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ATOMS AFLOAT: The Nuclear Ship Savannah by Edward & Ruth Shaw Radlauer

ATOMS AFLOAT: The Nuclear Ship Savannah

By

Pub Date: Dec. 20th, 1963
Publisher: Abelard-Schuman

The destruction geared atomic submarines and carriers have each had their juvenile book and now the nuclear powered merchant vessel Savannah has been given one. However, the methods employed here in describing the ship and its intended use make this book very different from the others. Featuring a clear black and white photograph to each page of text, the Savannah is ""built"", from the stage where designers researched their problem in special libraries to the day that the interior decorators added the last touch of luxury living for passenger comfort. The designing and building problems are explained in brief, informative passages. The steps that take a new idea from drawing board to working model and from experiment to correction clarify the preoccupations of the specialties within marine architecture. The shipyard section shows men at work on the parts and never fails to explain what the part means to the whole. The ship's power system is discussed simply. Emphasized throughout is the Savannah's role as a scientific experiment as well as a tangible demonstration to the world of the peace time uses to which nuclear power can be adapted. Saved from juvenile eyes in this account are the widely reported stories of the way the Savannah, on her official and subsequent voyages, misbehaved like a model child gone berserk before company. In a few sentences, the authors gloss over the ""heartaches"" that are the passengers on a scientific venture and reemphasize the value of the project as an experiment.