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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
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English
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BRUCE LEE

Matthew Polly

A Life

An in-depth, authoritative biography of iconic actor, director and martial-arts expert Bruce Lee, whose rapid rise to stardom introduced Kung Fu to the world, containing exclusive interviews and newly discovered revelations.
Born Lee Jun Fan in San Francisco, California to a Hong Kong opera singer and his wife, Bruce Lee was named Bruce by a nurse at the hospital where he was born. Shortly after, the family moved back to Hong Kong during World War II where he appeared in roughly 20 films as a child actor. But despite only starring in a handful of adult films before his untimely death at the age of 32, Bruce Lee became a worldwide phenomenon. TV series (The Green Hornet) and films such as The Big Boss, Fists of Fury, The Way of the Dragon and Enter The Dragon made him an international box office sensation. He also studied dancing and became a martial art expert, introducing kung fu to his audiences and teaching martial arts to a number of celebrities. But no one had his charisma, talent and artistry and his death at 32 left the world in mourning.

His resting place has been ranked the second most significant celebrity grave site by Time Magazine, just behind Princess Diana.

In this definitive account of his iconic life, Matthew Polly (who speaks fluent Mandarin) has obtained interviews with Lee's widow, his surviving children, his manager, his mistress and the last few people to see him alive, along with over a hundred other friends and colleagues. This book will provide new revelations behind Bruce's family history, his rise to fame, and the cause of his unexpected and still unexplained death.

Matthew Polly is the author of several books including American Shaolin and Tapped Out.
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Book

Published 2018-06-06 by Simon & Schuster

Book

Published 2018-06-06 by Simon & Schuster

Comments

British: Simon & Schuster UK ; Estonia: Helios Kirjastus ; Japanese: Aki Shobo ; Polish: Znak ; Portuguese (B): Pensamento ; Russian: Eksmo ; Vietnamese: Saigon Books ; Spanish (W): Alfaomega

This book succeeds in capturing [Lee's] energy and achievements, a volley of incident that rarely lets up. Stories whirl past with nunchaku-like speed... Polly's narrative rarely loses its ripped-and-shredded shape.For anyone curious about Lee's legacy, it's a roundhouse kick of a biography.

It became evident to me from reading the section regarding my Ving Tsun (Wing Chun) teacher, Wong Shun Leung's relationship with Bruce Lee that Matthew Polly had properly done his research, as the listed anecdotes are the exact same as those told to me by my sifu during my time under his tutelage. A very entertaining read offering copious tidbits of interesting information that even longtime admirers of Bruce Lee might not have been aware of.

The first noteworthy treatment of its subject - and a definitive one at that... Fascinating narrative threads proliferate.

Believe it or not, Bruce Lee has never been the subject of a truly in-depth biography - until now. With this meticulously researched, beautifully realized work, Matthew Polly has written the definitive account. It moves with the authority, grace and economy of Lee himself. I was hooked from the first chapter.

Matthew Polly optioned the Bruce Lee book's film rights to a team making a documentary about Lee. It was just announced that the film will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The documentary is based on the book. Read more...

A must-read for fight fans....far and away the definitive text on the subject....Like an important historical text examining Jesus Christ, Muhammad or Buddha, Bruce Lee: A Life makes it clear how and why Lee's fistic religion has endured for so long. [Polly] nails it.

Matt is quoted throughout Esquire's coverage of the film's Bruce Lee/Manson Murders plotline Read more...

The paperback edition of Matthwe Polly's BRUCE LEE is benefiting from Bruce Lee's heightened profile: - Cinemax is promoting their new series, Warrior, inspired by an original concept of Lee's, as "Based on the writings of Bruce Lee" - Lee is a character in Quentin Tarantino's new film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, opening this Friday 7/26. - The trailer for the film generated online speculation about Lee's role in the story and the actor portraying him, Mike Moh. Much of this coverage featured the book, including The Wrap, Yahoo Entertainment, Monsters & Critics, Geek Tyrant, and more Matthew Polly is quoted throughout a profile of Mike Moh in the July issue of Men's Health (Moh reportedly read Polly's book to prepare for the role)

The legendary action star... gets his due in this carefully researched biography. Read more...

Spirited celebration of the life of 'the Patron Saint of Kung Fu,' a stalwart of pop culture whose career is due for a revival.... Students of martial arts, film history, and the 1970s alike will find much to enjoy in Polly's homage.

From the story of his parents, a wealthy Eurasian mother and a father who came from poverty, to his troubled youth and rise to stardom, Polly stitches a fascinating account of the most charismatic martial artist ever...The book reaffirmed what many of his fans already knew...Bruce Lee was a man who did it his way.

The first authoritative biography of the martial arts teacher and movie star, who died mysteriously at 32 but whose films, like Enter the Dragon, still thrill decades later.

This thorough, well-sourced biography from Polly is an engrossing examination of the life of a martial arts movie star and his shocking, early death....In what is certainly the definitive biography of Lee, Polly wonderfully profiles the man who constructed a new, masculine Asian archetype and ushered kung fu into pop culture.

Among the first serious treatments of the martial arts star, this definitive biography follows Lee's move from America to Hong Kong and back again... Above all, Polly explores how Lee's fame helped reshape perceptions of Asian Americans in the United States. Read more...

At last, Bruce Lee has the powerful biography he deserves. Matthew Polly's book is packed with new information and sharp insights. It will thrill Lee's fans and fascinate the unfamiliar. Bravo!