I am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action: Amazon.co.uk: Lung Cheng, Jeff Yang, Jackie Chan: Books

Amazon.co.uk Review

Jackie Chan is not only the biggest martial arts star in the world; due to his massive fame in the Far East he is probably the most popular movie star on the planet. This authorised biography tells a classic rags-to-riches story of how he got there. Born in Hong Kong to a poor Migrant family, Chan was sent to Chinese Opera school to study under a disciplinarian teacher. He acquired a solid grounding in physical expression and left aged 16 to become a stuntman in the Hong King film industry. By sheer force of personality, tenacity and some genuinely impressive stunts, he quickly became a box-office favourite and a star. Chan is just starting to break through in Hollywood and this is obviously where his considerable energies are now being directed. "I've been on Letterman and Jay Leno", he proudly claims, "I've gotten an award on MTV. Lionel Richie came to visit me on the set". But despite his new friends Chan has never forgotten how far he has come and ends the book with a poetic statement of his achievement. "I was a useless child./ A ragged boy./ A reckless teen./ And now --/ Look who I am now!". --Nick Wroe --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

"I am standing in the sky on the roof of a glass and steel office tower in Rotterdam, Holland. There are twenty-one floors of air between me and the concrete pavement below. I am about to do what I do best. I am about to jump."

If you're a fan of action-adventure movies--with the accent on action--then you no doubt love watching Jackie Chan risk his life to create sensational cinema. As one of the biggest stars to burst into U.S. theaters, Jackie has put America's hottest heroes to shame, wowing audiences with the breathless, death-defying stunts that are the highlight of such movies as Rumble in the Bronx, Supercop, Operation: Condor, and his newest blockbuster Rush Hour. But who really is this boyishly handsome, lightning-fast Charlie Chaplin of martial arts movie-making? And what possessed him to make a career out of putting his life on the line to keep us on the edge of our seats?

"I remember a frightened seven-year-old walking into the dim and musty halls of the China Drama Academy, clutching his father's hand. Inside, he sees paradise--young boys and girls leaping and tumbling and flashing the steel of ancient weapons. 'How long do you want to stay here, Jackie?' 'Forever!' answered the boy, his eyes bright and wide. And he let go of his father's hand to clutch at the Master's hem. . . ."

In I Am Jackie Chan, Chan tells the fascinating, harrowing, ultimately triumphant story of his life: How the rebellious son of refugees in tumultuous 1950s Hong Kong became the disciplined disciple of a Chinese Opera Master. How the "paradise" that young Jackie so eagerly embraced proved to be, in reality, a ruthlessly competitive place whose fierce master wielded the legal authority to train his students even to death. How the dying art of Chinese opera led Jackie to the movie business--and how he made the leap from stuntman to superstar. How he broke into the Hollywood big time by breaking almost every bone in his body.

Finally, after years of plunging off skyscrapers and living to tell the tale, Jackie Chan proves--with this witty, poignant, and often astonishing memoir--that it's always been a tale well worth telling.

Jackie has written this book with Jeff Yang, the founder of A Magazine and the author of Eastern Standard: A Guide To Asian Influence in American Culture.

See all Product Description

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Basically..... 30 April 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

This was the first autobiography I have ever read, but the reason why I just couldn't put the book down and finished reading it within three days was not only because Jackie Chan fascinates me, but the way it was written was stimulating, riveting, and exciting. If you want a good indepth look at Jackie's life; the sad, the good, the hard, and the harder times, - then this is the book for you. GO AND BUY IT TODAY!!!

(I have given it 5 crowns, but it deserves 6)

1 Comment |

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

A must for all Jackie Chan fans! 28 April 2005

By "jade_90"

This book explores the amazing life of the biggest martial arts movie star of all time. It takes us from the time when he was a young child living with his parents who were servants to an ambassador in China, to the successful movie star he is now. His life is fascinating to read about: the torture he had to bear at his martial arts school, the hard life of trying to make great movies, the amazing stunts he's had to do... 'I am Jackie Chan' really makes all Jackie Chan fans appreciate the face behind all the fame, fortune, and fantastic stunts.

Comment |

Jackie Chan : My Story 5 Jan 2004

By S. BUTTON

This book is by far the most insightful and complelling information about Jackie Chan that i have ever read. No other book or DVD can compare to the wealth of information in this fantastic book. The book covers the life of Jackie Chan from the day he was born through to the times of Rush Hour. The book covers in detail Jackie's harsh upbringing in the Chinese Opera, to his first stunt work, to his first movie, to his rise to stardom, even his first love and working with Bruce Lee. The book also has a few cameo appearances from Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. This is a must buy for any Jackie Chan/martial arts fan. This is my most prized part of my jackie Chan collection.

She loves it :D

I bought this for my mom, and she LOVES it. She doesn't understand much english, but she translate it on Google Translate. I of course help her, if it doesn't make any sense. Read more

Published 1 month ago by L. Olsen

I am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action

Book was delivered on time and as the seller said. The book is great and a excellent read. However it finishes with the movie Who am I so I guess we will have the 2nd half of his... Read more

Published 21 months ago by T. Osman

Excellent book

Hi this is a most excellent book. From picking it up I read it right through, as it chronicles Jackies life from a little nipper with his parents in the Hong Kong mansion, to being... Read more

Published on 29 Dec 2008 by John Robinson

This is great - and very revealing

This is a really well written and, what seems to be a very honest story. You can really understand why he became as tough as he did, its a real eye opener. Read more

Published on 15 Nov 2008 by Matt

Chan-tastic!

Jackie Chan has had a fascinating life. This book details his childhood growing up in Hong Kong, first living with his parents who were servants for the French ambassador, then... Read more

Published on 20 Feb 2008 by Ashleigh

Insight to Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan's film and martial arts career are clearly mapped out in this biography. There is a lot of humour and fact about his film career, but very little about the emotional... Read more

Published on 11 July 2003 by Tanya Olckers

GREAT READING.

"I am jackie chan" is the title of this great book and it means what the title says. It tells of jackies life from birth, the struggle he had growing up and the poverty he had to... Read more

Published on 5 Jun 2003 by Audrey M. York

I am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action [Hardcover]

Formats

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Product details

More About the Authors

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

Customer Reviews

Customer Discussions

Start a new discussion

Listmania!

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject

Feedback