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""Water Mirror Echo is a remarkable story of a man, the traditions and communities that created him, and the new worlds he made possible. Like Bruce Lee himself, Jeff Chang is blessed with the vision to see things we do not yet see, thinking and writing with a restless, chasm-crossing, almost prophetic ambition."" - Hua Hsu, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Stay True: A Memoir
""This book is as celebratory as it is incisive, as it is, at times, heartbreaking. A massive achievement."" - Hanif Abdurraqib, National Book Award-winning author of There's Always This Year and A Little Devil in America
A cultural biography, both sweeping and intimate, of the legend Bruce Lee, set against the extraordinary, untold story of the rise of Asian America-from the author of the award-winning classic Can't Stop Won't Stop and one of the finest culture observers of our era.
More than a half-century after his passing, Bruce Lee is as towering a figure to people around the world as ever. On his path to becoming a global icon, he popularized martial arts in the West, became a bridge to people and cultures from the East, and just as he was set to conquer Hollywood once and for all, he died of cerebral edema at age thirty-two. It's no wonder that Bruce Lee's legend has only bloomed in the decades since. Yet, in so many ways, his legend has eclipsed the man.
Forgotten is the stark reality of the baby boy born in segregated San Francisco, who spent his youth in war-ravaged, fight-crazy Hong Kong. Forgotten is the curious teenager who found his way back to America, where he embraced West Coast counterculture and meshed it with the Asian worldviews and philosophies that reared him. Forgotten is the man whose very presence broke barriers and helped shape the idea of what being an Asian in America is, at the very dawn of Asian America.
Water Mirror Echo-a title inspired by Bruce Lee's own way of moving, being and responding to the world-is a page-turning and powerful reminder. At the helm is Jeff Chang, the award-winning author of Can't Stop Won't Stop, whose writing on culture, politics, the arts and music have made him one of the most acclaimed and distinctive voices of our time. In his hands, Bruce Lee's story brims with authenticity.
Now, based on in-depth interviews with Lee's closest intimates, thousands of newly available personal documents, and featuring dozens of unseen photographs from the family's archive, Chang does the nearly impossible. He reveals the man behind the enduring iconography and stirringly shows Lee's growing fame ushering in something that's turned out to be even more enduring: the creation of Asian America.
""This book is as celebratory as it is incisive, as it is, at times, heartbreaking. A massive achievement."" - Hanif Abdurraqib, National Book Award-winning author of There's Always This Year and A Little Devil in America
A cultural biography, both sweeping and intimate, of the legend Bruce Lee, set against the extraordinary, untold story of the rise of Asian America-from the author of the award-winning classic Can't Stop Won't Stop and one of the finest culture observers of our era.
More than a half-century after his passing, Bruce Lee is as towering a figure to people around the world as ever. On his path to becoming a global icon, he popularized martial arts in the West, became a bridge to people and cultures from the East, and just as he was set to conquer Hollywood once and for all, he died of cerebral edema at age thirty-two. It's no wonder that Bruce Lee's legend has only bloomed in the decades since. Yet, in so many ways, his legend has eclipsed the man.
Forgotten is the stark reality of the baby boy born in segregated San Francisco, who spent his youth in war-ravaged, fight-crazy Hong Kong. Forgotten is the curious teenager who found his way back to America, where he embraced West Coast counterculture and meshed it with the Asian worldviews and philosophies that reared him. Forgotten is the man whose very presence broke barriers and helped shape the idea of what being an Asian in America is, at the very dawn of Asian America.
Water Mirror Echo-a title inspired by Bruce Lee's own way of moving, being and responding to the world-is a page-turning and powerful reminder. At the helm is Jeff Chang, the award-winning author of Can't Stop Won't Stop, whose writing on culture, politics, the arts and music have made him one of the most acclaimed and distinctive voices of our time. In his hands, Bruce Lee's story brims with authenticity.
Now, based on in-depth interviews with Lee's closest intimates, thousands of newly available personal documents, and featuring dozens of unseen photographs from the family's archive, Chang does the nearly impossible. He reveals the man behind the enduring iconography and stirringly shows Lee's growing fame ushering in something that's turned out to be even more enduring: the creation of Asian America.
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Reviews
"This extensive, thoughtful, and well-researched biography of the martial arts great Bruce Lee smoothly draws the listener in. Lee was an enigma in some ways, and author Chang has captured his life, which was cut short at age 32. Narrator James Chen deftly uses slight shifts in his voice when delivering quotes. He maintains control of his tone, making shifts when appropriate but never camping it up, a style that is appropriate since martial arts is partly about self-control. The audiobook covers Lee's early years, his acting career, and his associates, as well as some of his detractors. Chen's skilled narration will keep listeners fascinated with Lee's life--even those with only a passing interest in martial arts. M.B. � AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine"
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