The Fourth Part of the World: The Epic Story of Historys Greatest Map

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Since Asia was mostly known to be a northerly continent, that last was still presumed to be part of Asia, but the Spanish mainland, in the tropics, was starting to look like something else again. In a ne In , new world maps were something of a booming business. In a new map was published, designed to put together all the pieces of the world, as they were becoming known.

It was a large map, meant to be mounted and used as huge wall map, and it marked the southern landmass "America", after Amerigo Vespucci, who was known to have visited the landmass a year before Columbus did on his third voyage by a letter written by him that was being reprinted across Europe. The map, made to be used, largely disappeared, and it was only in the nineteenth century that its existence as the first use of the word "America" for the New World was discovered. Toby Lester's book is about this map—and everything else that led to it. This begins with medieval mappaemundi , and works its way through Marco Polo, the Italian and German humanists, and the dawn of the Age of Exploration.

It's a very entertaining and informative book all the way, and gives a good overview of the careers of Columbus and Vespucchi, and explains the letter that has caused much gnashing of teeth over the centuries, and kept Columbus from being a major cartographical feature, even if it did not keep him out of the history books. It is most likely not written by Vespucci at all. It takes pieces of two of his letters, some details from one of Columbus' reports, adds sex and cannibals, and did a brisk business for local printing presses across the continent. It's kind of a early-sixteenth century equivalent to the DaVinci Code.

Nov 06, Hilary rated it it was amazing. I love this book--in the interest of full disclosure I edited it at the Free Press--but I've been crazy about it since I saw the proposal ages ago. The book itself is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of maps and pictures—some in vivid color—that allow us into the strikingly different consciousnesses of people who lived a thousand years ago and the strikingly familiar imaginations of people living five hundred years later.

Each map adds a new facet to the epic narrative. Sep 30, Jay rated it it was amazing. This is one of those books calculated to warm the heart of a cartographer and excite the pulse of an historian. Since I am both, I loved it!

The Fourth Part of the World by Toby Lester: review - Telegraph

It's like one of those Simon Winchester books that takes many seemingly unrelated events and people, and shows how they came together to produce a history-changing result. In fact, it's the history of the way Europe's perception of This is one of those books calculated to warm the heart of a cartographer and excite the pulse of an historian.

In fact, it's the history of the way Europe's perception of the world, and man's place in it, evolved from the days of Ptolemy through the Renaissance. I can't recommend this book too highly for anyone with a desire to learn how our modern knowledge of the world's geography, and our place in it, was born. Dec 05, Michelle rated it really liked it Shelves: At first I wondered how Lester was going to fill pages with the story of the Waldseemuller map.

I'm glad I stuck around to find out--instead of just the story of a map, I was treated to a wonderful exploration of an evolving worldview--just HOW our modern conception of the continents began to dawn upon the Europeans in the beginning of the age of exploration. From Mongol hordes to monasteries, humanists to self-promoting explorers, Lester lays it all out with style. Very rewarding pages At first I wondered how Lester was going to fill pages with the story of the Waldseemuller map. Very rewarding pages after all.

I especially liked making connections with the fun bio of Joanna of Naples I just read--having fun with intersections like Petrarch, Boccacio and Florentine merchants. Dec 01, Leanne rated it really liked it. One of the earlier maps to to incorporate new data gleaned from the voyages of Columbus and Vespucci, it is said to be the first map to name a place called America. When it was purchased, it was nicknamed "America's birth certificate.

Incredibly detailed it basically presents everything you will need to gain an understanding of the history of European cartography. While I agree with one of the reviewers here who stated that there is no real new information, the book is so wonderfully written and doesn't leave any stone unturned. Haven't you wondered why the continent wasn't called Columbia after the person we associate with America's discovery? This is the story and it also illuminates all the various ancient and medieval theories that informed Columbus and Vespucci's discovery Jan 04, Thomas rated it it was amazing.

Really good read, lots of great historical information with lots of great source material. I have more books I now need to read. The book flows very well, with a great cast of historical figures they never taught us about in school. Well worth the time. This is a detailed history of the paired development of geography and cartography through the middle ages, the Renaissance rediscovery of classical texts, the so-called "Age of Discovery," and the early 16th century.

I bookmarked too many pages containing interesting facts and insights to be able to share them. The conventional wisdom about what Europeans did and didn't know about the earth is picked apart here.

As with so many issues of the early modern era, we see a bizarre juxtaposition of th This is a detailed history of the paired development of geography and cartography through the middle ages, the Renaissance rediscovery of classical texts, the so-called "Age of Discovery," and the early 16th century. As with so many issues of the early modern era, we see a bizarre juxtaposition of the modern and reasonable "the earth must be round because the lookout spots land before a man on deck" and the completely mythical Europeans' unquashable belief in Prester John.

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Paired with their ignorance of North and South America and the East was their total certainty about the existence of a literal and historical Heavenly Paradise in the Far East, Hy-Brasil, and other significant geographical features that only ever existed as rumors. And to top off their outlandish ideas about the world outside Europe, medieval Europeans also lacked the technology to explore and believed that staying home and ratiocinating over the Bible was an adequate way to deduce the shape of the earth.

The book shows how their fuzzy and fanciful mental map of the world was overturned through technology and thinking through the ramifications of Europeans' voyages of exploration, to emerge in the 16th century as something we can recognize as a correct world map.

