Neil Laird: The Hidden Truths of Ancient History, Lost Civilizations, and the Stories We Get Wrong

What if the history we’ve been taught has left out some of the most fascinating truths about the people who came before us?In this episode of Hidden Secrets in Books, Dominic welcomes Neil Laird, a multiple Emmy and BAFTA nominated director, executive producer, and author who has spent decades traveling the world uncovering the mysteries of the ancient past.With more than 1,000 hours of factual television produced across over 70 countries, Neil has explored Egyptian tombs, Mayan cities, ancient civilizations, and mysterious shipwrecks for networks including Discovery, BBC, PBS, History, National Geographic, Netflix, and HBO Max.Now, drawing from his extraordinary career in historical television, Neil has turned to fiction with his Prime Time Travelers series, beginning with Prime Time Travelers and followed by Prime Time Pompeii. The novels combine adventure, comedy, ancient history, and time travel while challenging some of the assumptions modern audiences have about the ancient world.In this conversation, Neil reveals what decades of researching and filming history taught him about the gap between historical reality and popular storytelling. We explore how ancient civilizations are often misunderstood, what history can teach us about human relationships and identity, and why some truths about the ancient world have been overlooked or simplified.Neil also takes us behind the scenes of historical television, discussing how documentaries are made, what has changed in the industry, and how streaming and modern media have transformed the way audiences consume history.A fascinating conversation about ancient civilizations, storytelling, LGBTQIA+ history, television, time travel, and the hidden details that can completely change the way we see the past.Explore Neil Laird’s work and discover more:Website: https://www.neillaird.com/IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0481987/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_q_neil%2520lairdTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gay_historyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neillaird/