Long before Alcatraz, there was Devil’s Island – the most notorious and vicious prison complex ever constructed. Over a century of operation, 70,000 men were incarcerated there, less than 10% survived. Built in the tropics of French Guiana, it was called the perfect prison – penned in by the jungle on one side and the sea on the other. Escape was said to be impossible. But a few did escape? In the final episode of the series, I explore the horrors of prison life and test out tales of great escapes could be true.
A dark investigation into the nightmare of Hitler’s Aryan worldview, Nazi racial policies, how ‘bog-bodies’ were used by Himmler as justification for murder, SS expeditions to Tibet, (Hitler thought Buddha was the last great Aryan leader), gun-wielding modern-day neo-Nazis, the complicity of the scientific community to provide the SS with the pseudo-legitimacy to justify industrial mass-murder. Horrific.
If possible I would advise reading my Dispatch before hand as I hope it helps provide important context for the investigation… Read it here…. Read the rest of this entry »
The hunt for the most notorious piece of Nazi treasure is on… The infamous Amber Room is the most valuable piece of missing art in the world. For more than 200 years these lavish wall panels, made entirely from carved amber, gems and gold, were the pride of the Russian czars – that is, before the Nazis looted the treasure in 1941. I pick up the story where it was last seen – in the medieval fortress in the city of Koenigsberg, (a city now called Kaliningrad, fondly known as the corridor of crime, a good place to go if you’re into trafficking people, guns, drugs, stolen cars or have a penchant for having your eyes stabbed out with a pencil)… onto Nazi hideouts across Europe to an underground German fortress, into secret Czech mine-shafts, and even drilling deep beneath a medieval castle used by the SS…. There’s some sneek peek video on the Solving History Page on the Discovery Site… But could there be a Swiss Connection? A number of our sources told us that the Amber Room would most probably have been hidden along with numbers to secret bank accounts… At first I didn’t realise the complexity and complicity of the Swiss involvement, but read my Dispatch below to see what I found out… Read the rest of this entry »
Exploring the mystery of El Dorado — its very name has has become synonymous with a legend of a mythical city of gold lost in the wilds of South America. For hundreds of years explorers have mounted expeditions to find it… and as strange as it seems, I am a strong believer that there is lots still to be found… large chunks of unmapped, unexplored regions of the Amazon and the Andes, makes it technically possible.. and we actually find something new to add to the debate… From the golden churches of the Incan capital Cusco, we follow the trail of El Dorado (aka Paititi) along a road of ruins deep into the remote Andes Mountains….
Carved into the Peruvian desert thousands of years ago, the Nazca Lines have puzzled archaeologists and historians ever since their discovery 100 years ago. Stretching over hundreds of square miles, thousands of geometric shapes and animal figures mark the desert landscape – some as big as football fields, but all flat as the land itself, making them virtually invisible from the ground. Theories to explain the lines range from giant maps of the stars to alien runways to places for elaborate and bizarre rituals. Why would a people who couldn’t fly have built images that could only be seen from the air? Highlights include confronting grave robbers who try to sell me mummified heads, journeying to the real Temple of Doom, ingesting large quantities of san pedro in a shamanic ceremony in an effort to venture into the spirit world myself to unravel the mystery of the Nazca Lines… (watch out for the shaman spraying me with damp geraniums ;-) we do draw some compelling conclusions though ;-) hope you can tune in… (read on for my Dispatch: “Nazca: a tale of water?” Read the rest of this entry »
Here’s an extract from my journals whilst investigating the Ark of the Covenant… exploring the role of belief and how it influences our understanding of history… Read the rest of this entry »
After almost a year in the making, “Mystery Investigator: Olly Steeds” (aka ‘Solving History with Olly Steeds’ in US and Worldwide) finally coming to the UK on Discovery – monday nights at 10pm from 17th May – running for 8 weeks. With Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott giving Robin Hood the gladiator make-over, we start the series looking at the legends of the outlaw hero.
Sunday Times Choice of the Day: “In the first of a series of appealing gung-ho historical investigations, the adventurer and journalist Olly Steeds explores the notion that it is fact rather than merely folklore that underpins the tale of Robin Hood. Trudging around Sherwood Forest, the presenter proves rigorous, probing academics, historians and a medieval survival enthusiast in an effort to separate reality from whimsy and gain a handle on Hood’s popularity”.
Read my Episode Dispatch: Who was Robin Hood & do we really need another Robin Hood film!?Read the rest of this entry »
Long before Alcatraz, there was Devil’s Island – the most notorious and vicious prison complex ever constructed. Over a century of operation, 70,000 men were incarcerated there, less than 10% survived. Built in the tropics of French Guiana, it was called the perfect prison – penned in by the jungle on one side and the sea on the other. Escape was said to be impossible. But was it? I explore the horrors of prison life and test out whether tales of great escapes could be true. Devil’s Island airs on Discovery US at 7pm EST tonight (23rd March)… Read my blog here – Read the rest of this entry »
A dark investigation into the nightmare of Hitler’s Aryan worldview, Nazi racial policies, how ‘bog-bodies’ were used by Himmler as justification for murder, SS expeditions to Tibet, (Hitler thought Buddha was the last great Aryan leader), gun-wielding modern-day neo-Nazis, the complicity of the scientific community to provide the SS with the pseudo-legitimacy to justify industrial mass-murder and more – I think it’s one of the strongest films in the series. There are more videos on the Solving History site… If possible I would advise reading my blog before hand as I hope it helps before important context for the investigation… Read it here…. Read the rest of this entry »
The hunt for the most notorious piece of Nazi treasure is on… The infamous Amber Room is the most valuable piece of missing art in the world. For more than 200 years these lavish wall panels, made entirely from carved amber, gems and gold, were the pride of the Russian czars – that is, before the Nazis looted the treasure in 1941. I’m pick up the story where it was last seen – medieval fortress in the city of Koenigsberg, (a city now called Kaliningrad, fondly known as the corridor of crime, a good place to go if you’re into trafficking people, guns, drugs, stolen cars or have a penchant for having your eyes stabbed out with a pencil)… onto Nazi hideouts across Europe to an underground German fortress, into secret Czech mine-shafts, and even drilling deep beneath a medieval castle used by the SS…. There’s some sneek peek video on the Solving History Page on the Discovery Site… But could there be a Swiss Connection? A number of our sources told us that the Amber Room would most probably have been hidden along with numbers to secret bank accounts… At first I didn’t realise the complexity and complicity of the Swiss involvement, but here’s what I found out… Read the rest of this entry »
