Please note: Books must show On Our Shelves Now for same day pick-up in stores.
We recommend calling stores that show low stock numbers.

A Man and His Ship: America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build the S.S. United States (Compact Disc)

By Steven Ujifusa, Pete Larkin
$83.99
Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Related Editions
More...

Description

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 S.S. 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 S.S. 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.

About the Author

Steven Ujifusa, the author of A Man and His Ship, serves on the Advisory Council of the S.S. United States Conservancy. He received his master's degree in historic preservation and real estate from the University of Pennsylvania and his B.A. in history from Harvard University. Pete Larkin, an AudioFile Earphones Award winner, has wide voice-over and on-camera experience and has worked in virtually all media. He was the public address announcer for the New York Mets from 1988 to 1993. He has worked as a disc jockey in Baltimore, Washington, and New York, including as host of WNEW-FM's highly rated "Saturday Morning Sixties" program. An award-winning on-camera host, Pete has worked on many industrial films for many of the country's top companies, corporations, and governmental agencies and has done hundreds of commercials, promos, and narrations. His theater experience includes a variety of dramatic, comedic, and musical roles.

Praise for A Man and His Ship: America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build the S.S. United States…

"In his debut, Ujifusa harks back to a time when men were men, and transatlantic ships were serious business . . . Written with passion and thoroughness, this is a love letter to a bygone time and the ships that once ruled the seas." ---Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Product Details ISBN-10: 1452639876
ISBN-13: 9781452639871
Published: Tantor Media, 09/01/2012
Language: English
Related Editions (all)