Best Aidan Donohue Podcasts (2025)

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Nuremberg with Jack El-Hai 52:29

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9d ago52:29

52:29

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) durin…

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Feud: Bette and Joan with Scott Eyman 1:20:26

15d ago1:20:26

1:20:26

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…

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Project Blue Book 3:37:56

2M ago3:37:56

3:37:56

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Donald Rumsfeld in the Movies with William Cooper 59:26

3M ago59:26

59:26

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 375) — Donald Rumsfeld served as the U.S. Secretary of Defense twice in his career, including during the 9/11 attacks. Today, we'll learn how the movies "Vice", "W." bring a fictional portrayal of Rumsfeld. We'll also look into the accuracy of the documentary "The Unknown Known" which interviews Rumsfeld himself. ⁠G…

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Young Guns II with Josh from The Wild West Extravaganza 1:27:15

3M ago1:27:15

1:27:15

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 374) — Today we'll rejoin Billy the Kid's outlaw gang as they continue their attempts to escape the law following the events in Young Guns (BOATS EP. 146). Was Brushy Bill Roberts a real person? Was he Billy the Kid? What other creative liberties did the filmmakers take in telling the true story of Billy the Kid? Wh…

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Amelia with Chris Williamson 1:11:31

4M ago1:11:31

1:11:31

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 373) — Learn about legendary aviator Amelia Earhart as she was portrayed onscreen by Hilary Swank in the 2009 biopic. To uncover the true story, today we'll talk with author, documentarian, and host of Chasing Earhart , the only podcast dedicated entirely to Amelia Earhart: Chris Williamson. Where to watch Amelia Ge…

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Trail of Vengeance with Rob Hilliard 1:33:51

4M ago1:33:51

1:33:51

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 372) — Travel back to the Old West for a tale of revenge, Pinkerton agents, and frontier justice in the wake of the Civil War. One of those former Pinkerton agents in the movie is John Scobell (Gbenga Akinnagbe), making 2025's Trail of Vengeance the first movie to feature John Scobell as one of its main characters. …

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Classic: Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story with Matthew Polly 54:39

4M ago54:39

54:39

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 371) — How well do you know about the real Bruce Lee? There are a lot of myths that came out of the movie "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" so today we'll pull another classic episode from the Based on a True Story vault. Where to watch Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story ⁠Get Matthew's book⁠ Matthew Polly authored "Bruce Lee: …

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Titanic with Mark B. Perry 1:27:43

5M ago1:27:43

1:27:43

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 370) — Twentieth Century-Fox's "Titanic" starring Barbara Stanwyck and Clifton Webb claims to draw facts from 1912 congressional inquiries, so how well does it do when we compare it to history? Where to watch Titanic (1953) ⁠Get Mark's book Mark B. Perry is the author of the novel "And Introducing Dexter Gaines: A N…

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Classic: Saving Private Ryan with Marty Morgan 2:03:31

6M ago2:03:31

2:03:31

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 369) — This Friday marks the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings. Arguably the most popular movie depicting the fighting on the beaches of Normandy is 1998's Saving Private Ryan. Where to watch Saving Private RyanIn this remastered edition of Based on a True Story, we'll compare the movie with what really happene…

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Behind the True Story: Not a Real Enemy with Robert Wolf 1:22:45

7M ago1:22:45

1:22:45

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 368) — Go behind the true stories shown in Holocaust movies through the experiences of Robert Wolf's family. Since we'll be talking about the Holocaust, listener discretion is advised. Get Robert's book Where to watch today's movies The Sound of Music (1965) Life is Beautiful (1997) Schindler's List (1993) Walking w…

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John McClane in Die Hard with Patrick O'Donnell 1:18:41

7M ago1:18:41

1:18:41

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 367) — Is John McClane a realistic cop or just an action hero with a badge? Yippee-ki-yay, history lovers, let's see if McClane would survive a real Internal Affairs review. Where to watch "Die Hard" now Helping us conduct a review of McClane from the entire Die Hard franchise is retired U.S. police sergeant Patrick…

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Troy with Neil Laird 59:07

8M ago59:07

59:07

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 …

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Black Hawk Down with Joshua Donohue 1:58:22

8M ago1:58:22

1:58:22

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 Thi…

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The Bridge on the River Kwai with Jon Parshall 1:12:29

9M ago1:12:29

1:12:29

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 Lieutena…

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Behind the True Story: She Wanted To Do Everything with Robyn Flanery 1:07:48

9M ago1:07:48

1:07:48

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 document…

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The Pinkertons Part 3 with Rob Hilliard 1:09:17

10M ago1:09:17

1:09:17

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…

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The Pinkertons Part 2 with Rob Hilliard 1:00:03

