Bruce Lee [Paperback]

Bruce Thomas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 19, 2002

In the 1970s Bruce Lee emerged as a great fighting star. First in Hong Kong and then in Hollywood, he broke racial stereotypes and became the highest-paid movie star of his day. His controversial death, at the age of 32 when he was at the height of his powers, has given him a James-Dean style enduring appeal. In this biography, Bruce Thomas gives a complete account not only of Lee's life but also of the fighting philosophy he developed (jeek kune do) which made him such a great exponent of martial arts. In this updated edition he reassesses Lee's skills and explores the increasing influences of his insights. He also compares Bruce Lee with Muhammed Ali by asking: what would have happened if the two men had ever met in combat?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Bruce Lee was a star in America but an icon in much of the rest of the world. Since the U.S. is the big enchilada in pop culture, Lee worked for years to become recognized here and to spread appreciation of the martial arts in a society that had a jaundiced, even bigoted view of those ancient disciplines. Thomas makes it abundantly clear that Lee was both an astonishing athlete and an engaging actor. Devotees of his movies and two TV shows, The Green Hornet and Longstreet, know that, of course. Thomas notes that Lee, as the Green Hornet's sidekick, Kato, gave American audiences their first look at authentic martial arts. The current popularity of martial arts in the U.S. flows from Lee's own, and the martial arts movies that continue to appear in the wake of Lee's Dragon series constitute an identifiable movie subgenre. A major force in popular entertainment, Lee deserves the place in the pop culture library that Thomas ably helps him fill. Mike Tribby --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Bruce Lee was a star in America but an icon in much of the rest of the world. Since the U.S. is the big enchilada in pop culture, Lee worked for years to become recognized here and to spread appreciation of the martial arts in a society that had a jaundiced, even bigoted view of those ancient disciplines. Thomas makes it abundantly clear that Lee was both an astonishing athlete and an engaging actor. Devotees of his movies and two TV shows, The Green Hornet and Longstreet, know that, of course. Thomas notes that Lee, as the Green Hornet's sidekick, Kato, gave American audiences their first look at authentic martial arts. The current popularity of martial arts in the U.S. flows from Lee's own, and the martial arts movies that continue to appear in the wake of Lee's Dragon series constitute an identifiable movie subgenre. A major force in popular entertainment, Lee deserves the place in the pop culture library that Thomas ably helps him fill."
- Booklist --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Sidgwick & Jackson (July 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0283073578
• ISBN-13: 978-0283073571
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,744,380 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Biography of Bruce Lee outside Linda Lee's works, January 19, 2001

By 

Pamela W. Endrina "weipanlan" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit (Paperback)

I am inclined to agree with the other reviewers on the site about the merit of this book. It is very good, rivalling if not surpassing Linda Lee's account of her husband's life. As another reviewer has indicated the reason for this is that Thomas hasn't just recounted the tale of Bruce Lee's life per se but examined in quite some depth the spiritual and psychological motivations which led him to live the way he did. The biography has a special dimension which moves the reader into the actual reality Bruce experienced. I was affected greatly by the empathy Thomas has for Lee, which at times is so compelling, especially in the narration of the events leading up to Lee's death, that I was pressed to tears. There are few books which have such impact.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, September 1, 1998

By 

Chester Beeput "cjbeeps" (Trinidad & Tobago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit (Paperback)

This is the best biography of Bruce Lee that I have ever read. It is not a pictorial perspective of the man but gives the most detailed account of his extraordinary life. It is the first book which has documented the relationship between Joe Lewis and Bruce Lee with an example of a kickboxing match (Joe Lewis vs. Greg Baines). Well done.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE REAL BRUCE LEE, September 11, 2001

By 

"opwvmc" (THEREABOUTS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit (Paperback)

Thomas demonstrates a deep understanding of and empathy for Lee, and gives a great insight into the way he lived. Rather than just cataloging the events of his life, this book goes alot deeper and you certainly come away with as good an idea of what made Bruce Lee tick as you are likely to find anywhere. If you are a Bruce Lee fan, buy this book. You will definately not regret it.