The Norman Friedman Illustrated Design History series of U.S. warships
books has been an industry standard for three decades and has sold
thousands of copies worldwide. To mark and celebrate this achievement,
the Naval Institute Press is proud to make these books available once
more. Digitally remastered for enhanced photo resolution and quality,
corrected, and updated, this series will continue to serve--for scholars
and enthusiasts alike--as the foundation for U.S. naval warship research
and reference for years to come. U.S. Cruisers is one the most
comprehensive references available on the entire development of U.S.
cruisers, from the first steel cruisers, the flawed designs of the
Washington Naval Treaty era, the light, heavy, and large cruisers of
World War II, the postwar rapid-fire artillery designs of the Des Moines
and the Worcester classes, guided-missile conversions, and to the Aegis
ships of the Ticonderoga-class. Like the other books in Norman
Friedman's design-history series, U.S. Cruisers is based largely on
formerly classified internal U.S. Navy records. Friedman, a leading
authority on U.S. warships, explains the political and technical
rationales of warship construction and recounts the evolution of each
design. Alan Raven and A.D. Baker III have created detailed scale
outboard and plan views of each ship class and of major modifications to
many classes. Numerous photographs complement the text.
