Based on a True Story

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 390) — Captain Michael "Mak" Makatura joins us to break down the historical accuracy of Top Gun (1986). Drawing from his own experience in Central Europe during the Cold War, Mak explains what the movie gets right about fighter pilot culture, competition, and danger — including a real-world parallel to Goose's tragic death. The conversation also covers his book The Fightin' Tenth: Cold War to Desert Storm, chronicling the experiences of the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron from the Cold War through Operation Desert Storm.Guest LinksThe Fightin' Tenth: Cold War to Desert Storm: https://thefightintenth.com/truestoryChapters0:00 Intro & Overall Accuracy Grade3:16 The MiG-28 & Real Soviet Encounters6:10 Cold War Training & Border Standoffs11:10 Pilot Competition & Friendly Rivalry14:00 Goose's Death: The Reality of Jet Wash19:19 Relationships & Moving to Real-World Missions27:12 Rule Bending, Buzzing the Tower & The Fightin' TenthSupport 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: [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

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

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

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