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America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build the S.S. United States
Simon & Schuster
July 2012
On Sale: July 10, 2012
448 pages
ISBN: 1451645074
EAN: 9781451645071
Kindle: B0061PLCGO
Hardcover / e-Book
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Non-Fiction Biography
At the peak of his power, in the 1940s and 1950s, William Francis Gibbs was considered Americaβs 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 βmade in Americaβ 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 familyβs 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 postβWorld 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.
 Media BuzzCBS Sunday Morning - July 7, 2013
CBS Sunday Morning - February 17, 2013
Meet the Press - July 15, 2012
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