In the works for decades, this is the most detailed technical history of one the world's greatest ocean liners. 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 The book is richly illustrated with many previously unpublished photographs.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." AUTHORS: 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 digitising Jim's massive collection of ship documents, Stanton learned even more that contributed to this book's details. SELLING POINTS: . 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 The work contains many previously unpublished diagrams and images, including those sourced from the ship's onboard archives 250 colour and b/w photographs