Description
Book SynopsisFrom the Iranian hostage crisis through the Gulf War and the World Trade Centre bombing, the West has been haunted by a spectre called ''Islam''. As portrayed by the news media - and by a chorus of government, academic and corporate experts - ''Islam'' is synonymous with terrorism and religious hysteria. At the same time, Islamic countries use Islam to justify unrepresentative and often oppressive regimes.
In this landmark work, for which he has written a new introduction, one of our foremost public thinkers examines the origins and repercussions of the media''s monolithic images of Islam. Combining political commentary with literary criticism, Edward Said reveals the hidden assumptions and distortions of fact that underlie even the most ''objective'' coverage of the Islamic world.
Trade ReviewNo-one studying the relations between the West and the decolonizing world can ignore Mr. Said's work * New York Times Book Review *
Edward Said belongs to that small band of American intellectuals who talk sense (and write beautifully) about the outside world * Guardian *
Edward Said is a brilliant and unique amalgam of scholar, aesthete and political activist... He challenges and stimulates our thinking in every area * Washington Post Book World *
