Bruce Lee: A Life Audiobook (Free)

“The first noteworthy treatment of its subject—and a definitive one at that…Interesting narrative threads proliferate.” —THE BRAND NEW York Times Book Review

The most authoritative biography—featuring dozens of seldom seen photos—of film story Bruce Lee, who produced martial arts a worldwide sensation, bridged the separate between Eastern and Traditional western civilizations, and smashed long-held stereotypes of Asians and Asian-Americans.

Forty-five years following Bruce Lee’s sudden death at age thirty-two, on the subject of Bruce Lee: A Existence journalist and bestselling author Matthew Polly offers written the definitive account of Lee’s life. It’s also one of the only accounts; incredibly, there’s by no means been an authoritative biography of Lee. Following a decade of analysis that included conducting several hundred interviews with Lee’s family members, friends, business affiliates, and even the celebrity in whose bed Lee passed away, Polly has built a complicated, humane portrait of the icon.

Polly explores Lee’s early the child years superstar in Hong Kong cinema; his actor dad’s challenges with opium habit and how that switched Bruce into a troublemaking teenager who was simply kicked out of high school and eventually delivered to America to shape up; his beginnings as a martial arts teacher, eventually becoming personal instructor to celebrities like James Coburn and Steve McQueen; his challenges as an Asian-American professional in Hollywood and frustration seeing role after role he auditioned for visit a white stars in eye makeup; his eventual triumph as a leading man; his issues juggling a sky-rocketing career with his responsibilities as a pops and husband; and his shocking end that to this day continues to be shrouded in mystery.

Polly breaks down the common myths surrounding Bruce Lee and argues that, contrary to popular belief, he was an ambitious actor who was enthusiastic about the martial arts—not really a kung-fu expert who just so happened to produce a couple of movies. This is an honest, revealing look at an impressive yet imperfect man whose personal story was even more entertaining and motivating than any imaginary role he performed onscreen.