Bruce Lee
A Life
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Bruce Lee
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Narrated by:
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Jonathan Todd Ross
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By:
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Matthew Polly
About this listen
The first authoritative biography of film legend Bruce Lee, who made martial arts a global phenomenon, bridged the divide between Eastern and Western cultures, and smashed long-held stereotypes of Asians and Asian Americans.
Forty-five years after Bruce Lee’s sudden death at age 32, journalist and best-selling author Matthew Polly has written the definitive account of Lee’s life. It’s also one of the only accounts; incredibly, there has never been an authoritative biography of Lee. Following a decade of research that included conducting more than 100 interviews with Lee’s family, friends, business associates, and even the actress in whose bed Lee died, Polly has constructed a complex, humane portrait of the icon.
Polly explores Lee’s early years as a child star in Hong Kong cinema; his actor father’s struggles with opium addiction and how that turned Bruce into a troublemaking teenager who was kicked out of high school and eventually sent to America to shape up; his beginnings as a martial arts teacher, eventually becoming personal instructor to movie stars like James Coburn and Steve McQueen; his struggles as an Asian American actor in Hollywood and frustration seeing role after role he auditioned for go to a white actors in eye makeup; his eventual triumph as a leading man; his challenges juggling a sky-rocketing career with his duties as a father and husband; and his shocking end that to this day is still shrouded in mystery.
Polly breaks down the myths surrounding Bruce Lee and argues that, contrary to popular belief, he was an ambitious actor who was obsessed with the martial arts - not a kung-fu guru who just so happened to make a couple of movies. This is an honest, revealing look at an impressive yet imperfect man whose personal story was even more entertaining and inspiring than any fictional role he played onscreen.
©2018 Matthew Polly (P)2018 Simon & SchusterCritic Reviews
"…an engrossing examination of the life of a martial arts movie star and his shocking, early death…In what is certainly the definitive biography of Lee, Polly wonderfully profiles the man who constructed a new, masculine Asian archetype and ushered kung fu into pop culture." (Publishers Weekly)
"Students of martial arts, film history, and the 1970s alike will find much to enjoy in Polly’s homage." (Kirkus Reviews)
"The first noteworthy treatment of its subject—and a definitive one at that...Fascinating narrative threads proliferate." (The New York Times Book Review)
What listeners say about Bruce Lee
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Binieam Reda
- 19-02-2022
Immersive, revealing and enjoyable.
I've come to see how human Bruce Lee was but one incredibly inspiring. Matthew Polly did an excellent work here.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- David Williams
- 01-07-2020
Sets A New Benchmark
Intensely well researched, this book sets a new benchmark regarding the life, death and legacy of Bruce Lee. The narration of the audiobook is top shelf in the sense that JTR's narration is consistent and in no way distracting. Highly recommended to not only those interested in Bruce Lee, but also to anyone with an interest in the evolution of martial arts, film and television, fitness, philosophy, psychology as well as biography. Many documentaries and accounts of Bruce, unfortunately, for whatever reason, contain an element of tackiness. Not this, like Bruce, the tone is charming yet deeply intense and deadly serious.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Daniel
- 14-02-2024
all the details about his life to his death were fantastic to hear. A roller-coaster of emotional.
liked everything about this story. all the way to the end was great listening.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Wei Yen Tan
- 25-04-2022
Inspiring way to remember a legend
I love the book and the story. Very factual and every explanation had good reference and the controversies that were explained in detail, did not hide the hard work put behind a man who had so much against him but worked to overcome it anyway.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 22-09-2022
The truth behind the myth.
When I was a kid my friends wanted to be firemen, police or farmers. Me, I wanted tp be Bruce Lee!
I have always been a fan. I have read every story I could find. Watched every film and documentry. But nothing is as truthful as this book. The real life. It grounded him. It didnt make him out to be something fake like everything else. Great story for any fan or people who were not. Everyone will love this book.
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