Bruce Lee. Some things the average reader will not know about this man: Bruce Lee only made four movies in his lifetime. Bruce Lee was an intellectual. Bruce Lee revolutionized the martial arts. Bruce Lee brought the martial arts to the masses.This book is written by Bruce Lee's wife. It is a short and loving memory to an extraordianry man who is still famous. Why exactly is a mystery. Perhaps it is the outstanding artistry Bruce Lee brought to the martial arts.
Bruce Lee had been a child actor in Hong Kong before coming to the United States and studying at the University of Washington. Ironically, he was a philosophy major. However, Lee transformed himself into a tremendous human specimen through his physical discipline, and a intellectual regarding his sport. He introduced "the way of the moving fist," which was a new methodology in the training of martial arts. He also dared to tech the subject to non-Asians, a idea which was tremendously disturbing to many and resulted in a fistfight with a young challenger in Lee's studio in Oakland, California.
Linda Lee comes across as a traveler who feels luck in being able to travel (for a brief while) on the road with Bruce Lee. He was convinced to move to Hollywood, where he began training stars like James Coburn, and later Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Unfortunnately, Bruce Lee had to fight racism and stereotypes. At home, his wife's family rejected him because of his Asian heritage. Hollywood rejected him because he didn't want to play the 'chop-suey' roles Hollywood routinely put forth in portraying Asians in film and television. However, a searing performance in the late 1960's on a detective show cemented his star quality,and he made some appearences on "the Green Hornet."
Finally, he made some pictures in the Hollywood system such as "Enter the Dragon."
Unfortunately, his most interesting and allusionary work, "The Game of Death," which was supposed to be a representation of his philophy of his art was never completed. I believe an assembled film was cobbeld together after his death, but the film was never finished. Interestingly, Kareem Abdul Jabbar played the ultimate obstacle in the movie.
Linda Lee's book has many interesting pictures, and I think gives an interesting look at Bruce Lee's life and impact that will have even the most casual reader satisfied.
If you are looking for lurid details, conspiracies and the like this book is not for you. Understandably, Ms. Lee does not cover the topic of Bruce Lee's supposed drug use and the unusual circumstances of his death, but what would you expect, this is a loving portrait by a woman who obviously loved Bruce Lee very much. Cheers for her!
Interestingly, several weeks ago, I watched a Turkish film in which a charecter kept repeating the line, " I will chop them up like Bruce Lee." In a Turkish film for crying out loud.
Obviously, Bruce Lee ahd a great impact on the world for his incredible talent which was taken from us before Bruce Lee could intepret it for the rest of us. In this way, he reminds me of Jimi Hendrix; Bruce Lee was a shooting star across the heavens.
This is a good book, and I believe you will like it as well.