Leviathan: "The World's Greatest Ship" Vol. 2

Front Cover, Leviathan: "The World's Greatest Ship," Volume 2. GGA Image ID # 1e8dba3003

Braynard has created what is probably the most extensive history ever written about a single ship when he authored United States Lines: "LEVIATHAN: The World's Greatest Ship, Volume 2", by Frank Braynard, published in 1974, hardbound with original dust jacket, 380 pages.

His ground-breaking series covers six volumes. This book is volume 2 and picks up the LEVIATHAN saga during her monumental conversion from a troop ship to a luxury liner.

There were no plans for the massive ship, so designer William Francis Gibbs hired drafters to spend thousands of hours measuring and drawing every inch. The ship was a wreck after her heavy trooping duties during WW1, so every corner needed restoration.

Volume 2 picks up the LEVIATHAN saga during her monumental conversion from a troop ship to a luxury liner and carries the ship’s tempestuous life up through her first round trip as a U.S. express liner. The book finishes with the SS Leviathan's triumphant return to the Atlantic. There are hundreds of great photos, which makes for excellent browsing and reading.

Table of Contents

• Deck Plans for Bridge, A-Deck, and B-Deck. Includes Top View of Officer's Quarters
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Chapter I: Again at Hoboken
• Chapter II: Attack by Hearst
• Chapter III: "White Elephant"
• Chapter IV: Her Heart Was Sound
• Chapter V: Immigrants and Rats
• Chapter VI: Franklin under Attack
• Chapter VII: Lasker Takes the Helm
• Chapter VIII: Easing IMM Out
• Chapter IX: "At a Loss if We Must"
• Chapter X: "SS President Harding"
• Chapter XI: No Subsidy!
• Chapter XII: World's Largest Ship - Again
• Chapter XIII: Red, White & Blue Stacks
• Chapter XIV: Dry-Docking in Boston
• Chapter XV: "Million-Dollar Joy Ride"
• Chapter XVI: "A Thundering Diapason"
• Chapter XVII: Her "Third Incarnation"
• Chapter XVIII: Maiden Voyage (No. 3)
• End Notes
• Index: Ships, Steamship Lines, Ports, People, Companies
• Information for Passengers of the SS Leviathan of the United States Lines
• Deck Plans for Decks D-G

Dust Jacket, Illustration of the SS Leviathan, Volume 2 From a Painting by Albert Brenet. GGA Image ID # 2054e8b348

About the Levithan Series

The author with the help of some 125 LEVIATHAN friends raised the money to pay all production costs. Only 2,000 copies of Volume I and II have been printed, and the second volume was paid for from proceeds of the first.

If Volume II provides sufficient funds it, in turn, will finance the third volume, and so on until the series is completed. At that time the loans of all those listed in the Preface as book patrons will be returned, in full, out of the proceeds of the final volume.

Originally it was expected that four volumes would do the trick, but Volume II has fallen six months behind this projection, in that it has had to be ended as of July 27, 1923 instead of the end of that year.

At this rate it appears that five volumes instead of four will be required to tell the full LEVIATHAN story in this rounded fashion. Volume II carries the ship’s tempestuous life up through her first round trip as a U.S. express liner.

Volume III, for which 90% of the research is completed may be able to go up through the year 1927, the high point in the ship’s life. The two following volumes will pick up the story and move the ship through the Depression era, into the time when she was under the command of the distinguished Captain Harold Cunningham, and on through her last years of service, her long period of idleness at Hoboken and her final voyage to the scrap yard, a trip worthy of a book all by itself.

Title Page, The Story of the Leviathan by Frank O. Braynard, Volume 2 of the World's Greatest Ship. GGA Image ID # 205507dc34

About the Author

Frank O. Braynard, whose passion for American ships has given him much pleasure. It was his suggestion that resulted in the naming of the world’s first nuclear merchant ship the SAVANNAH.

For several years he with hundreds of volunteers from the Army and Navy sought to find the wreck of the original SAVANNAH, lost off Fire Island in 1821, and he has not given up this quest.

Despite his love for steam, he was one of the main cogs for the 1964 Operation Sail and is presently work­ing on the coming Operation Sail for our Bicentennial.

Author of 9 books and many articles he is a past president of the Steamship Historical Society of America. He is an honorary member of the Council of American Master Mariners and of the Veteran Wireless Operators Association. His maritime collection at his home in Sea Cliff is one of the largest in the world.

This book is dedicated to William Francis Gibbs and his brother Frederic H. Gibbs, and to the Robert L. Hague Merchant Marine Industries Post; and to Irving H. Jones and Harry Wright, two generous LEVIATHAN engineers, and to the LEVIATHAN Veterans Association with gratitude.