10M ago1:00:03

1:00:03

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. Mentio…

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The Pinkertons Part 1 with Rob Hilliard 1:18:37

10M ago1:18:37

1:18:37

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 operat…

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Battle of the Bulge with Robert B. O'Connor 1:08:21

10M ago1:08:21

1:08:21

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…

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Thirteen Days with Joshua Donohue 1:54:41

11M ago1:54:41

1:54:41

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…

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Maria with Sophia Lambton 1:59:59

11M ago1:59:59

1:59:59

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 …

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Indiana Jones with Neil Laird 1:14:52

12M ago1:14:52

1:14:52

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, …

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Tora! Tora! Tora! with Jon Parshall 1:26:06

12M ago1:26:06

1:26:06

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, w…

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Casablanca with Bob LeMent 1:08:49

1y ago1:08:49

1:08:49

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 t…

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Miracle with Lou Vairo 1:28:00

1y ago1:28:00

1:28:00

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 to…

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This Week: Napoleon, Thirteen Days, The Patriot, The Last Duel 55:27

1y ago55:27

55:27

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 …

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This Week: Che!, Eight Men Out, 1492, Captain Phillips 42:14

1y ago42:14

42:14

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 o…

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This Week: Alexander, 61*, Black Hawk Down, The Social Network 42:52

1y ago42:52

42:52

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 …

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This Week: Turn, A Bridge Too Far, The Godfather Part III, Remember the Titans 34:41

1y ago34:41

34:41

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…

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This Week: Frida, Chaplin, Tolkien, Goodfellas 30:59

1y ago30:59

30:59

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 thi…

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We Were Soldiers with Joshua Donohue 1:42:20

1y ago1:42:20

1:42:20

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 creat…

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This Week: 300: Rise of an Empire, United 93, A Star-Spangled Story, The Exorcism of Emily Rose 44:23

1y ago44:23

44:23

BOATS THIS WEEK (SEP 9-15, 2024) — Tuesday this week marks the anniversary of the Battle of Marathon, which we see in the movie 300: Rise of an Empire. Then, of course, we'll be looking at this week's anniversary of the 9/11 attacks from the movie United 93. For our third historical event, we'll learn about A Star-Spangled Story and how an event fr…

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Today: The Great Fire and the Extinguishment of the Great Fire of London 16:38

1y ago16:38

16:38

BOATS TODAY (SEPT 5, 2024) — After four days of fighting the flames, the Great Fire of London was finally extinguished on this day in 1666 so today we'll learn more about how the events from exactly 358 years ago today were shown in the TV miniseries called The Great Fire. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Watch it now: Find…

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This Week: Rome, Geronimo: An American Legend, The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid 23:20

1+ y ago23:20

23:20

BOATS THIS WEEK (SEPT 2-8, 2024) — On this day almost two thousand years ago, the Battle of Actium decided power in Rome. Not coincidentally, we'll learn about that today from a TV show called Rome. The second event from this week in history according to the movies comes from the 1993 film called Geronimo: An American Legend, because Wednesday this…

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Today: The Great Fire and the Initial Ignition of the Great Fire of London 9:05

1+ y ago9:05

9:05

Editor's Note: The fire started after midnight on September 2nd in London, so if you're in the United States like I am then you might see this minisode release on September 1st due to time zones. BOATS TODAY (SEPT 2, 2024) — The Great Fire of London started exactly 358 years ago today, so we'll learn how well the TV miniseries called The Great Fire…

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This Week: Saving Mr Banks, Krakatoa East of Java, From Hell 27:09

1+ y ago27:09

27:09

BOATS THIS WEEK (AUG 26-SEPT 1, 2024) — Tomorrow marks the 60th anniversary of Disney's Mary Poppins premiered, and that event is shown in the 2013 movie called Saving Mr. Banks about the making of Mary Poppins. If that's too confusing, give the episode a listen to unravel it all. From there, we'll travel to the west of Java to the movie incorrectl…

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This Week: The Crucible, Sweet Dreams, Pompeii 23:29

1+ y ago23:29

23:29

BOATS THIS WEEK (AUG 19-25,2024) — Historical events from the movies start with The Crucible and how it depicts the Salem witch trials from this week in 1692. Then, we'll learn a bit about Patsy Cline's hit song "Crazy" because it was this week in 1961 that she started recording it in the studio, and that's shown in the 1985 biopic about her life c…

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The Mummy (1999) with Dr. Aidan Dodson 1:02:46

1+ y ago1:02:46

1:02:46

The Mummy (1999) is packed with supernatural powers, Hollywood magic, and...maybe some truth? After all, mummies were a real thing. We'll chat with acclaimed Egyptologist Dr. Aidan Dodson to find out how much of the movie is based in history. Where to start learning more of the true story Monarchs of the Nile Sethy I, King of Egypt: His Life and Af…

