Alex Ben Block: Half A Century Chronicling Bruce Lee
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The author of the global blockbuster "The Legend Of Bruce Lee," tells host Paul Coffey on his Keep Kicking Podcast how he came to write the acclaimed 2026 novel "Adventures Of A Young Kung Fu Legend," inspired by Bruce Lee as a teenager
Here is the Keep Kicking episode. The first two minutes and 30 seconds is martial arts animation provided by Paul Coffey. The interview follows immediately after and goes for about an hour. The surprise video at the end is an interview iwas done round 2018 with Robert Lee, Bruce's youngest brother. It was recorded n the living room of his town home in Monterey Park, California, seven miles east of downtown Los Angeles. For those who wondered if Bruce Lee ever picked a fight, he certainly did as a young man. . Bruce Lee may have matured later in life but this video shows that he was always ready to test his skills under certain circumstances.
More on how Bruce Lee remained an influence for Alex Ben Block
As a freelance writer in my 20's living in a sixth floor walk-up in New York's Greenwich Village, i welcomed a call to meet with the editor of an obscure rock and roll magazine who wanted to discuss a possible assignment. When i got to the office in mid-town, i met with the pretty young female editor who sat in lotus position with her legs crossed on top of her desk, wearing cutoff shorts and a tight top.
She told me that her art director was a karate enthusiast and had come up with some great graphics. Now she need an article to go with it, and i was immediately enthusiastic. It didn't matter that i had no idea with martial arts were, or that i thought we wanted me to write about marital arts - people getting married.
After assuring her i could do the job ,i raced down half a dozen blocks to the massive New York Public Library, I rushed past the stone statues of giant lions who guarded the door. It didn't take me long to realize what she wanted was an article on the fighting arts, not the battles between newly weds.
As i dug into my research, i read about an obscure Chinese actor with impressive martial art skills who had just starred in two low budget movies made in Hong Kong, and was soon to be in his first Hollywood movie - what would become "Enter The Dragon."
My article for the rock magazine led me to an assignment from Esquire, then the hippest magazine in America, where i had been trying to get an assignment for over a year without any success. Then Esquire asked me for some ideas, the last of 15 pitches i made was Bruce Lee. And that was the one they wanted.
A year later Esquire published my article only a week before Bruce Lee's unexpected death; i quickly had a book contract from Dell Publishing for what would become "The Legend of Bruce Lee." It was the first biography about Lee after his mysterious death and quickly found an audience. It eventually sold over four million copies in nine international editions.
Over the years that followed, i wrote many articles about Bruce Lee, as his legend grew. Alhough he had made only a few movies, his presence as the first Chinese superstar sent him into an orbit few others would match. Along with Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Elvis Presley, he became ironic - much more tfamous than just an actor or a movie star.
Over the years, hundreds of articles, movies, documentaries and books brought Bruce Lee to life; and over the years that only seemed to grow worldwide.
I had worked on other books about Bruce Lee, some with members of his birth family, but for various reasons none ever came to fruition. Although i did numerous interviews for another book, including hours with Bruce Lee;'s oldest sister Phoebe and youngest brother Robert, none worked out.
Finally, three years ago i decided to turn what i had learned about Bruce Lee as a teenager, into a novel. While it was based largely on the true story of young Bruce Lee, for legal reasons i had to change a lot of the names and other elements. Parts of it is fictional but much is based on what i learned over half a century researching the real Bruce Lee, who became the inspiration for "Adventures Of A Young Kung Fu Legend."
If you choose to buy a hard cover or paperback of "Adventures Of A Young Kung Fu Legend" on Amazon and post a review, there or om your own website, let Alex Ben Block know with a DM on his Facebook page if you would like your books autographed;. He will explain how to mail him your copy of either the new novel and or "The Legend Of Bruce Lee," and who you want it autographed to. You will need to provide your name and address, and remit the cost of mailing it back to you at USPS book rate. Only books in the U.S. will get the autograph unless special arrangements are made.
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