Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit

Bruce Thomas is the author of Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit -- the definitive full-length biography of Bruce Lee. He trained in Kung Fu with the late master Derek Jones. Bruce is also the former bass player with Elvis Costello and the Attractions. His book about life on the road with the band, The Big Wheel, was short-listed for the Ralph J. Gleason prize for music writing and became a cult classic - it is shortly to be reissued by Helter Skelter. His 'novel' autobiography, On The Road, Again, is to be published by Bentwyck Henry Publisher.

"Bruce Lee was a star in America but an icon in much of the rest of the world. Since the U.S. is the big enchilada in pop culture, Lee worked for years to become recognized here and to spread appreciation of the martial arts in a society that had a jaundiced, even bigoted view of those ancient disciplines. Thomas makes it abundantly clear that Lee was both an astonishing athlete and an engaging actor. Devotees of his movies and two TV shows, The Green Hornet and Longstreet, know that, of course. Thomas notes that Lee, as the Green Hornet's sidekick, Kato, gave American audiences their first look at authentic martial arts. The current popularity of martial arts in the U.S. flows from Lee's own, and the martial arts movies that continue to appear in the wake of Lee's Dragon series constitute an identifiable movie subgenre. A major force in popular entertainment, Lee deserves the place in the pop culture library that Thomas ably helps him fill."
- Booklist

Bruce Lee was an innovative martial artist, not only in the training hall but on film. He played Kato to the Green Hornet on the 1967-8 Twentieth Century Fox Television series of that name. He was the star of The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, Game of Death, and Enter the Dragon. He also studied for a philosophy doctorate at the University of Washington and won the Hong Kong cha-cha championship as a teenager in 1958. A multifaceted charismatic figure who would stand out in a crowd of hundreds, he was also a family man who valued his privacy. From Hong Kong to California, the author has spoken with those who knew Bruce Lee well, and he brings to light much new information. We follow Bruce through his rowdy childhood, his early martial arts training, his journey to America to claim U.S. citizenship, his romances, fights, and meteoric course through Hollywood and the Hong Kong film industry. The book closes with a sweeping presentation of Bruce Lee's philosophy, followed by a comprehensive Bruce Lee source list for both film and print media.

Bruce Lee went from a skinny, sickly child to the supreme exponent of martial arts--and the highest-paid movie star of his time. Two decades after his mysterious death, this new biography looks past the myths to create one of the most realistic portraits available of this extraordinary man and his art and philosophy. Photos, many in color.