Based on a True Story

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings with Ben Railton

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 389) — Are you a baseball fan? Today we're digging into some baseball history as it was depicted in the 1976 movie "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings." Learn about the history of barnstorming baseball teams with Ben Railton, Professor of American Studies at Fitchburg State University. We'll discuss how the movie's characters mirror real legends like Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Jackie Robinson. Ben is the host of the podcast Baseball, Bigotry and the Battle for America and author of Of Thee I Sing: Race and American Patriotism.Guest LinksBlack and White and Read: https://links.boatspodcast.com/389guestBen Railton's Podcast: https://links.boatspodcast.com/389podcastOf Thee I Sing: The Contested History of American Patriotism: https://links.boatspodcast.com/389bookChapters0:00 Intro & Movie Synopsis3:45 Guest Introduction & Historical Accuracy Grade7:22 Characters & Real-Life Parallels10:13 Negro Leagues & Barnstorming Context17:05 Owner Violence & Labor Activism20:41 Performance, The Invite Pitch & House of David32:51 Hardships & The Climactic Game42:40 Jackie Robinson & End of an Era49:19 Wrap Up & Two Truths and a LieSupport My WorkJoin the BOATS community: https://links.boatspodcast.com/communityBecome a BOATS Producer (name in credits + ad-free episodes): https://links.boatspodcast.com/producersSupport my sponsors: https://links.boatspodcast.com/advertisersEmail me: dan@basedonatruestorypodcast.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Odyssey with Neil Laird

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 388) — Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (2026) brings Homer’s epic journey to the screen as we follow Matt Damon’s Odysseus from the Trojan War through monsters, sirens, and a long road home. In this episode, we'll learn from author and former documentary filmmaker Neil Laird about the historical accuracy of the movie and how well it ties into Homer’s Odyssey.Guest LinksPrime Time Troy: https://links.boatspodcast.com/388troyPrime Time Pompeii: https://links.boatspodcast.com/388pompeiiPrime Time Travelers: https://links.boatspodcast.com/388travelersNeil Laird's Website: https://links.boatspodcast.com/388guestChapters0:00 Letter grade & Homer’s Odyssey3:30 Troy (2004) vs The Odyssey (2026)9:30 Monsters, cyclopses and mythical beasts14:30 Circe’s island and men turned to pigs19:30 Hades, Achilles and war guilt23:30 Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis and hard choices37:30 Calypso, lost years and the long road homeSupport my workJoin the BOATS community: https://links.boatspodcast.com/communityBecome a BOATS Producer (name in credits + ad-free episodes): https://links.boatspodcast.com/producersSupport my sponsors: https://links.boatspodcast.com/advertisersEmail me: dan@basedonatruestorypodcast.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Memphis Belle with Joshua Donohue

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 387) — How accurate is the 1990 movie Memphis Belle? Military historian Joshua Donohue returns to Based on a True Story to break down what the movie gets right, where Hollywood takes liberties, and what the real crew of the Memphis Belle actually experienced during World War II.Guest LinksJosh's YouTube = https://links.boatspodcast.com/387guestJosh's Wake Island Article = https://links.boatspodcast.com/387wakearticleJosh's Pearl Harbor Article = https://links.boatspodcast.com/387ewaarticleOther MentionsFind where to watch the movie = https://links.boatspodcast.com/387movieMemphis Belle Unveiling = https://links.boatspodcast.com/387unveilingThe Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle by Robert Morgan and Ron Powers = https://links.boatspodcast.com/387themanwhoflewMemphis Belle Documentary = https://links.boatspodcast.com/387documentaryMemphis Belle - Air Force Fact Sheet = https://links.boatspodcast.com/387factsheetThe Memphis Belle Museum Exhibit = https://links.boatspodcast.com/387museumexhibitChapters0:00 Intro and accuracy grade2:13 Other bomber movies and context12:37 The real Memphis Belle missions22:15 Hollywood vs the real 25th mission32:20 How lead bombers and formations worked43:46 Bombing runs, smoke, and the Norden52:13 Midair dangers and ball turret stories1:15:02 The 1944 documentary and legacy1:21:53 Josh's Bataan book projectSupport My WorkSupport my sponsors = https://links.boatspodcast.com/advertisers Become a BOATS Producer (name in credits + ad-free episodes) = https://links.boatspodcast.com/producers Join the BOATS Discord = https://links.boatspodcast.com/comment Get the BOATS email newsletter = https://links.boatspodcast.com/newsletter Email me dan@basedonatruestorypodcast.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Terror with Rich Napolitano

What really happened to Sir John Franklin’s doomed Arctic expedition, and how much of AMC’s The Terror is grounded in the historical record? Today we're joined by Rich Napolitano, host of Shipwrecks and Sea Dogs, to compare the TV series with the real story of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, from the search for the Northwest Passage to the evidence historians have uncovered about the crew’s fate.LinksShipwrecks and Sea DogsLost Franklin Expedition w/NEW UPDATESDr. John RaeThe Terror (TV Series)Chapters0:00 Intro to The Terror2:12 Two Truths and a Lie4:08 Meet Rich Napolitano7:22 The Real Franklin Expedition20:06 Stuck in the Arctic Ice33:42 Food, Disease, and Survival47:41 The Terror’s Supernatural Twist59:18 How the Expedition EndedSupport My WorkSupport my sponsorsBecome a BOATS Producer (name in credits + ad-free episodes)Join the BOATS DiscordGet the BOATS email newsletterEmail me: dan@basedonatruestorypodcast.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Legend of Bagger Vance with Steven Pressfield

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 385) — Have you ever wondered how much of The Legend of Bagger Vance is rooted in history? Stephen Pressfield, author of the 1995 novel that inspired the 2000 film, joins Based on a True Story to unpack the story’s connections to the Bhagavad Gita, the real-life golfing legends Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen, and the choices Hollywood made when bringing the book to the screen. They also explore Stephen’s approach to writing historical fiction and his latest novel, The Arcadian.Guest LinksThe Legend of Bagger Vance by Stephen PressfieldThe Arcadian by Stephen PressfieldStephen Pressfield's WebsiteChapters0:00 Intro and movie synopsis2:43 Meet Stephen Pressfield5:35 Is Bagger Vance based on history?11:32 Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, and real golf history18:07 The missing 10 years after World War I27:18 What the movie changed from the book40:02 Writing historical fiction with Stephen Pressfield52:06 The Arcadian and final thoughtsSupport my workSupport my sponsorsBecome a BOATS Producer (name in credits + ad-free episodes)Join the BOATS DiscordGet the BOATS email newsletterEmail me: dan@basedonatruestorypodcast.comGet my video podcasting classSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.