The book is enhanced by original diagrams produced by Rindfleisch, along with never-before-seen photos of the ship under construction, taken directly from the ship's onboard archives in the 1980s, as well as color photos of the engineering spaces from the 1980s, which are even more rare. Coauthor Jim Rindfleisch spent significant time aboard the ship in the late 1980s and early '90s, serving as the owner's agent and unofficial caretake. He is one of the few people outside of the ship's crew who learned to navigate the entire ship without a map. Most of the previously published books on SS United States deal with the "social history" of the vessel, such as accounts of the politics of obtaining a government subsidy for her construction, labor and funding troubles, her cruises, recollections of celebrities and passengers aboard, and the biographies of the men and women involved in her active service, especially her masters. Descriptions of the actual details of construction and operation of the ship are generally cursory and provide insufficient detail for readers, especially those with interests or experience with steamships or transportation. One of the enormous tasks, mostly accomplished by Mr. Daywalt, has been to obtain photo permissions for the many graphics that Jim included in his early drafts, and additional materials and photographs that have been added by Dr. Bauer and Mr.

Daywalt. Many of these graphics have not appeared in other publications and will provide more in-depth knowledge of the ship to the reader. Previous books on the SS United States focus on the "social" aspect of the cruiser, this book focuses on the construction, technical and operational aspects of the cruiser. Includes never-seen-before photos of the ship when it was under construction and color photos of the engineering spaces from the 80s. Coauthor Jim Rindfleisch served as the owner's agent and unofficial caretaker in the late 80s - early 90s. Donations to restore the SS United States can be made here - https://www.ssusc.org/.