Passenger Ships Referenced in Volume 2 of the Leviathan Series

1. Absaroka
2. Adriatic
3. Aeolus
4. Agamemnon
5. America
6. Amphion
7. Andrew Jackson
8. Annapolis
9. Antigone
10. Aquitania
11. Artemis
12. Beagle
13. Belgenland
14. Berengaria
15. Bismarck
16. Black Arrow
17. Brabantia
18. Bremen
19. Britannic
20. Buford
21. Callao
22. Canopic
23. Caronia
24. Cedric
25. Celtic
26. Centennial State
27. City of Sydney
28. Clara H. Deane
29. Clermont
30. Cleveland
31. Colorado
32. Columbus
33. Commercial
34. Commonwealth
35. Corsair
36. Culgoa
37. Dauntless
38. De Kalb
39. Deutschland
40. Dirigo
41. Europa
42. Finland
43. Flying Cloud
44. France
45. Franconia
46. Friedrich Der Grosse
47. G. H. Lohman
48. Gallia
49. Gargoyle
50. George Washington
51. Glory of the Seas
52. Golden State
53. Great Eastern
54. Hansa
55. Haverford
56. Hawkeye State
57. Helen
58. Homeric
59. Hudson
60. Huron
61. Imperator
62. India Arrow
63. J. G. Chandler
64. James Duane
65. Johann Heinrich Burchard
66. John F. Hylan
67. Kaiserin Auguste Victoria
68. King Philip
69. Kroonland
70. Kronprinzessin Cecilie
71. Lafayette
72. Lapland
73. Lepanto
74. Leviathan
75. Limburgia
76. Lusitania
77. Madawaska
78. Majestic
79. Manchuria
80. Manga Reva
81. Manning
82. Martha Washington
83. Mauretania
84. Menominee
85. Minnekahda
86. Minnesota
87. Minnetonka
88. Minnewaska
89. Mobile
90. Momus
91. Mongolia
92. Mount Clay
93. MT. Vernon
94. Nansemond
95. Newport
96. New York
97. Northern Pacific
98. Normandie
99. Nourmahal
100. Nutmeg State
101. Oconee
102. Olympic
103. Panhandle State
104. Parker
105. Philadelphia
106. Pinetree State
107. Pittsburgh
108. Pocahantas
109. Porto Rico
110. Potomac
111. Powhattan
112. President Adams
113. President Arthur
114. President Buchanan
115. President Cleveland
116. President Filmore
117. President Grant
118. President Harding
119. President Lincoln
120. President Roosevelt
121. President Taylor
122. Princess Matoika
123. Prinz Eitel Friedrich
124. Queen Mary
125. Raritan
126. Red Jacket
127. Reliance
128. Resolute
129. Reuterdahl, H.
130. Rhein
131. Ryndam
132. St. Louis
133. St. Paul
134. Saelmo
135. Sanders
136. Santa Maria
137. Santa Rosalie
138. Saratoga
139. Sarpedon
140. Susquehanna
141. Ten Adores
142. Texel
143. Titanic
144. United States
145. Vanguard
146. Von Steuben
147. W. F. Dalzell
148. West Cam AK
149. West Virginia
150. Western Queen
151. Wheaton
152. William L. Strong
153. William Oswald

Steamship Lines Referenced in Volume 2 of the Leviathan Series

1. Am. National SS Co.
2. Atlantic Transport Line
3. Blue Funnel Line
4. Booth Line
5. Cunard Line
6. Emergency Fleet Corp.
7. French Line
8. Grace Line
9. Hamburg-American Line (Hapag)
10. International Mercantile Marine (IMM)
11. Isthmian Line
12. Leyland Line
13. Moore & McCormack
14. Munson Line
15. North German Lloyd
16. Old Dominion Line
17. Red Star Line
18. Royal Mail Line
19. U.S. Mail SS Co.
20. White Star Line

Library of Congress Catalog Listing

• Personal name: Braynard, Frank O. (Frank Osborn), 1916-2007.
• Main title: "World's greatest ship"; the story of the Leviathan, by Frank O. Braynard.
• Published/Created: [New York, South Street Seaport Museum, 1972-1983]
• Description: 6 v. illus. (some col.) 29 cm.
• LC classification: VM383.L3 B7
• Related titles: Leviathan.
• LC Subjects: Leviathan (Steamship)
• Notes: On cover: Leviathan. Vol. 4 has imprint: Newport News, Va. : Mariners Museum, [1978]. Vol. 5 has imprint: [Sea Cliff, N.Y.] : F.O. Braynard, [1981]. Vol. 6 has imprint: [Kings Point, N.Y. : American Merchant Marine Museum, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, 1983]. Some ill. on lining papers. Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
• LCCN: 72085207
• Dewey class no.: 387.2/43
• Type of material: Book