A first edition of this seminal book by the Palestinian-American academic Edward Said, published in 1978. Orientalism is an acclaimed and thought-provoking critique of Western perceptions and depictions of the wider Middle East, written by Said when he was a professor at Columbia University, and still his best-known work today. The cover of the first edition features an image from an 1880 painting by the French Orientalist artist Jean-Leon Gerome called The Snake Charmer.  Hardback. First impression, first edition, published in 1978 by Routledge in London.   In very good condition with minor edgewear to jacket, slight fading to the spine.  Neat contemporary owner’s name inside. Binding tight and square.