Bruce Lee
Fighting Spirit
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- 4,99 €
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- 4,99 €
Publisher Description
'This belting read pulls off the nifty trick of making the kung fu legend's spiritual and combat ideas accessible' Maxim
'Truly gets under the skin of this iconic figure' Film Review
In the 1970s Bruce Lee emerged as the world's greatest fighting star - an accolade he has kept ever since. He battled to succeed in America in spite of the racial prejudice that denied him a starring role, eventually making films in Hong Kong that turned him into a star - the highest-paid movie star of his day. His controversial death, at the age of thirty-two when he was at the height of his powers, has given him a James-Dean style enduring appeal.
In Bruce Lee - Fighting Spirit, Bruce Thomas has written a complete account not only of Lee's life and death, but of the fighting philosophy he developed (jeet kune do) which made him the greatest exponent of martial arts in modern times. In this updated edition he reassesses Lee's skills and examines the enduring impact of his legacy - on action films and martial arts today. As an icon Bruce Lee's popularity continues to grow and this book is a fitting tribute to an extraordinary man whose achievements have never been surpassed.
'An endlessly stimulating account of Lee's life and times' Loaded
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Thomas ( The Big Wheel ), a martial arts aficionado, has written a thorough, respectful biography of Lee (1940-73), the film star responsible for the explosion of Western interest in the martial arts. ``Bruce Lee is both an enigma and an open book,'' observes Thomas, and he offers fans much solid information about Lee's childhood in Hong Kong, where he was a child film actor, and on how the bright but difficult boy found a focus for his fierce ambitions in martial arts. He discusses Lee's appearance as Kato on the TV show The Green Hornet and the filming of movies such as Fists of Fury under sometimes unpleasant circumstances . Thomas criticizes those who insinuate that Lee's sudden death, which was officially listed as an allergic reaction to a painkiller he had taken, was a result of foul play, noting as well that Lee had previously suffered brain trauma and regularly absorbed accidental blows. A second section, devoted to Lee's legacy in films, writings and martial arts style, seems more like an appendix. This book was first published in Great Britain and is slightly dated. It does not report on the tragic death of Lee's son, actor Brandon, nor on the impact of the new film biography of Lee, Dragon. Photos not seen by PW.