The "SS United States: An Operational Guide to America's Flagship" chronicles the design, construction, and operation of the Newport News Shipyard-built SS United States. Designed by Gibbs & Cox, the ship was the dream of renowned architect William Francis Gibbs. Written by late Newport News native James K. Rindfleisch, retired CNU professor F. Samuel Bauer, and Virginia Beach native Stanton R. Daywalt, this book has been 25 years in the making. It's truly the first book about how the ship operated, and not the social and political history that has been written about before. 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 The book is richly illustrated with many previously unpublished photographs.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.”