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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was Bruce Lee?
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American action film star, martial arts instructor, filmmaker, and philosopher. His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim. Through such films as Way of the Dragon and Enter the Dragon, Lee helped to change the way Asians were presented in American films and, in the process, he became an iconic figure known throughout the world. Although he died at the young age of 32, Bruce Lee is widely considered to be the one of the most influential martial artists of all time.
107 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2014
190 people are currently reading
715 people want to read
About the author
Jim Gigliotti
155 books25 followersJim Gigliotti is a freelance writer who lives in Southern California with his wife and two children. A former editor at the National Football League, he has written more than two dozen books, mostly for young readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
March 29, 2025
Who Was...? biography series for middle grade enthralls with the story of Bruce Lee – one of the greatest martial-arts masters of all time.
Bruce Lee (1940-1973) from childhood was a bundle of energy, always playing, running or jumping. His family called him ‘never sits still.”
He was born in San Francisco. His father was an actor in a traveling Chinese opera.
When he was just a few months, his family returned to Hong Kong, where his parents were born. His dad’s job meant that Bruce was around the performing arts at a young age, accompanying his father at work. Bruce appeared in twenty film as a young boy.
He didn’t have the same enthusiasm for school. It was hard for him to sit still for an extended period. Instead of studying, he used his energy into fighting. He became mixed up in the gang called the Tigers. But one day, he lost a fight and got beat up. He decided he had to learn to protect himself better. So he began to study the martial arts called kung fu.
But he continued to get into many fights. When police knocked on the door of the family and warned that next time it will be jail, the family decided to send Bruce back to the US.
He stayed at their friend’s house in Seattle where he enrolled at the University of Washington where he studied philosophy. It made him question his behavior and his attitude about fighting started to change.
While still in school, he began to teach his friends kung fu. Later, he opened a teaching studio.
After getting married and having his son, the family moved to Oakland, California, where he opened his studio and began developing his own martial-arts system.
In 1964, at the First International Karate Tournament in Long Beach, California, Bruce showcased his skills. Jay Sebring was in the crowd and introduced Bruce to his friend William Dozier, Hollywood producer. Bruce was cast in a few roles but his acting didn’t really take off.
He went back to teaching kung fu, but thanks to his moves on the screen, the martial arts became very popular in the US. The Hollywood stars started knocking at his door. This led him to choreographing the martial-arts scenes in some movies.
In 1970, Bruce developed a pain in his back. He had permanently damaged a nerve in his back. He was told that his career was over. As Bruce was confined to bed, he didn’t waste any time. Instead, he continued to develop his philosophy – his personal code of conduct. After six months, he slowly began his own strategy for getting better.
Same year in 1970, he took a trip to Hong Kong where he met adoring fans. This gave him an idea to do acting in Chinese movies, which he did. He started breaking records in Asia. Then, Hollywood started to make notice of his movies.
But on July 1973, while working on another movie, he developed a headache. He took some medicine and went to sleep. He never woke up. He had brain swelling.
This biography exemplifies a man who never faltered at challenges. When life knocked him down, he used it to ponder about life; its meaning and how to be a better human being.
This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 7-10, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.
Bruce Lee (1940-1973) from childhood was a bundle of energy, always playing, running or jumping. His family called him ‘never sits still.”
He was born in San Francisco. His father was an actor in a traveling Chinese opera.
When he was just a few months, his family returned to Hong Kong, where his parents were born. His dad’s job meant that Bruce was around the performing arts at a young age, accompanying his father at work. Bruce appeared in twenty film as a young boy.
He didn’t have the same enthusiasm for school. It was hard for him to sit still for an extended period. Instead of studying, he used his energy into fighting. He became mixed up in the gang called the Tigers. But one day, he lost a fight and got beat up. He decided he had to learn to protect himself better. So he began to study the martial arts called kung fu.
But he continued to get into many fights. When police knocked on the door of the family and warned that next time it will be jail, the family decided to send Bruce back to the US.
He stayed at their friend’s house in Seattle where he enrolled at the University of Washington where he studied philosophy. It made him question his behavior and his attitude about fighting started to change.
While still in school, he began to teach his friends kung fu. Later, he opened a teaching studio.
