Crawford’s journey from orphan to screen legend using thorough research from personal papers, studio records, and the Robert Aldrich archives at UCLA.

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:39 TV series synopsis

00:03:16 Two truths and a lie

00:04:07 Interview

01:19:11 Two truths and a lie answer

Also mentioned in this episode

• Joan Crawford: A Woman's Face by Scott Eyman

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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/377

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BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 376) — This special three-in-one episode is a thorough exploration of the true story behind the U.S. government's top secret program investigating UFOs called Project Blue Book. In 2019, the History Channel released a dramatized version of Project Blue Book's reports starring Aidan Gillen as Dr. J. Allen Hynek.

Ufologist Rob Kristoffersen will help us uncover the true story behind each episode of the twenty episodes in the TV series. Then, the third part of our episode today is to talk to David O'Leary (Creator of Project Blue Book) and Sean Jablonski (Showrunner of Project Blue Book) to go behind what it took to make a series about UFOs that is based on true events.

Where to watch Project Blue Book

Listen to Rob's awesome podcast, Our Strange Skies

Read the U.S. Air Force fact sheet on Project Blue Book

Answer this question from the episode:

What do you think people are seeing when they report UFOs?

Share your opinion in the BOATS Discord

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:24 Synopsis

00:03:47 Rob Kristoffersen on Project Blue Book season one

01:25:48 Rob Kristoffersen on Project Blue Book season two

02:41:26 David O'Leary and Sean Jablonski on creating Project Blue Book

Support my work

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• Great deals from my sponsors
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• Get my video podcasting class

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/376

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.