SHIP OF GHOSTS The Story of the USS Houston, FDR’s Legendary Lost Cruiser, and the Epic Saga of Her Survivors

A neglected chapter of WWII history is told here in compelling fashion. The author’s compact and muscular prose shines in Robertson Dean’s rapid-fire yet clear delivery. Hornfischer recounts the history of the U.S.S. Houston, a battle cruiser assigned to the Asiatic Fleet when the war broke out. Half-a-world away from the main U.S. force, hiding behind Japanese lines, she was eventually sunk and her crew captured and sent to the brutal Japanese prison camp made famous by the film Bridge Over the River Kwai. Reader Dean keeps the story moving and aptly handles Hornfischer’s detailed descriptions and explanations. He thus creates clear word-pictures for the listener and brings history alive. T.F. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 07]