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Bruce Lee
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 19 hrs and 6 mins
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Bruce Lee
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Summary
Forty-five years after Bruce Lee’s sudden death at age thirty-two, journalist and bestselling 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 one hundred 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.
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What listeners say about Bruce Lee
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ash G
- 27-05-20
The art of reading without reading
I have been a Bruce Lee fan ever since the days I could walk. Read up on him and his life, lots of autobiographies...this is hands down the most complete autobiography I have read. Lot of holes were filled in with this one. Amazing read!
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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
- Amazon Customer
- 14-10-21
Great book. Top **
Excellent book. well narrated.
I really enjoyed listening to this book, a bit long to be honest, but worth listening.
I would listen second time.
thank you.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Wils1976
- 06-02-23
Honest
An honest bio. Whilst inspired by Bruce when I was a kid, here you’ll find a flawed aggressive human with huge purpose. I come away seeing him as less the superhuman but still a fascinating read. Recommended
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kareem
- 19-08-19
Insightful listen
What a fantastic read, must have for any Bruce Lee or martial arts fan.
I was disappointed to learn that the man that , like so many others had inspired me, had some naughty habits and bad behaviours.
His budgeting had me screaming internally, but who am I to complain. All these ingredients are what created the Legend.
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3 people 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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- Mr GS Mccreadie
- 04-08-20
inconclusive
Obviously this all happened before internet when VHS was still fresh. And Bruce Lee seems to have had as much of a fight within America as he did with his arts and prowess.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Paul
- 11-04-20
Legend
An icon ...but flawed ....maybe....human ....most definately.....driven, ambitious, talented ....and an inspiration......totally. Till we meet at last ....Little Dragon...you were the best . One of my fondest memories.of my dad is going to an all night showing of a selection of your films....ending I think with Enter the Dragon....I don't think that old Cinema had ever done that before and to my knowledge it never did again till it was demolished. But it did for you .....what a night ...what a man ....gone but never forgotten....I smiled till the last chapter reading this book. My son won a Europen Karate Championship title when he was a 12 year old Black Belt. His Coach wrote me a note I recall not too long after he started the sport at 6..saying he was the best natural fighter he has ever seen....and I always say I got him into the sport because I wanted him to be able to look after himself ....a mixed race boy who I felt presented more of a target. Thats true. But I also wanted him to be a little version of you , a mini little dragon ....as I'd never had the motivation for myself or the drive....so I encouraged him instead. Thank you .......
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 14-03-22
Truly inspirational
I loved this story, Bruce Lee was always a hero of mine but this book gives great insight into his power and his flaws and i love him even more, a truly remarkable man
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Kennedy
- 11-07-19
Not enough when it matters!!
Like a lot of people who have read/listened to this book, we know who Bruce Lee is but we want to know more. I think there are very few fans who's first taste of Bruce wasn't 'Enter the dragon' and so although i had a great deal of interest in Bruces upbringing and early movies, it was all building up to 'Enter the Dragon'. The who's and the why's....how the movie was filmed, the interacting of the actors....how the actors came to be in the film etc etc. Unfortunately for me the crescendo was extremely timid. There seemed to be more emphasis on Bruces fathers career and Bruces childhood scrapes with the law than how Jim Kelly got his part as Williams, and what bruce thought and felt about Kelly and Saxon etc etc....that is all missing even though the story is full Bruces thoughts and feelings about pretty much everybody he ever came into contact with.
So all in all a very thorough, well written (and very well narrated) story but was lacking when it mattered.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- tony ramsden
- 20-02-20
amazing
absolutely amazing in depth look into Bruce Lee's life. totally gripped, from start, right to the end.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- K. Tobin
- 22-12-18
Inspiring story of a flawed genius
Tells the good and bad sides of a legend. The book is very well written and read.
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