After getting married and having his son, the family moved to Oakland, California, where he opened his studio and began developing his own martial-arts system.
In 1964, at the First International Karate Tournament in Long Beach, California, Bruce showcased his skills. Jay Sebring was in the crowd and introduced Bruce to his friend William Dozier, Hollywood producer. Bruce was cast in a few roles but his acting didn’t really take off.
He went back to teaching kung fu, but thanks to his moves on the screen, the martial arts became very popular in the US. The Hollywood stars started knocking at his door. This led him to choreographing the martial-arts scenes in some movies.
In 1970, Bruce developed a pain in his back. He had permanently damaged a nerve in his back. He was told that his career was over. As Bruce was confined to bed, he didn’t waste any time. Instead, he continued to develop his philosophy – his personal code of conduct. After six months, he slowly began his own strategy for getting better.
Same year in 1970, he took a trip to Hong Kong where he met adoring fans. This gave him an idea to do acting in Chinese movies, which he did. He started breaking records in Asia. Then, Hollywood started to make notice of his movies.
But on July 1973, while working on another movie, he developed a headache. He took some medicine and went to sleep. He never woke up. He had brain swelling.
This biography exemplifies a man who never faltered at challenges. When life knocked him down, he used it to ponder about life; its meaning and how to be a better human being.
This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 7-10, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.
September 16, 2020
Whenever I think of Bruce Lee I always remember the scene in one of his movies where Kareem Abdul Jabbar gets out of his seat and all of a sudden you see the huge discrepancy in their sizes and know you're about to see a very difficult fight. Will Bruce Lee be able to fight this giant man? Of course!
Thinking of Bruce Lee brings fond memories to me. My dad would take us to see all his movies when we were little. He was probably going to see them for himself, but I learned to love Bruce Lee and his films because of my dad.
I didn't know much about his life, but from reading this, he seemed like an admirable person of great character and values.
As a child he would get into fights all the time until he channeled his fighting into learning martial arts. He learned that it's not about the fight but how to avoid the fight. He studied philosophy, wrote a few books, came up with his own style of martial arts by taking elements from different styles because he felt that you can't always use the same method to win a fight. I love that he loved to read and had a collection of over 2,500 books.
He was also a go-getter and was not afraid to change career paths or move back to China when things weren't working out the way he expected.
While in China, he resumed his acting career and that's where his popularity grew. I admire him for not allowing Chinese people to be stereotyped in his movies. Although he was not an established actor at the time, he refused to lose to Robin (Batman's sidekick) in a scripted fight between Robin and Kato (Bruce's short-lived character from The Green Hornet) in an episode of Batman and Robin. The producers settled for a tie. I can understand him not wanting to have his character lose. And honestly, could you see Bruce Lee losing to Robin?
Bruce was so popular, all the celebrities wanted to train with him. He had his own martial arts studio and he would teach people of all races. Some Chinese people had an issue with Bruce teaching everyone kung fu. He was giving away their secrets. A group of Chinese people went to his studio one day and challenged him to a fight. If Bruce lost, he would have to stop teaching kung fu to foreigners. Again, of course he won. He's Bruce. Small in size but a giant in strength, he could do push ups on one hand with only his pinky and thumb, and so fast you sometimes couldn't see how he got from one move to another.
Sadly, Bruce died at a very young age. It's so crazy to me how you can have a headache , take some pills to alleviate the pain, and then never wake up from that.
I love that this book brought some of my childhood memories back to me, memories of spending time with my dad, who would take us to the movies almost every week. Bruce is a little part of that.
Thinking of Bruce Lee brings fond memories to me. My dad would take us to see all his movies when we were little. He was probably going to see them for himself, but I learned to love Bruce Lee and his films because of my dad.
I didn't know much about his life, but from reading this, he seemed like an admirable person of great character and values.
As a child he would get into fights all the time until he channeled his fighting into learning martial arts. He learned that it's not about the fight but how to avoid the fight. He studied philosophy, wrote a few books, came up with his own style of martial arts by taking elements from different styles because he felt that you can't always use the same method to win a fight. I love that he loved to read and had a collection of over 2,500 books.
He was also a go-getter and was not afraid to change career paths or move back to China when things weren't working out the way he expected.