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This Week: The Philadelphia Experiment, Macbeth, The Pacific 39:15

1+ y ago39:15

39:15

BOATS THIS WEEK (AUG 12-18,2024) — Today is the 81st anniversary of the conspiracy theory from the 1984 movie The Philadelphia Experiment. Or is it? Tune in to find out. After that, we'll move into the Shakespearean classic-turned-modern movie Macbeth (2015) because this Wednesday is the 984th anniversary (1040 CE) of King Duncan I of Scotland's de…

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This Week: Braveheart, Hatfields & McCoys, The Walk, Frost/Nixon 38:53

1+ y ago38:53

38:53

BOATS THIS WEEK (AUG 5-11,2024) — This week's events from historical movies starts with Monday's 719th anniversary (August 5th, 1305) of William Wallace's (Mel Gibson) capture shown in the movie 'Braveheart.' In the History Channel's dramatic miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys", we'll see how it portrays the feud between their two families turning to b…

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This Week: USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, Rush, Patton 35:41

1+ y ago35:41

35:41

BOATS THIS WEEK (JUL 29-AUG 4,2024) — There were two major disaster this week in history. The first we'll learn about is an event many consider the worst shark attack in history, which began on July 30th, 1945, and is shown in the movie USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage. Our next historical disaster marks its 48th anniversary on Thursday this week, …

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Today: First Man and the Apollo 11 Splashdown 16:20

1+ y ago16:20

16:20

BOATS TODAY (JULY 24, 1969/2024) — Apollo 11 splashed down exactly 55 years ago, so today we'll wrap up our 3-part miniseries with the end of Apollo 11 mission. Need to catch up? Apollo 11 Launch: https://links.boatspodcast.com/333 Apollo 11 Lunar Landing: https://links.boatspodcast.com/334 Apollo 11 Splashdown: https://links.boatspodcast.com/336* …

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Vice with William Cooper 1:24:45

1+ y ago1:24:45

1:24:45

Today we'll delve into Dick Cheney’s political rise in the Nixon and Ford administrations and his role in post-9/11 policies as they were shown in the 2018 political satire comedy-drama "Vice" from director Adam McKay. Get William's book How America Works . . . and Why It Doesn’t: A Brief Guide to the US Political System: https://links.boatspodcast…

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This Week: Dahmer, First Man, At Eternity's Gate 52:35

1+ y ago52:35

52:35

BOATS THIS WEEK (JULY 22-28,2024) — Events from this week in history include Jeffrey Dahmer's confession on July 22nd, 1991. We'll learn how well Netflix's 2022 smash hit series Monster shows that happening. This week also marks the end of the Apollo 11 mission on July 24th, 1969, but we'll have a special minisode coming out on Wednesday for that, …

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Today: Men in Black 3 and the Apollo 11 Launch 13:13

1+ y ago13:13

13:13

BOATS TODAY (JULY 16, 1969/2024) — We'll introduce the concept of BOATS Today while we learn about Apollo 11's launch sequence from today in history as it was shown in the movie Men in Black 3. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Mentioned in this episode Movie: Find where Men in Black is streaming True Story: Watch NASA's foo…

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This Week: Napoleon, Men in Black 3, Barbieheimer 51:36

1+ y ago51:36

51:36

BOATS THIS WEEK (JULY 15-21,2024) — Events from this week in history include Napoleon’s surrender aboard HMS Bellerophon that happened on July 15th, 1815, and we'll learn how it was shown in the 2023 biopic. Then, we'll learn about the Apollo 11 miniseries that we’ll launch tomorrow on the exact anniversary of the launch from July 16th, 1969, befor…

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This Week: The Battle of Britain, Hamilton, One Nation, One King 36:20

1+ y ago36:20

36:20

In this episode, we'll learn about historical events between July 8th and July 14th as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies, along with a recommendation for a movie that was released this week in history. Events from This Week in History Wednesday: The Battle of …

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This Week: The Trench, 1776, The Pride of the Yankees, Lawrence of Arabia, Project Blue Book 1:07:12

1+ y ago1:07:12

1:07:12

In this episode, we'll learn about historical events between July 1st and July 7th as they're shown in the movies. We'll also learn about birthdays from historical figures who have been portrayed in the movies, along with a recommendation for a movie that was released this week in history. Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, …

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Black Sails with Colin Woodard 1:22:42

1+ y ago1:22:42

1:22:42

The Starz TV series Black Sails is a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's famous novel "Treasure Island." It's a story filled with squashbuckling pirates who dare to wage war against self-described civilized nations. Are you ready to travel back to the Golden Age of Piracy? We'll be joined today by Colin Woodard, the acclaimed author of the New York…