Ship of Ghosts - James D. Hornfischer [0]
SHIP OF GHOSTS
A U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings Notable Book of 2006
“Powerful… Another ‘you are there’ tale that has earned Hornfischer a reputation as one of naval history’s heavy hitters.”
—U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings
“This captivating saga chronicles… a grim tale that was then a mystery and largely untold in historical accounts of WWII naval warfare in the Pacific… 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 … into an unforgettable epic of human endurance.”
— USA Today
“It’s hard to imagine any ship in the history of the U.S. Navy that combined such a celebrated beginning with such a wrenching ending as the USS Houston. And it’s hard to imagine anyone telling the story of the Houston and its crew more meticulously or engagingly than James D. Hornfischer… Hornfischer’s description of the battle is riveting and rich in its graphic detail… So great is the drama of the Houston and its survivors that this story seems to tell itself, although it’s really the product of meticulous research and Hornfischer’s knowledge of his subject. We’re left in awe that anyone survived their ordeal, and humbled to meet the men who did.”
—Rocky Mountain News
“As he did in Last Stand, Hornfischer renders [the] desperate battle in a riveting and dramatic fashion … Moving and powerful… 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
“Hornfischer exhaustively details the full story: the visceral terror of a naval battle, savage treatment by Japanese captors, and post-traumatic stress disorder.”
—Entertainment Weekly (An EW Pick—Grade: A)
“Hornfischer (who wrote the equally powerful The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors) follows these survivors without ever missing a beat, proving himself to be one of our greatest WWII historians.”
—Book-of-the-Month Club News
“The author of The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors gives us another excellent volume of World War II naval history… Drawing on the survivors’ accounts and extensive published resources, 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)
“Chronicles a nearly forgotten chapter of U.S. naval history with a gripping intensity that should satisfy salty dogs and landlubbers… Hornfischer has emerged as a major World War II maritime historian by weaving together the human and strategic threads of a fascinating tale. What kind of yarn is Ship of Ghosts? Put Stephen Ambrose aboard the cruiser… Next bring along Patrick O’Brien for nautical detail and high-seas drama. Then factor in Joseph Conrad for tales of men under stress in exotic climes.”
—Metro West Daily News
“For Hornfischer … the tale of the Houston and the Death Railway is all the more poignant because it is relatively unsung, at least compared to such well-documented horrors as the Bataan Death March… The scenes he paints are riveting.”
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“A gripping narrative … Harrowing and frank, this story of a gritty band of men—starved, isolated and working under excruciating conditions—reflects the triumph of will over adversity … [a] long-overdue saga of the famous ship.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Engrossing … a superb evocation of naval combat … a gripping, well-told memorial to Greatest Generation martyrdom.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Ship of Ghosts would be an unforgettable book if only for its brilliantly wrought account of the massive, chaotic sea battle that destroyed the USS Houston. But that is only the beginning of a story