The Orientalism debate, inspired by the work of Edward Said, has been a major source of cross-disciplinary controversy in recent years. John Mackenzie offers a comprehensive re-evaluation of the vast literature on Orientalism, bringing to the subject some highly original historical perspectives. The book provides the first major discussion of Orientalism by a historian of imperialism. Setting the analysis within the context of conflicting scholarly interpretations, Mackenzie carries the discussion into wholly new areas, testing the notion that the Western arts received genuine inspiration from the East by examining the visual arts, architecture, design, music, and theater.