The book, USS Los Angeles: The Navy's Venerable Airship And Aviation Technology represents a comprehensive history of the dirigible United States Ship Los Angeles which was built in Germany, flown to America and operated by the United States Navy.  The U.S. Navy's airship, USS Los Angeles made more than 300 flights accumulating more than 4,000 flying hours, which made it the most successful aircraft of its type ever flown.  As the story goes, the U.S. Navy arranged for the famed German Zeppelin Company to build the Los Angeles and once it was complete flew it on a four-day record-breaking flight from Germany to the United States.  Unlike the USS Los Angeles' siblings the USS Shenandoah lost over Ohio in 1925, the USS Akron lost off the coast of New Jersey in 1933 and the USS Macon lost off the coast of California in 1935, the USS Los Angeles had a long and storied career before it was finally retired in 1939 and subsequently sold for scrap.  The operational record of this one airship altered American naval aeronautics and influenced commercial air transport for years to come.  "USS Los Angeles: The Navy's Venerable Airship And Aviation Technology" depicts, as seen through the eyes of the participants, the training of personnel, as well as, the development of rigid airship technology including their ground handling equipment, operational capabilities, tactics and weapon systems, which all positively contributed to the development of U.S. Rigid airships in the 1920s and 1930s.  The major sections of "USS Los Angeles: The Navy's Venerable Airship And Aviation Technology" are as follows: 1) Acknowledgments; 2) Preface; 3) Significant Chronology; 4) Introduction; 5) Chapter 1 - LZ-126: Birthplace Friedrichshafen; 6) Chapter 2 - ZR-3: Homeport Lakehurst; 7) Chapter 2 - Balloons And Billets: Lighter-Than-Air Training; 8) Chapter 4 - Rosendahl's Reign; 9) Chapter 5 - Testbed For The New Ships; 10) Chapter 6 - Grounded; 11) Chapter 7 - Denouement; 12) Epilogue; 13) Appendix 1 - Performance Data: USS Los Angeles; 14) Appendix 2 - Graduates, Lighter-Than-Air Pilot Training, NAS Lakehurst, 1923-1940; 15) Appendix 3 Flight Log: USS Los Angeles, 1924-1932; 16) Appendix 4 - Ship's Crew: USS Los Angeles, 1931-1932; 17) Appendix 5 Navigational Equipment: USS Los Angeles; 18) Notes; 19) Selected Bibliography; 20) Index and 21) About The Author.  In addition to an informative narrative, "USS Los Angeles: The Navy's Venerable Airship And Aviation Technology" includes approximately 242 black and white photographs and illustrations.  This book is 336 pages and is in new condition.  The author is William F. Althoff.  Edition published in 2005.