The cruiser Houston was the first warship named for the Bayou City, and the ship proved a favorite of the city for which it was named. It was also a favorite of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who traveled on the Houston no fewer than four times. Houston was twice the flagship of the US Navy's Asiatic Fleet. In the opening days of World War II, it battled the Imperial Japanese Navy, culminating in its midnight loss at the Battle of Sunda Strait. The Cruiser Houston tells the story of this magnificent ship and the city of Houston's reaction to its namesake's loss.

Mark Lardas is the author of numerous books on maritime, naval, and Texas history. A resident of the Houston area, he has maintained a longtime interest in the cruiser Houston. With generous assistance from the Houston Maritime Museum, the University of Houston, Sam Houston Park, and individuals equally enthralled by the cruiser, he has assembled a fascinating collection of images illustrating the life and death of the Houston, from the first plans to build the ship until its dramatic end in unequal combat. He also shows the reactions to the ship's loss and how its memory has been preserved.