While in China, he resumed his acting career and that's where his popularity grew. I admire him for not allowing Chinese people to be stereotyped in his movies. Although he was not an established actor at the time, he refused to lose to Robin (Batman's sidekick) in a scripted fight between Robin and Kato (Bruce's short-lived character from The Green Hornet) in an episode of Batman and Robin. The producers settled for a tie. I can understand him not wanting to have his character lose. And honestly, could you see Bruce Lee losing to Robin?
Bruce was so popular, all the celebrities wanted to train with him. He had his own martial arts studio and he would teach people of all races. Some Chinese people had an issue with Bruce teaching everyone kung fu. He was giving away their secrets. A group of Chinese people went to his studio one day and challenged him to a fight. If Bruce lost, he would have to stop teaching kung fu to foreigners. Again, of course he won. He's Bruce. Small in size but a giant in strength, he could do push ups on one hand with only his pinky and thumb, and so fast you sometimes couldn't see how he got from one move to another.
Sadly, Bruce died at a very young age. It's so crazy to me how you can have a headache , take some pills to alleviate the pain, and then never wake up from that.
I love that this book brought some of my childhood memories back to me, memories of spending time with my dad, who would take us to the movies almost every week. Bruce is a little part of that.
December 1, 2022
Easy reads and provides an informative and positive history of the title character. Highly recommend you get one based on your favourite historical figure and see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.
June 23, 2018
Bruce Lee's sayings:
"I fear not the man who has practiced ten thousand kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick ten thousand times."
"I don't believe in pure luck. You have to create your own luck. You have to be aware of the opportunities around you and take advantage of them."
"I fear not the man who has practiced ten thousand kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick ten thousand times."
"I don't believe in pure luck. You have to create your own luck. You have to be aware of the opportunities around you and take advantage of them."
August 30, 2016
4.25 This is an interesting short book about a legendary martial artist. It is filled with a lot of interesting facts about Bruce Lee's martial artist and Hollywood careers, but some of the most interesting things don't deal with either of those topics. For example: Bruce Lee loved to read and reportedly had a library of over 2,500 books. He also loved philosophy and had a ton of great quotes. I will highly recommend this book to many of my reluctant readers who need some positive influences in their lives since I think Bruce Lee's philosophies and life will really speak to them.
April 30, 2015
some of the info. was wrong but overall it was a great book. it wasn't too far off but loved it. Bruce Lee was and is a martial arts legend. you can learn so much about Bruce's character as a person and as a martial artist.this book can be read children, teens , and adults. this book is for all age groups.with pictures practically on every page, its easy to imagine what Bruce was seeing and doing. so basically this cover briefly the history of Bruce lee's life.
August 19, 2017
This was a well-informed, factual, mini-autobiography (mini-bio) about Bruce Lee. This was a selected read for C-Facility_Book Club offered at the state library I work for, and the males seemed to enjoy this book read too. There was significant information I had no clue, even though I thought I knew his life and films, and I do not agree with his death (not based on hearsay or what I believed to be true).
Our book club will have a great discussion and other projects related to the book read.
Adrienna Turner
Our book club will have a great discussion and other projects related to the book read.
Adrienna Turner
September 19, 2017
This was one of the greatest "Who Was" books I have ever read. I always liked Bruce Lee for his skills, and now I got to learn more about who he really was. Sadly, he died when he was 32, and I never really got to know much about him until I read this book. I'd give it 5/5 stars for it's great structure, and it's info on Bruce Lee. I hope to read more books on people I would like to learn about.
January 10, 2017
Bruce F***in Lee!
I am not a religious man, but the closest thing I have to a spiritual leader would be Bruce F***in Lee!
Here are some of his teachings found in the book:
-"I don't believe in pure luck. You have to create your own luck. You have to be aware of the opportunities around you and take advantage of them."
-"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them."
-"Always be yourself; express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it."
-"Under the sky, under the heavens there is but one family. It just so happens that people are different."
Epic wisdom from a man we will never ever see the likes of again. Great respect!! Good book!
I am not a religious man, but the closest thing I have to a spiritual leader would be Bruce F***in Lee!
Here are some of his teachings found in the book:
-"I don't believe in pure luck. You have to create your own luck. You have to be aware of the opportunities around you and take advantage of them."
