Reviews for Ship of Ghosts: The Story of the
USS Houston, FDR’s Legendary Lost Cruiser,
and the Epic Saga of Her Survivors
A MAIN SELECTION OF THE HISTORY BOOK CLUB
A MAIN SELECTION OF THE MILITARY BOOK CLUB
AN ALTERNATE SELECTION, BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB
“Hornfischer is quickly establishing himself as doing for the Navy what popular historian Stephen Ambrose did for the Army…. So great is the drama of the Houston and its survivors that this story seems to tell itself.”
—Rocky Mountain News
“A captivating saga…. With vivid and visceral descriptions of the chaos and valor onboard the doomed Houston…the author penetrates the thoughts and fears of adrenaline-pumped sailors in the heat of combat…. Hornfischer masterfully shapes the narrative…. breathing life into an unforgettable epic of human endurance.” —USA Today
An “Entertainment Weekly Pick.” Grade: A —Entertainment Weekly
“It’s hard to imagine such a story being told better.” —Dallas Morning News
“Tightly written and structured, detailed and immaculately researched, Ship of Ghosts is a title that most World War II history buffs will not want to miss.” —Flint Journal
“What kind of yarn is Ship of Ghosts? Put Stephen Ambrose aboard the cruiser once known as ‘the Galloping Ghost of the Java Coast.’ Next, bring Patrick O’Brien for nautical detail and high seas drama. Then factor in Joseph Conrad for tales of men under stress in exotic climes…. Naval history of the highest order.”
—Metrowest Daily News
“Engrossing… A superb evocation of naval combat [and] a gripping, well-told memorial to Greatest Generation martyrdom.” —Publishers Weekly
“The USS Houston was on the wrong side of the Pacific when World War II broke out. The fate of the ship and her crew has never been fully revealed until now…. A gripping narrative. Harrowing and frank, this story of a gritty band of men—starving, isolated and working under excruciating conditions—reflects the triumph of will over adversity.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Hornfischer has painted a compelling picture of one of the most gallant ships and one of the grimmest campaigns in American naval history. He has a positive genius for depicting the surface-warfare sailor in a tight spot. May he write long and give them more memorials.” —Booklist [starred review]
“On sea and on land, these intrepid sailors endured enough for a thousand lifetimes. In this riveting account, Hornfischer carefully reconstructs a story none of us should be allowed to forget.”
—Hampton Sides, author of Blood and Thunder and Ghost Soldiers
“Hornfischer has produced another meticulously researched naval history page-turner. He fuses powerful human stories into the great flow of historical events with a singular story-telling talent.”
—John F. Lehman, former Secretary of the Navy, author of On Seas of Glory
