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- Director
- Writer / Author
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- Action Arranger
- Narrator
- Horse Archer
Mike specializes in high-end, scripted, drama reconstructions for historical documentaries and has directed several 60 minute films, broadcast on History and National Geographic channels, as well as for the National Parks Service in the USA. He also writes and directs punchy short-form documentaries and has directed several dozen of these for the video games industry, as well as some for the BBC. More recently he has directed several films for History...
Between 2022 and 2024, Mike presented nine films for the successful online channel History Hit. He also wrote, produced and directed these films. Previously Mike was the host/presenter for a ten-part series for Discovery (Weapon Masters), a five-part series for Channel 4 (Weapons That Made Britain) and a two-hour special for The History Channel (Going Medieval), for which he was also the writer. He was an on-screen pundit for the studio based series Time...
Historical Weapons Expert / Military Historian Mike has developed a unique hands-on blend of interview and demonstration that combines exciting action images with gripping storytelling and solid facts. While he is perfectly happy to give a straight, sit-down interview, his physical skills can give the sequence added authenticity. His knowledge spans a broad range of historical periods and cultures. Known predominantly for his expertise with and knowledge...
Mike has over 40 years experience in choreographing and directing fight and action scenes. He has arranged sword fights, punch-ups, and full-scale battle scenes for hundreds of film, tv and stage productions. He is familiar with historical fighting styles of all periods and for many cultures. As the author of Swords and Swordsmen, he is especially well-known for his knowledge of historical swordfighting. Working with horses is another specialty, whether...
Mike is a practised narrator with over 30 hours of broadcast documentary voice-over experience. He is able to adjust the timing of a read to precise requirements and to cadence a wide range of moods. He also has an ear for languages and is able to pronounce foreign words naturally. His reads combine authority with infectious passion. Although known for narrating historical documentaries, he is equally happy doing voice-overs for video-games, corporate...
Mike is an experienced writer, both for print and the screen. He has had three major books published, Swords and Swordsmen, War Bows and Dogs: Working Origins and Traditional Tasks, with more commissioned books in the pipeline (about horses). Other works include The Longbow, The Crossbow and The Composite Bow for Osprey. He was a primary contributor to The Worldwide History of Warfare (Thames and Hudson), ‘Masters of the Steppe: The...
Mike has worked extensively as a historical consultant for numerous television history documentaries, both in development and in production. He has also been in demand in the video-games industry and worked for Ubisoft as a consultant on Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, a game set in the Great Age of Piracy. He gave presentations and press conferences at the launch of the game, appearing both at the pre-launch announcement at ComicCon in San Diego and...
An expert on the history of horse-archery. Mike is also a practising horse archer and the founder of the first horse-archery club in California – the California Centaurs. Horse-archery is his passion. He gives demonstrations, teaches clinics and writes on the subject. He has presented segments about both horse-archers and chariot-archers for several television programmes; whilst riding, shooting and speaking to camera during the action. His book...
"Mike Loades is a dynamo of a man. He is also an articulate expert on the history of arms and armour who is capable of capturing and sustaining the viewer’s attention"
The Observer