-"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them."
-"Always be yourself; express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it."
-"Under the sky, under the heavens there is but one family. It just so happens that people are different."
Epic wisdom from a man we will never ever see the likes of again. Great respect!! Good book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2017
I really like this book because it tells you EVERYTHING about Bruce Lee and still gives you a message in the book. I think the message is something like if you fail now, you can always succeed in the future. I also learned a little about Chinese culture and what an impact he made to both Americans and Chinese.
November 20, 2017
This was a great informational biography read. I read this book with one of my students over the course of a week. Bruce Lee is one of my heroes and he is now the hero to one of my students. This book tells us about the philosophy behind Bruce Lee's thinking and his impact on our society.
March 6, 2017
I like his movies.
June 11, 2017
Great short book about Bruce Lee's life. l learned a few things about him that I did not know. It is an enjoyable and a quick read book.
September 13, 2017
Loved this. Quick read and very interesting.
December 5, 2021
Love this series for kids! Easy to read and understand and filled with facts and explanations. I also like the dual timelines at the end of each book that situate each biographical subject within the larger historical context of the world around them.
February 7, 2023
not that bad better than i expected
November 14, 2023
I didn't realize he died so young!
December 21, 2020
it was very good, its just so sad how he died
February 6, 2019
This book was really not that bad. When Bruce was little he was full of energy and they called him "mo si ting" which means never sit still. He was born in China Town of San Francisco, and Bruce used to get in a ton of fights and one he got beat up when he was 13. He realized he had to protect himself better then he began to study martial arts called kung fu and that is where it all started. I would recommend this book to sixth graders. Overall it was cool learning about martial arts master and you should read it.
September 26, 2018
I have read this series and this is my 4th or 5th book. this is another phenomenal book about the life of one of the most respected people in China and Hollywood. another great biography by the authors. Highly recommend this to anybody who has seen a Bruce Lee movie. Even if you don't have any knowledge on Bruce Lee, this book will give you just about everything you need.
April 25, 2017
The book I have read is Who Was Bruce Lee by Jim Gigliotti. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars because I think they could have added a little more information. The setting of this book is California and China. The main character is Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee has faced many challenges in his life, like people doubting him and even permanent nerve damage in the back. Even still he goes on without complaining.
The book was good overall but there could have been some changes that could make the book better. One of the things was it didn't include some smaller details, The book just went over the main ideas. Another one was how long the book was I think if the book was longer then it could go over more information.
I would recommend this book to young readers. This book isn't very difficult but still shares important information and not all of the extra details. Also people who really enjoy biography's and history.
The book was good overall but there could have been some changes that could make the book better. One of the things was it didn't include some smaller details, The book just went over the main ideas. Another one was how long the book was I think if the book was longer then it could go over more information.
I would recommend this book to young readers. This book isn't very difficult but still shares important information and not all of the extra details. Also people who really enjoy biography's and history.
March 2, 2017
Who was Bruce Lee by Jim Gigliotti was a good book. I really enjoyed how his parents wanted him to stop getting in fights and start taking his education seriously so they sent him to the United States of America so he can study so he can go to college.
Bruce Lee was a young boy that always liked martial arts but used it in the wrong ways by picking fights that he didn't have to do. After he got sent to the United States of America he started taking his education a little more seriously.
I recommend this book to kids in grades 5-9 because it is very interesting to Chinese culture.
Bruce Lee was a young boy that always liked martial arts but used it in the wrong ways by picking fights that he didn't have to do. After he got sent to the United States of America he started taking his education a little more seriously.
I recommend this book to kids in grades 5-9 because it is very interesting to Chinese culture.
February 14, 2019
An enjoyable primer for kids on the life of Bruce Lee. I like how the book emphasizes Lee's focus to defy stereotypes about Asians through his work on TV and in film, and that it goes into detail about Lee's martial arts career and eclectic philosophy. The sidebars devoted to Chuck Norris and Jackie Chan are interesting related tangents, while the one covering son Brandon is heartbreaking. One quibble is that it would have been nice for this book to have included a section of photos; the illustrations are nice and appear frequently, but nothing beats seeing the real thing.
