A Man and His Ship: America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build the S.S. United States
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Book Overview
"A fascinating historical account...A snapshot of the American Dream culminating with this country's mid-century greatness" (The Wall Street Journal) as a man endeavors to build the finest, fastest, most beautiful ocean liner in history. The story of a great American Builder at the peak of his power, in the 1940s and 1950s, William Francis Gibbs was considered America's best naval architect. His quest to build the finest, fastest, most beautiful ocean liner of his time, the SS United States, was a topic of national fascination. When completed in 1952, the ship was hailed as a technological masterpiece at a time when "made in America" meant the best. Gibbs was an American original, on par with John Roebling of the Brooklyn Bridge and Frank Lloyd Wright of Fallingwater. Forced to drop out of Harvard following his family's sudden financial ruin, he overcame debilitating shyness and lack of formal training to become the visionary creator of some of the finest ships in history. He spent forty years dreaming of the ship that became the SS United States. William Francis Gibbs was driven, relentless, and committed to excellence. He loved his ship, the idea of it, and the realization of it, and he devoted himself to making it the epitome of luxury travel during the triumphant post-World War II era. Biographer Steven Ujifusa brilliantly describes the way Gibbs worked and how his vision transformed an industry. A Man and His Ship is a tale of ingenuity and enterprise, a truly remarkable journey on land and sea.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1451645090
ISBN13:9781451645095
Release Date:June 2013
Publisher:Simon & Schuster
Length:448 Pages
Weight:1.22 lbs.
Dimensions:1.1" x 6.7" x 8.8"
Customer Reviews
1 rating
Pianos!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 7 years ago
Yes, pianos!
Mr. Gibbs feared fire aboard ship. He avoided anything flammable in the ship's construction. But he wanted pianos....
The Steinway company proved that their pianos would not burn. The doused a specimen with gasoline and lit it. The gas flared but the piano didn't catch. They did it again. Same result.
Result? Two glorious Steinways were aboard the United States.
I showed this story to a friend, a superb pianist. He busted the proverbial gut laughing!
This book is supposed to be about a ship but is so much more!
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