Bruce Lee Popular Books
Bruce Lee Biography & Facts
Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong-American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that is sometimes credited with paving the way for the combat sport mixed martial arts (MMA). Lee is considered by some commentators and martial artists to be the most influential martial artist of all time and a pop culture icon of the 20th century, who bridged the gap between East and West. He is credited with promoting Hong Kong action cinema and helping to change the way Chinese people were presented in American films. Born in San Francisco and raised in Hong Kong, Lee was introduced to the Hong Kong film industry as a child actor by his father. His early martial arts experience included Wing Chun (trained under Ip Man), tai chi, boxing (winning a Hong Kong boxing tournament), and frequent street fighting (neighborhood and rooftop fights). In 1959, Lee moved to Seattle. In 1961, he enrolled at the University of Washington. It was during this time in the United States that he began considering making money by teaching martial arts, even though he aspired to have a career in acting. He opened his first martial arts school, operated out of home in Seattle. After later adding a second school in Oakland, California, he once drew significant attention at the 1964 Long Beach International Karate Championships of California by making demonstrations and speaking. He subsequently moved to Los Angeles to teach, where his students included Chuck Norris, Sharon Tate, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In the 1970s, his Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated Hong Kong martial arts films to a new level of popularity and acclaim, sparking a surge of Western interest in Chinese martial arts. The direction and tone of his films dramatically influenced and changed martial arts and martial arts films worldwide. With a career spanning Hong Kong and the United States, he is known for his roles in five feature-length Hong Kong martial arts films in the early 1970s: Lo Wei's The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972); Golden Harvest's The Way of the Dragon (1972), directed and written by Lee; and Golden Harvest and Warner Brothers' Enter the Dragon (1973) and The Game of Death (1978), both directed by Robert Clouse. Lee became an iconic figure known throughout the world, particularly among the Chinese, based upon his portrayal of Cantonese culture in his films, and among Asian Americans for defying Asian stereotypes in the United States. Having initially learned Wing Chun, tai chi, boxing, and street fighting, he combined them with other influences from various sources into the spirit of his personal martial arts philosophy, which he dubbed Jeet Kune Do (The Way of the Intercepting Fist). Lee died in July 1973, aged 32. Since his death, Lee has continued to be a prominent influence on modern combat sports, including judo, karate, mixed martial arts, and boxing, as well as modern popular culture, including film, television, comics, animation, and video games. Time named Lee one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. Early life Bruce Lee's birth name was Lee Jun-fan. His father, Lee Hoi-chuen, was a Cantonese opera singer based in Hong Kong. His mother Grace Ho was born in Shanghai, and she was of Eurasian ancestry. In December 1939, his parents traveled to California for an international opera tour in Chinatown, San Francisco. He was born there on November 27, 1940, allowing him to claim U.S. citizenship due to the United States' jus soli citizenship laws. When he was four months old (April 1941), the Lee family returned to Hong Kong. Soon after, the Lee family experienced unexpected hardships over the next four years as Japan, amid World War II, launched a surprise attack on Hong Kong in December 1941 and ruled the city for the next four years. Lee's maternal grandfather was Cantonese, his maternal grandmother was English, and his maternal great-uncle, Robert Hotung, was a Hong Kong businessman of Dutch Jewish and Cantonese descent. Career and education 1940–1958: Early roles, schooling and martial arts initiation Lee's father Lee Hoi-chuen was a Cantonese opera star. As a result, Junior Lee was introduced to the world of cinema at a very young age and appeared in several films as a child. Lee had his first role as a baby who was carried onto the stage in the film Golden Gate Girl. He took his Chinese stage name as 李小龍, lit. Lee the Little Dragon, for the fact that he was born in both the hour and the year of the Dragon by the Chinese zodiac. As a nine-year-old, he co-starred with his father in The Kid in 1950, which was based on a comic book character, "Kid Cheung", and was his first leading role. By the time he was 18, he had appeared in 20 films. After attending Tak Sun School (德信學校; several blocks from his home at 218 Nathan Road, Kowloon), Lee entered the primary school division of the Catholic La Salle College at age 12. In 1956, due to poor academic performance and possibly poor conduct, he was transferred to St. Francis Xavier's College, where he was mentored by Brother Edward Muss, F.M.S., a Bavarian-born teacher and coach of the school boxing team. After Lee was involved in several street fights, his parents decided that he needed to be trained in martial arts. In 1953, Lee's friend William Cheung introduced him to Ip Man, but he was rejected from learning Wing Chun Kung Fu under him because of the long-standing rule in the Chinese martial arts world not to teach foreigners. His one-quarter European background from his mother's side was an initial obstacle to his Wing Chun training. Cheung spoke on his behalf and Lee was accepted into the school. Lee began training in Wing Chun with Ip Man. Ip tried to keep his students from fighting in the street gangs of Hong Kong by encouraging them to fight in organized competitions. After a year into his Wing Chun training, most of Ip Man's other students refused to train with Lee when they had learned of his mixed ancestry, as the Chinese were generally against teaching their martial arts techniques to non-Asians. Lee's sparring partner, Hawkins Cheung, states, "Probably fewer than six people in the whole Wing Chun clan were personally taught, or even partly taught, by Ip Man". However, Lee showed a keen interest in Wing Chun and continued to train privately with Ip Man, William Cheung, and Wong Shun-leung. In 1958, Lee won the Hong Kong schools boxing tournament, knocking out the previous champion, Gary Elms, in the final. That year, Lee was also a cha-cha dancer, winning Hong Kong's Crown Colony Cha-Cha Championship. 1959–1964: Continuous studies and martial arts breakthrough Until his late teens, Lee's street fights became more frequent and included beating the son of a feared triad family. In 1958, after students from a rival Choy Li Fut martial arts school challenged Lee's Wing Chun .... Discover the Bruce Lee popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Bruce Lee books.
