Second to the Last to Leave USS Arizona - SIGNED Copy - Interactive Edition: Memoir of a Sailor - The Lauren F. Bruner Story

by Edward McGrath, Craig Thompson, Fernandez Ponds (Foreword)

Second to the Last to Leave is a true story of lost love and the desire

to live through one of America's greatest battles lost, as it shares

the story of a young man's coming of age at the moment World War II

begins. There can be no better backdrop (in American history) for this

story to be told than Battleship USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor on the

lazy Sunday morning of 7 December 1941.

Second to the Last to Leave is truly one of the last great World War II

stories to be shared with future generations and is told by the sailor

and Arizona Crew Member Lauren Bruner, who shares his story raw and full

of laughter and tears.

At 97, Lauren tells the story of his first true love with a beautiful

Japanese bartender named Nikki on the night before the attack only to

have the enemy pull her from his grip, never to be seen again.


According to those who have read this book, it is a gripping thriller

and unlike any other battlefield account, as it allows the reader to

step back in time and stand next to a young man fighting for his life

minute by minute as those around him perish.

As part of this fight to survive and after taking two machine gun

rounds, Lauren and his crew of five escaped the ship after it exploded

over the Valley of Death in what historians consider to be USS

Arizona's Greatest Escape.

This book has everything good storytelling is all lost love,

adventure, death, and the desire to live as well as an underlying need

to fulfill a personal promise to honor the man who saved his life,

which he finally accomplished 76 years later.






This special Interactive Edition of Second to the Last to Leave is

available as both a printed edition with online access and as a Kindle

edition. Both editions include access to over 100 personal photos of

life aboard USS Arizona, through the attack on Pearl Harbor, and on

into the rest of the war. In addition, the most complete Deck Log of

USS Arizona on the morning of 7 December 1941 is also included as a

bonus to the readers. This Deck Log has taken over five years to

research and the notes provided on individual crew members make it well

worth the read.

Of the 5 remaining crew members of this great icon of America, Lou

Conter probably sums up the book best when he describes it as the "best

and most thrilling account of what really took place aboard Arizona on

the morning of 7 December, 1941" and he recommends Lauren's book as the

best he has ever read.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

642 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 25, 2017

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I really wanted to like this book, but I had to force myself to finish it. The pre Pearl Harbor details I didn't find that interesting. He writes about macho men and the women he courted and that's not what's advertised. All of that was about half of the book. He talks about the attack on the fleet, but I struggled to focus. This book needed some serious editing. I respect his service and the campaigning he did after the war for recognition of the heroes who died that day, but this book was not for me. His life changed after the Arizona... I can not even imagine. Maybe that's why he spent so much of this book recapping his glory days and didn't even mention what his life was like afterward.

[Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing first person account of the attack on Pearl Harbor. God bless the USA and men and women who fight for our freedom.

[Krysta Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! First hand account of the attack of Pearl Harbor given in gut wrenching detail. Pretty easy read and and well written

[Greg Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely write reviews, but felt it was important to express how much I would recommend this book. It is a must read for anyone with an interest in WWII, and recommended for all. I’ve read a number of histories of the attack on Pearl Harbor, but none have provided the personal experience contained in this book of the life of a sailor in Hawaii prior to the attack, or the depth of detail from one of the Arizona crew members fortunate enough to survive and relate the loss of innocence on that terrible Sunday. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Lauren Bruner’s story, which he only discussed once in his 97 years on this earth.

[April Camenisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

After visiting the USS Arizona Memorial, I purchased this book on kindle... I think I will purchase the printed copy so I can loan it to others. This is an amazing story from someone who is an incredible survivor of USS Arizona as it was laid to rest. You feel like you were there yourself. The way that is was written - you hear the story and then there's a short bio and picture of that person - you really feel it. I cried, I laughed, I hurt. Just amazing. Everyone should read this.

[Kandi Gunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so happy this brave man shared his account from that experience

I couldn't put this book down. This account is the best I've ever read. I liked that they went back to how life was on the ship prior to 12/7. This is a moving account and I'm so thankful that Mr. Bruner shared his experiences.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books don’t get more authentic than this. This is not a book for learning about the geopolitics, about the FDR administration, or about the communications cockups that contributed to the disaster on that infamous date. This is about what it was like to be an American boy signed up for the navy in 1939.

[Kathy Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

This is a very good read , I could not put the book down. The author Does a terrific job In bringing Lauren's stories to life. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel what Pearl harbor means To America.

[Wendy P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed and poignant first hand account of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and particularly the USS Arizona. It’s a sailor’s account, so expect sailor language at parts :)

[Luke Mauerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful, somewhat grisly

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter brought this book back from the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii, as a Christmas gift for me. Honored to have a book signed by an Arizona survivor.