January 23, 2018
Got it on Audible, not realizing it was an MG. The Audible reader read it very slowly and enunciated very carefully; his ensuring there were no contractions sounded artificial. A few broad generalizations were irritating, but in general, Mr. Gigliotti did a good job of presenting such difficult issues as racism as part of Lee's life without making them more important than Lee's life.
February 20, 2017
who was Bruce lee is about Bruce lee when he was young. Bruce was born in the year of the dragon the week of the dragon and the time around the dragon. Bruce lee was in a boxing tournament and was the champion. He died at age 32. Read to find out.
May 18, 2017
I don't remember much about this book but I do remember that Bruce Lee was an awesome fighter and I think that he was really cool.
May 24, 2021
I knew this was written for a much younger age group when I picked it up at the library book sale and I already knew a bit about Bruce Lee, but I figured it was a $2.00 per bag sale and the book would help fill up a sack of books.
I'm not sure what age range this is recommended for. Maybe ages 8-9? Could be higher or lower depending on the reading skills and/or the interest in the subject matter.
I almost gave up on it in the beginning section "Who Was Bruce Lee?" when it had sentences like "What strength Bruce had!", "What speed Bruce had!", and "What power Bruce had!" (Not that I don't agree--and each of these sentences was prefaced with a short story about something Bruce had done that demonstrated this attribute.)
I am glad I pressed on. I did learn a few things about Bruce Lee that I hadn't realized before. I hadn't realized he studied philosophy. I hadn't realized that he had many books. I hadn't realized that he had combined a bunch of different disciplines to create Jeet Kun Do (or that some call him the father of modern MMA).
I also never realized he'd had a back injury that he had to come back from.
I did find it a bit confusing that his movies had different titles in Chinese and English.
I'm not sure what age range this is recommended for. Maybe ages 8-9? Could be higher or lower depending on the reading skills and/or the interest in the subject matter.
I almost gave up on it in the beginning section "Who Was Bruce Lee?" when it had sentences like "What strength Bruce had!", "What speed Bruce had!", and "What power Bruce had!" (Not that I don't agree--and each of these sentences was prefaced with a short story about something Bruce had done that demonstrated this attribute.)
I am glad I pressed on. I did learn a few things about Bruce Lee that I hadn't realized before. I hadn't realized he studied philosophy. I hadn't realized that he had many books. I hadn't realized that he had combined a bunch of different disciplines to create Jeet Kun Do (or that some call him the father of modern MMA).
I also never realized he'd had a back injury that he had to come back from.
I did find it a bit confusing that his movies had different titles in Chinese and English.
October 18, 2018
Who Was Bruce Lee by Jim Gigliotti is a really good book for kids who want to learn about someone new and is also a very good resource if you need to write a biography on someone’s life or something. The book talks about Bruce’s life in order from the time he was born, to the time he learned Kung fu, to the time he got recognition, to the time he played his first big role in a hollywood film, and lastly, to the time that he sadly passed. Bruce was an unbelievable but true character and I really hope you take in consideration this book because it shows and tells you a lot about Bruce Lee. I’m not going to give too much information because I don’t want to spoil his life for you. I would really recommend this book to people who love to read about others.
April 3, 2019
I think that,” Who was Bruce Lee?” by Jim Gigliotti is a very informational and great book recommended for people 10 years and up. “Who Was Bruce Lee?” is a book about Bruce Lee’s life. So Bruce was born on November 27, 1940 in San Francisco, California. Then at 1 year of age he made an uncpredited appearance in a Hong Kong movie called the Golden Gate Girl. Then some years pass and at the age of 13 he starts to learn Kung Fu and finally at the age of 19 he left to United States. Then as he gets older more things start to happen like him getting married with Linda Emery on August 17, 1964 and a year later they have kid named Brandon Lee. Then he Appears on multiple tv series’s and having yet another kid by the name of Shannon. Then It was time to get right back to work appearing in 2 more movies and even having a major role a Hollywood film named Enter the Dragon but not long after does on July 20 at the age of 32 in Hong Kong, and then yet another member of his family dies his son, Brandon, at the age of 28 in North Carolina. Then in 2012, the San Francisco Giants had a Bruce Lee Tribute night.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews