SS United States by Schiffer Publishing

Fulfilled by our friends at Schiffer Publishing

The SS United States was the flagship of the United States Lines and was representative of the apex of steam-engineering technology. Designed by William Francis Gibbs, the ship was designed to be both fast and safe, due to the use of new materials with an emphasis on being fireproof. This book chronicles the design, construction, and operation of the liner. Using many materials taken from the ship itself, the authors detail the intricate interplay of safely operating a 990-foot-long vessel, providing the finest cuisine, entertainment, and personal services as well as running an oceangoing hotel. The book is richly illustrated with many previously unpublished photographs. In addition, included are personnel lists, performance and engineering data, transcripts of ship’s logs, and other documents that illustrate the massive undertaking and attention to detail that made this “America’s Flagship.”
Built in 1951, the SS United States was the flagship cruiser of the United States lines. Designed by William Francis Gibbs, the ship was designed to be both fast and fireproof. This book chronicles the design, construction, and operation of the liner.

Using the ship’s archives, the authors detail the intricate interplay of safely operating a 990-foot-long vessel, providing the finest cuisine, entertainment, and personal services as well as running an oceangoing hotel.

The book is richly illustrated with many previously unpublished photograph, personnel lists, performance and engineering data, transcripts of ship’s logs, and other documents that illustrate the massive undertaking and attention to detail that made this “America’s Flagship” cruiser.

Currently docked in Philadelphia, the SS United States Conservancy, headed by Susan Gibbs, the granddaughter of William Francis Gibbs, is spearheading efforts for its revitalization.

 

The book is enhanced by original diagrams produced by Rindfleisch, along with never-before-seen photos of the ship under construction, and taken off directly from the ship’s onboard archives in the 1980s, as well as color photos of the engineering spaces from the 1980s, are even more rare.

• SS United States set the record for fastest transatlantic journey by a surface vessel on her first voyage in 1952, a record that stood until 1986
• Coauthor Jim Rindfleisch spent significant time aboard the ship in the late 1980s and early 1990s, serving as the owner’s agent and unofficial caretaker. He is one of the few people outside of the ship’s crew who learned to navigate the entire ship without a map.
• The work contains many previously unpublished diagrams and images, including those sourced from the ship's onboard archives
  

[AuthorName]By James K. Rindfleisch, F. Samuel Bauer, and Stanton R. Daywalt[/AuthorName][AuthorBio]Jim Rindfleisch's first steps aboard SS United States were in 1984, when the ship was opened for tours. With repeated visits and an eventual ascension to ship’s caretaker, he gained a detailed knowledge of the general workings of the ship.

A professor of psychology, Sam Bauer spent countless hours aboard the laid-up superliner SS United States, collecting items and documents. Along with Stanton Daywalt, he has edited and expanded this book, first drafted by the late Jim Rindfleisch.

Before assisting Sam Bauer with Jim’s original manuscript, Stanton Daywalt already had an extensive knowledge of SS United States. After reading and digitizing Jim’s massive collection of ship documents, Stanton learned even more that contributed to this book’s details.
[/AuthorBio][NumIllustration]Over 250 color and b/w photos[/NumIllustration][CoAuthor][/CoAuthor][SubTitle]An Operational Guide to America's Flagship[/SubTitle][ColorPattern]Over 250 color and b/w photos[/ColorPattern]