Best Seller Bruce Lee Books of 2024
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Bruce Lee
John LittleEl gung fu, antecesor del karate, jujutsu, etc., es una de las formas conocidas más antiguas de defensa personal y se puede considerar como la esencia concentrada de sabiduría y pe...
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The Lightning Rod
Brad MeltzerNew York Times Bestseller“Nola is the most accomplished kicker of ass since The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” A. J. FinnZig and Nola are backin the hugely entertaining, highly anti...
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Be Like Water
Joseph CardilloIn the vein of Bruce Lee's famous "be water, my friend" speech as referenced by Tom Brady comes a guide to harnessing your energy to increase focus and peace. "A fascinating and h...
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Made In Scotland
Billy ConnollyTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Where do you come from? It's one of the most basic human questions of all. But there is another question, which might sound a wee bit similar but is act...
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Kid Athletes
David Stabler & Doogie HornerHilarious childhood biographies and fullcolor illustrations show how Tiger Woods, Gabby Douglas, Bruce Lee, Billie Jean King, and other budding sports champions faced kidsized chal...
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Bruce Lee
Maria Isabel Sánchez VegaraIn this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillioncopy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Bruce Lee, the martial artist and Hollywood film sta...
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Coen Brothers - Virgin Film
Eddie RobsonJoel and Ethan Coen make up one of the most original and unconventional moviemaking partnerships to come out of America at the end of the 20th century. From their debut tour de for...
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Wing Chun Warrior
Ken IngThe story of Duncan Leung ? childhood friend of Bruce Lee, disciple of legendary master Yip Man, and New York kung fu teacher ? is valuable not only for its insights into martial a...
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Never Grow Up
Jackie ChanA candid, thrilling memoir from one of the most recognizable, influential, and beloved cinematic personalities in the world.Everyone knows Jackie Chan. Whether it’s from Rush Hour,...
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A Brief History of the Martial Arts
Jonathan Clements'If I had to pick a single general martial arts history book in English, I would recommend A Brief History of the Martial Arts by Dr Jonathan Clements' RICHARD BEITLICH, Martial Hi...
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Wing Chun Plum Flower Posts
Wayne BelonohaApply and defend against all manner of kicks, sweeps, leg locks, leg checks and kick checks by learning to master the lost study of plum flower posts.It's time to rediscover the fo...
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Bruce Lee
Fiaz RafiqThis oral biography of the legendary martial artist and action film star offers “an impressive collection of insights into the life of a cultural icon” (The Guardian, UK).Bruce Lee...
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Bruce Lee Jeet Kune Do
Bruce Lee & John LittleCompiled from Bruce Lee's own notes and writings, Bruce Lee Jeet Kune Do is the seminal book presenting the martial art created by Bruce Lee himself. Jeet Kune Do was a revolutiona...
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Bruce Lee
Michele MartinoNelle arti marziali, come nel cinema d’azione, c’è un prima e un dopo Bruce Lee. L’ibridazione tra stili di combattimento diversi, la rinuncia alle forme codificate, l’economia cin...
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Bruce Lee
Maria Isabel Sánchez VegaraIn this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillioncopy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Bruce Lee, the martial artist and Hollywood film sta...
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Never Call Retreat
Bruce Catton"A magnificent stylist . . . a firstrate historian. Familiarity with subject matter resulting from many years of study and narrative talents exceeding those of any other Civil War ...
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Bruce Lee
John LittleEste libro es una presentación completa del arte de Bruce Lee, el jeet kune do. El desarrollo de esta original forma de arte marcial, sus principios, técnicas centrales y planes de...
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Be Water, My Friend
Shannon LeeBruce Lee’s daughter illuminates her father’s most powerful life philosophiesdemonstrating how martial arts are a perfect metaphor for personal growth, and how we can practice thos...
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Terrible Swift Sword
Bruce CattonThe second episode in this awardwinning trilogy impressively shows how the Union and Confederacy, slowly and inexorably, reconciled themselves to an allout waran epic struggle fo...
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Hymns of the Republic
S. C. GwynneFrom the New York Times bestselling and awardwinning author of Empire of the Summer Moon and Rebel Yell comes “a masterwork of history” (Lawrence Wright, author of God Save Texas),...
