{"product_id":"9781616737498","title":"The Luck of the Draw: The Memoir of a World War II Submariner: From Savo Island to the Silent Service","description":"A coin flip likely saved the life of Kenneth C. Ruiz. It was August 1942 and he was fresh out of the U.S. Naval Academy. He and a classmate flipped a coin to see who would stand watch on the bridge of their heavy cruiser, the \u003ci\u003eUSS Vincennes\u003c\/i\u003e, off Savo Island as the Marines were landing on Guadalcanal. Ruiz was on the bridge when the ship took a direct hit and sank. He ended up in the Pacific without a life jacket, but his classmate and the entire radio room crew perished in the attack. \"The luck of the draw\" is a recurring theme in this powerful memoir. Following the demise of the \u003ci\u003eVincennes\u003c\/i\u003e, Ruiz volunteered to serve on submarines for the balance of the war and had numerous harrowing experiences. He spent most of his time on the USS Pollack, which was sub-standard in terms of technology, but was still deadly and made a significant impact on Japanese shipping in the far reaches of the Pacific. A worthy addition to the litany of WWII books on submariners, \u003ci\u003eThe Luck of the Dr\u003c\/i\u003eaw is filled with heartbreaking stories of how the smallest decisions made the difference between life and death for soldiers and sailors in the war.    ","brand":"Zenith Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47139086926064,"sku":"9781616737498","price":26.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781616737498_p0.jpg?v=1769904484","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781616737498","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}