Using mainly British, French, and American sources, the author examines how the Orient (principally Egypt and Palestine) has been represented in the West since the end of the eighteenth century, and how that representation has been constructed.  His method is especially interesting because he doesn't attempt to show how the Orient really is, instead taking the view that all representations are versions.  First published in 1978, this 2003 edition also allows him to consider the reaction to the original book.