Ship of Ghosts
The USS Houston's last stand and her crew's three years as slaves on the Burma-Thailand Death Railway.
The Verdict
The true story beneath the River Kwai myth, rescued from the survivors just in time. James Hornfischer tells of the USS Houston — sunk in the desperate early-1942 fighting in the Java Sea — and the long ordeal of her crew, enslaved on the Burma-Thailand 'Death Railway' alongside tens of thousands who died building it. It is two books in one: a naval epic of a doomed cruiser's last fight, and an unflinching testament of captivity, drawn from the men Hornfischer reached before they were gone. Harrowing and unforgettable.
Who Should Read It
Read it if you want
- The USS Houston's last fight and her crew's captivity
- Readers who want naval action and POW testimony
- The real history behind the River Kwai story
- Survivor-sourced narrative
Look elsewhere if you want
- A gentle read — the captivity is brutal
- Strategic overview of the Pacific
- Readers wanting only the naval battle
Why We Rated It 4.5
Historical Context
The cruiser USS Houston was sunk in the Battle of Sunda Strait in early 1942; her surviving crew became prisoners of the Japanese and were forced to labour on the Burma-Thailand Railway, where conditions killed many thousands. Published in 2006, the book draws on the testimony of survivors.
Events Covered
Editions & Reading Notes
Read It Alongside
Collector's Corner
Where to Buy
ISBN: 978-0553384505
Read This Against
The same events seen from a different vantage point. The fullest understanding often lives in the space between accounts that don't agree.
Other Books About the Same Events
More by James Hornfischer
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Ship of Ghosts connected to The Bridge on the River Kwai?
- It tells the real history of the Burma-Thailand Railway that the Kwai story fictionalises, through the crew of the USS Houston.
- Is it a naval book or a POW book?
- Both — the cruiser's last battle, then her crew's years of captivity on the Death Railway.