© Columbia University Press
Military Orientalism: Eastern War Through Western Eyes
July, 2009
Cloth, 256 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-231-15414-7
$25.00
"Effectively challenges conventional cultural analyses . . . recommended. " — Choice
"Overall, Military Orientalism is a ... well-researched and thoughtful examination of the many misinterpretations by the military." — May-Lee Chai, Asian Affairs
"This is an accessible and well-written book for a wide range of audiences. The author has a solid grasp of the historical material and has bravely tackled a contentious yet persistent issue—Orientalism—through the lens of military conflict, and the reader is wiser as a result" — Dave Clemente, International Affairs
"Military Orientalism seeks to expose the perils of using culture as a means to understanding war, whether it unfolds in the East or (implicitly) closer to home. It is a rich and wide-ranging text that displays a depth of historical reading to good effect and is beautifully written." — Daniel Neep, University of Exeter
"This important new book takes a fresh and detailed look at the role of culture, culturalism, ethnocentrism, and perceptions of the 'other' in strategy. It should be required reading for any strategist or student of international affairs who seeks to understand the complex hybrid conflicts in which we now find ourselves." — David Kilcullen, author of The Accidental Guerilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One
"This is a timely and important book. It is timely because culture shapes the conflicts in which we find ourselves engaged as never before. It is important because smartly, comprehensively, and systematically it demolishes the dangerous myth that the enemies of the West are archaic curiosities or medieval throwbacks from another era. This is a message that the West needs to take to heart—and soon." — Christopher Coker, London School of Economics
"Patrick Porter's skeptical but constructive approach to the 'cultural turn' in strategic studies and practice is the principal argument that is thus far missing from public official and scholarly debate. Military Orientalism is a provocative challenge to those among us who have embraced a cultural theory of strategy too enthusiastically and uncritically. This timely book is a must-read corrective to the fallacies in the current unduly cultural strategic orthodoxy." — Colin Gray, University of Reading
"Taking on those who see a distinct ‘Occidental’ way of war, Patrick Porter demolishes Western notions of ‘the Orient.’ He shows how, in reality, those notions make a hopeless mess of Arab Islamic, Chinese, and Japanese ways in warfare. Next he demonstrates how, in reality, ‘Oriental’ ways of war are often the expression not of some alien culture but of rational strategic thought. Finally, he explains how the West has often used its notions concerning Oriental methods in order to define itself and justify its own brutal behavior. Well written and easy to read, this slim volume has something original to say on practically every page. I wish I had the wit to write it myself." — Martin van Creveld, author of The Sword and the Olive: A Critical History of the Israeli Defense Force and The Rise and Decline of the State