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Orientalism Paperback – October 12, 1979
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"Intellectual history on a high order ... and very exciting." —The New York Times
In this wide-ranging, intellectually vigorous study, Said traces the origins of "orientalism" to the centuries-long period during which Europe dominated the Middle and Near East and, from its position of power, defined "the orient" simply as "other than" the occident. This entrenched view continues to dominate western ideas and, because it does not allow the East to represent itself, prevents true understanding.
- Print length368 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherVintage
- Publication dateOctober 12, 1979
- Dimensions5.13 x 0.88 x 7.99 inches
- ISBN-10039474067X
- ISBN-13978-0394740676
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Orientalism is a style of thought based upon an ontological and epistemological distinction made between “the Orient” and (most of the time) “the Occident.”Highlighted by 52 Kindle readers
Orientalism as a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient.Highlighted by 51 Kindle readers
Orientalism, therefore, is not an airy European fantasy about the Orient, but a created body of theory and practice in which, for many generations, there has been a considerable material investment.Highlighted by 44 Kindle readers
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Powerful and disturbing.... The theme is the way in which intellectual traditions are created and transmitted." —The New York Review of Books
"Stimulating, elegant yet pugnacious.... Said observes the West observing the Arabs, and he does not like what he finds." —The Observer
"An important book.... Never has there been as sustained and as persuasive a case against Orientalism as Said's." —Jerusalem Post
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From the Back Cover
About the Author
He is the author of twenty-two books which have been translated into 35 languages, including Orientalism (1978); The Question of Palestine (1979); Covering Islam (1980); The World, the Text, and the Critic (1983); Culture and Imperialism (1993); Peace and Its Discontents: Essays on Palestine and the Middle East Peace Process (1996); and Out of Place: A Memoir (1999). Besides his academic work, he wrote a twice-monthly column for Al-Hayat and Al-Ahram; was a regular contributor to newspapers in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East; and was the music critic for The Nation.
Product details
- Publisher : Vintage
- Publication date : October 12, 1979
- Edition : First Ed.
- Language : English
- Print length : 368 pages
- ISBN-10 : 039474067X
- ISBN-13 : 978-0394740676
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.13 x 0.88 x 7.99 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #18,181 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8 in Colonialism & Post-Colonialism
- #24 in Middle Eastern Politics
- #28 in Israel & Palestine History (Books)
About the author

Edward W. Said was University Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of Literature and of Kings College Cambridge, his celebrated works include Orientalism, The End of the Peace Process, Power, Politics and Culture, and the memoir Out of Place. He is also the editor, with Christopher Hitchens, of Blaming the Victims, published by Verso. He died in September 2003.

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