---
product_id: 11111405
title: "U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History (Illustrated Design Histories)"
brand: "norman friedman phd."
price: "A$303"
currency: AUD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/11111405-u-s-destroyers-an-illustrated-design-history-illustrated-design-histories
store_origin: AU
region: Australia
---

# U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History (Illustrated Design Histories)

**Brand:** norman friedman phd.
**Price:** A$303
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History (Illustrated Design Histories) by norman friedman phd.
- **How much does it cost?** A$303 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.au](https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/11111405-u-s-destroyers-an-illustrated-design-history-illustrated-design-histories)

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## Description

U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History (Illustrated Design Histories)

## Images

![U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History (Illustrated Design Histories) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/613sxMwOFYL.jpg)
![U.S. Destroyers: An Illustrated Design History (Illustrated Design Histories) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31QOF80XNtL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Title Doesn't Serve This Book Justice
*by S***K on February 25, 2013*

Norman Friedman outlines the history and development of US Destroyers from the early 20th century to the ARLEIGH BURKE Class Destroyers. He discusses why Destroyers were initially developed and how their focus shifted from Torpedo Boats, to Submarines to Aircraft.The title is a bit misleading because according to his definition the last true US Cruiser was the LONG BEACH, which leads him to cover most post World War II surface combatants (this book discusses the BAINBRIDGE, CALIFORNIA, VIRGINA, OLIVER HAZARD PERRY, TICONDEROGA, SPRUANCE, KIDD, etc class ships). The best parts of the book are the programs and ships that occurred in the mid to late stages of the Cold War. Some of the topics I found most interesting were the following:- The DASH program (Drone Antisubmarine Helicopter, this was an early UAV that wasdesigned to drop nuclear weapons onto Soviet Submarines).- The concept behind nuclear combatants and the OLIVER HAZARD PERRY CLASS Frigates.- Typhoon Weapon System (this was a procurer to Aegis).- The nuclear Aegis Class Cruiser.- Why the initial ARLEIGH BURKE Destroyers did not include helicopter hangers.- The development of the SPRUANCE, KIDD and TICONDEROGA class Destroyers.- How inflation stalled seventies ship building.Overall this is an excellent book that contains a wealth of information about the concepts, development and practices of US Naval shipbuilding. I am always amazed how Norman Friedman has been able to amass so much information about Naval Warfare.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Comprehensive, fascinating, still somewhat dated
*by D***Y on January 3, 2007*

This is undoubtedly the definitive work on U.S. destroyer design and role. What is slightly disappointing, however, is that this is really an update of a book that is several decades old, and the update did not include revising the older text. This creates two problems. First, it is somewhat jarring to read text that refers to "new" projects that were either canceled or implemented decades ago. There are some references to the Arleigh Burke class as under design, which was true in the late 1970s, but not true now that the ships have been in service for almost two decades. Second, there has been no attempt to explain how well the ships actually worked. For instance, now that the Spruance class ships have been retired, it would have been nice for the author to discuss their service. Were they good ships? Did they achieve their goals? Similarly for other ships that were retired in the 80s and 90s. How well did they perform? The book could have used a complete top-to-bottom revision, but did not get that. It's still a great reference, however.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ One of the Best books on US Destroyers
*by W***N on March 7, 2024*

Well written, accurate and well made book on US Destroyers. One of the most accurate factually and covers the design, constraints and operations in detail!

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*Product available on Desertcart Australia*
*Store origin: AU*
*Last updated: 2026-02-14*