From her conception in 1956, the N.S. Savannah—the world’s first and only nuclear-powered merchant ship—was ill-starred. The Savannah was meant to revitalize the American Merchant Marine. She never fulfilled that hope. Before her first sea trial, the Savannah was embroiled in problems which reflected the complex nature of the entire maritime industry. In this detailed and controversial history, David Kuechle proposes some answers to the age-old maritime labor relations problem, assessing the implications of the Savannah story, not only for the maritime industry but for other industries concerned with technological change.