Culture and Imperialism

Prof Terry Tucker, Senior Doctrine Developer Saudi Arabian NG Modernization Program; This book is heavy, scholarly and controversial. The author explores culture, nationalism and imperialism through the prism of literature. You will need to be very open minded when you read this and in some cases you will find yourself both enlightened and yet disgusted. Set this aside and think about what the author conveys from the position of an "Arab_American". As an American working in the Middle East I have found this book extremely helpful. This book will not be an easy weekend read. You will need to plan on taking some time to think about this book and digest what the author presents. If your highly patriotic or nationalistic in your inclination, you will definately need to set aside some extra time to get over the emotional impact that this book may have on you

This work is one of Edward Said's best , in fact, Culture and Imperialism is better than Orientalism. The overarching theme is the interconnection between culture and society be it in the past or the present. His aim is not to disparage the West but to show how one's identity is more or less determined by one's relationship with the Other ( the third world). His obeservations on this relationship, the other and the west is quite enlightening. Contrary to what have been written, this is not an apologia for Islamicism ( Islamic Fundamentalists), he is indeed critical of fundamentalists of any stripe. Said is a secularist so it would be nonsensical for him to support a fundamentalist government. While he is critical of the West(rightfully so), he does acknowledge the undemocratic nature of Middle Eastern governments. His love for liberty and justice convinces the reader that he is sincere in his condemnation of Islamicism. This book is needed to be read carefully but once you're done reading you'll be glad to have done so.[....]

This is certainly an overhyped book, and in fact there are a great many scholars that have investigated this material before; it's just that Said manages to get it all in one book, and makes it a pleasure to read. I suppose we now have to ask whether this economically and educationally priviledged male is genuinely on the side of the oppressed people in economically depressed 'third world' nations. Something tells me that he more than occassionally finds something attractive in what he claims is the litearture of conquest. There are of course more original voices working in post-colonial cultural studies today, but it is doubtful if any of them write with such clarity and assurance as Said.