OUR TEAM

Host

Jonathan Phillips, Ph.D., is a Professor of Crusading History at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he is the MA course director in Crusader Studies.

An eminent authority on the Crusades, and a prominent contributing scholar in Medieval History, he served as President of the Society for the Study of the Crusades and the Latin East (SSCLE) from 2021 to 2025. He is a media consultant and commentator, regularly contributing to networks including the BBC, CNN, al-Jazeera, and the History Channel.

Phillips has a knack for captivating audiences and translating complex historical research into intriguing, accessible narratives. He has authored numerous critically acclaimed books on the crusades, including:

  • The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin (Winner of the 2019 Royal Society of Literature Award for Non-Fiction)

  • Holy Warriors: A Modern History of the Crusades (2009)

  • The Second Crusade: Extending the Frontiers of Christendom (2007)

  • The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople (2004)

Production & Film

Sunrise with the sun partially obscured by clouds, with the text 'Sunrise Films' below.
Sunrise with the sun partially obscured by clouds, with the text 'Sunrise Films' below.
Solar eclipse with the sun partially covered by the moon, creating a ring of light around the dark moon, with the text 'Galán Incorporated Television & Film' in orange.
Solar eclipse with the sun partially covered by the moon, creating a ring of light around the dark moon, with the text 'Galán Incorporated Television & Film' in orange.

The Series Executive Producer for Sunrise Films is Jerry Daigle, with over 30 years in the motion picture industry. Daigle has produced 18 feature films, and was an executive producer for the original six-episode series Ancient Roads from Christ to Constantine (2015).

Ancient Roads from Holy Empires to Holy Warriors is directed by esteemed documentary filmmaker Hector Galán, who has produced over 40 hours of primetime programming for the History Channel and PBS, including programs for FRONTLINE, and THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.

Galán was the first documentary filmmaker to be inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame by the Austin Film Society. He is a member of the writer's guild of America West, the Texas Institute of Letters and the Society of American Historians.

Galán Incorporated is a television and film production company based in Austin, TX with over 40 years of producing television and film for national and international broadcasters.

Contact

Close-up of a metallic object that appears to be part of a wheel or gear, showing rust, corrosion, and a central hole.
Close-up of a metallic object that appears to be part of a wheel or gear, showing rust, corrosion, and a central hole.

Paul Marcus - Director of Development 

Marcus has been involved in the Ancient Roads franchise for over 8 years in business development. He brings to the project extensive experience in the marketing and underwriting/ sponsorship arenas for public television shows, as well as commercial network viewership building events for ABC, CBS, and NBC. Corporate clients included Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Sprint, Hallmark, Chevron, the Walt Disney Company, and many others. He has held senior account management positions in the advertising and marketing agency business in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles at Benton & Bowles, N.W. Ayer, and Simon Marketing.

REQUEST INFO