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Bruce Lee Letters of the Dragon
Bruce Lee & John Little"In this collection of artful writing by a man dedicated to honest selfexpression, we glimpse the private side of Bruce's eloquence as he bares his soul through the art of letter w...
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Rise
Jeff Yang, Phil Yu & Philip Wang"Hip, entertaining...imaginative."Kirkus, starred review "Essential." Min Jin Lee "A Herculean effort."Lisa Ling "A mustread."Ijeoma Oluo "Get two copies."Sh...
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Amazing Fantastic Incredible
Stan Lee & Peter DavidIn this gorgeously illustrated, fullcolor graphic memoir, Stan Leecomic book legend and cocreator of SpiderMan, the XMen, the Avengers, the Incredible Hulk, and a legion of other M...
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Makeup to Breakup
Peter CrissLEGENDARY founding KISS drummer Peter “Catman” Criss has lived an incredible life in music, from the streets of Brooklyn to the social clubs of New York City to the ultimate height...
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Trousdale Estates
Steven M. PriceFilled with beautiful, vivid photographs, Trousdale is the definitive history of the architecture and design that defined both Beverly Hills and the ultimate American Dream.Trousda...
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Last Days of the Civil War
Bruce CattonFrom the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Awardwinning history A Stillness at Appomattox, an electrifying account of the end of the Civil WarGrant and Lee’s final maneuvers as four...
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Bruce Lee
Zofia StoneBruce Lee was a revered martial artist, actor and filmmaker known for movies like 'Fists of Fury' and 'Enter the Dragon,' and the technique Jeet Kune Do. This book ...
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Bruce Lee
Maria Isabel Sánchez VegaraIn this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillioncopy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Bruce Lee, the martial artist and Hollywood film sta...
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Bruce Lee
John LittleDurante décadas muchas personas se han preguntado cómo Bruce Lee consiguió moldear su cuerpo y, por extensión, su excelente forma física. Este libro da las respuestas de la mano de...
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The Tao of Wing Chun
John Little & Danny XuanWing Chun is the most popular form of Chinese Kung Fu in the world today, with over four million practitioners. The art as it is presently understood has been handed down from teac...
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Old School Boxing Fitness
Andy Dumas, Jamie Dumas & Julio Cesar ChavezIf you want to look like a worldclass athlete, you have to train like one, and no athletes train harder or look better doing it than professional boxers. Fitness boxing takes the b...
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The 5 Principles
Khnum 'Stic' IbomuThis motivational and practical guide puts one man's quest for true health and wellness into an inspirational, accessible nourishment of body, mind, and spirit. Awardwinning rapper...
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Slipknot
Jason Arnopp"The only plan right now is to kill everybody" Joey Jordison, drummerIgnoring every rule in the book and more besides, Slipknot are a notoriously controversial band who combine a ...
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Bruce Lee
Fiaz RafiqLabels such as 'icon' or 'legend' are rarely attached to one individual to the degree that they are to Bruce Lee. He only made a handful of films, yet four and a half decades after...
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Bruce Lee Words of the Dragon
John LittleHere they are, available for the first time in one collection, Bruce Lee's conversations with the press from 1958 to 1973.Words of the Dragon is an anthology of rare newspaper and ...
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Bruce Lee The Tao of Gung Fu
Bruce Lee & John LittleIn the months leading up to his death, Bruce Lee was working on this definitive study of the Chinese martial artscollectively known as Kung Fu or Gung Fu. This book has now been ed...
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Bruce Lee The Art of Expressing the Human Body
Bruce Lee & John LittleLearn the secrets to obtaining Bruce Lee's astounding physique with this insightful martial arts training book. The Art of Expressing the Human Body, a title coined by Bruce Lee hi...
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The Self-Help Reflexology Handbook
Sonia DucieReflexology is a complementary healing technique, second only to aromatherapy in popularity. The feet and hands are a 'map' of the organs of the body. Reflexology can be us...
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Bruce Lee
Matthew PollyThe “definitive” (The New York Times) biography of film legend Bruce Lee, who made martial arts a global phenomenon, bridged the divide between eastern and western cultures, and sm...
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Bruce Lee Striking Thoughts
Bruce Lee & John Little"A teacher is never a giver of truthhe is a guide, a pointer to the truth that each student must find for himself. A good teacher is merely a catalyst."Bruce Lee Within the pages o...
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A Stillness at Appomattox
Bruce CattonPULITZER PRIZE WINNER NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER America's foremost Civil War historian recounts the final year of the Civil War in his final volume of the Army of the Potomac Tr...
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The Best American Poetry 2020
David LehmanThe 2020 edition of contemporary American poetry returns, guest edited by Paisley Rekdal, the awardwinning poet and author of Nightingale, proving that this is “a ‘best’ anthology ...
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Bruce Lee Artist of Life
Bruce Lee & John Little"Bruce Lee was known as an amazing martial artist, but he was also a profound thinker. He left behind seven volumes of writing on everything from quantum physics to philosophy." ...