Episode
The Legend of Bagger Vance with Steven Pressfield
- Podcast
- Based on a True Story
- Published
- May 28, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2631
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
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Summary
BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 385) — Have you ever wondered how much of The Legend of Bagger Vance is rooted in history? Steven 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 Steven’s approach to writing historical fiction and his latest novel, The Arcadian . Guest Links The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield The Arcadian by Steven Pressfield Steven Pressfield's Website Chapters 0:00 Intro and movie synopsis 2:43 Meet Steven Pressfield 5:35 Is Bagger Vance based on history? 11:32 Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, and real golf history 18:07 The missing 10 years after World War I 27:18 What the movie changed from the book 40:02 Writing historical fiction with Steven Pressfield 52:06 The Arcadian and final thoughts Support my work Support my sponsors Become a BOATS Producer (name in credits + ad-free episodes) Join the BOATS Discord Get the BOATS email newsletter Email me: [email protected] Get my video podcasting class See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .