Up Ship ! U.S. Navy Rigid Airships 1919 - 1935 by Robinson. Douglas H., and Keller. Charles L., 

Hard back book with pictorial dust jacket, 236 pages, 13 chapters illustrated with B/W plates, 7 appendices, notes, bibliography, index.

In the 1920s, the rigid airship ruled the sky. The air-plane was still an undeveloped wood-and-fabric affair, short on endurance and load-carrying capacity, and no match for the lighter-than-air craft. The majesty of these great silver giants fired the imagination of all who saw them. For Douglas Robinson and Charles Keller, a life-long romance with the rigids began when they first saw one of those gentle monsters moving silently across the sky years ago. For anyone lucky enough to fly in them, or to even watch them get under-way, the drama and excitement at lift-off was unforgettable. Echoes of "Up Ship!", the final order shouted out the control car window by the commanding officer at the moment the ship lifted, lingered long after the magnificent machine had taken to the clouds.
The U.S. Navy, impressed with German advances in airship technology and the airship's ability to cover great distances, decided in 1919 to develop these ships for long-range scouting missions in the Pacific.
The story of this dramatic period in naval aviation history unfolds through the authors' skilful blending of material from official records with the reminiscences and private papers of the brilliant pioneers who developed these formidable-but-fragile aircraft. "Up Ship!" represents the first complete account of the Navy's rigid airships, based largely upon information hidden away for decades in the dusty files of the National Archives, and obtained from those few men still alive today who actually flew the ships. It is a remarkable story of technical accomplishments and the industrial development required to produce helium and Duralumin. It is also a thrilling saga of brave, dedicated men who were willing to risk their lives to perfect a new weapon for their country's defence. This book preserves the memory of their sacrifice.