The Fourth Part of the World : The Epic Story of History's Greatest Map

The book is ostensibly about a single map, but I wouldn't call it a microhistory in the sense of tracing something small through a large expanse of space or time. Instead, it's more a straight-up history of the development of an idea during a particular era. I would note, though, that it doesn't make a very good ebook due to the important illustrations.

Nov 18, Tuck rated it it was amazing Shelves: Looks at maps and humanists from 's to 's, delves into the movement of people both physically and intellectually plus so much more. Aug 16, Jeff rated it it was amazing Recommended to Jeff by: One of the most entertaining and informative books I've read in some time, can't say enough about how much I enjoyed reading it.

Names from grade-school days like Vespucci, Marco Polo, Copernicus, Genghis Khan, da Gama and Columbus collide and come alive here, their adventures, exploits and discoveries richly recounted and complemented by plenty of ancient maps and illustrations The graphics are perhaps the best part of this book. Our world is mapped and digitized to the extent one can know hi One of the most entertaining and informative books I've read in some time, can't say enough about how much I enjoyed reading it. We've looked at finely-detailed maps and globes since we could walk.

Space and the invisible microworlds are what come to my mind as the unknown frontiers. As noted recently in Outside magazine, GPS, the internet and other technologies have rendered the days of epic travel yarns and embellishments pretty much over.

The Fourth Part of the World will let you imagine again, and discover the world beyond Europe one voyage, one map, many fables and tall tales at a time. Piece together the known world bit by bit, starting with maps speculating at the location of the "monstrous races" up through the first to use the term "America," the Waldseemuller map eventually purchased by the Library of Congress for ten million dollars.

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Sep 20, Jolene rated it it was amazing. This is my first reading of a non fiction book and I really enjoyed it. My guide recommended this book because it tells the story of how the map came about and how it was found. Research revealed that the map had been made but no one could find one. People hunted for one for hundreds of years until one was finally found in in an obscure castle in Germany.

Finally in , USA paid 1 million dollars for it This is my first reading of a non fiction book and I really enjoyed it. Finally in , USA paid 1 million dollars for it because it is the first map that identifies the American continent reasonably well and names it America.

The book teaches how exploration and map making progressed from when people thought there were only 3 places, Asia, Africa and Europe and the rest of the earth was hidden and forbidden. A very readable book. I got caught up in the story. Nov 24, Jenny T rated it it was amazing Shelves: A delicious, well-written book about the history of map-making as it relates to the "discovery" of the Americas.

The author begins by introducing the most expensive historical document ever purchased publicly: From there, the author discusses the history of maps, from ancient times through the invent A delicious, well-written book about the history of map-making as it relates to the "discovery" of the Americas. From there, the author discusses the history of maps, from ancient times through the invention of the printing press and the voyages of Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci.

Filled with historical anecdotes Saint Brendan! Feb 08, Bookmarks Magazine rated it really liked it Shelves: Many reviewers stressed early on that Lester's book offers more of a historical detective story than a narrative built around exciting characters of the past. But they were also consistently impressed with the way he could draw in readers by bringing together what might otherwise seem to be a miscellaneous collection of observations and tales.

Above all, critics came away impressed with the way that all maps provide insight into the character of a culture. All the more true, then, for one as imp Many reviewers stressed early on that Lester's book offers more of a historical detective story than a narrative built around exciting characters of the past.

All the more true, then, for one as important as this. This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine. Aug 22, Jon Fish rated it really liked it. An amazing, accessible account of the European quest to understand the geography of the world in the Middle Ages. Every paragraph contains some new piece of information that forced me to rethink my perceptions of Medieval Europeans, geography, religion, and history. If nothing else, read this book to shake the notion that Medieval Europeans thought the world was flat until Columbus, and that explorers like Columbus, Polo, and Vespucci were altruistic voyagers with a thirst for truth like academi An amazing, accessible account of the European quest to understand the geography of the world in the Middle Ages.

If nothing else, read this book to shake the notion that Medieval Europeans thought the world was flat until Columbus, and that explorers like Columbus, Polo, and Vespucci were altruistic voyagers with a thirst for truth like academics instead of bold men living within their context. You do not need to be a history buff to appreciate the thoroughly-researched yet coherent text. May 15, Brett rated it it was amazing Shelves: This book is a masterpiece. Starting with a few questions about a once lost map, Lester stretches the canvas, so to speak, and draws us into a broader discussion of early cartography and the Age of Discovery.

This is History at its best. Rather than feeling like a doctoral thesis This book is a masterpiece. Rather than feeling like a doctoral thesis full of mind numbing minutiae, this book creates an intriguing, visual story of the world that was.

The Fourth Part of the World by Toby Lester: review

Dec 27, Emilyadamc rated it it was amazing. This was one of the best sourced, well written, informative books I have ever read. It covers a broad range of time and fills in so many gaps in history. Instead of glossing over minuscule historic events, it delves into them revealing history that I had never even heard of. Or if I had, I had always heard it incorrectly. This book is now on my top 3 historical book list. It has opened up an entire world of history and people for me to learn even more about. I was intrigued throughout the entire This was one of the best sourced, well written, informative books I have ever read.

I was intrigued throughout the entire book and was sad when I was done. Dec 08, Ken rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: When I read the subtitle of this book, I expected to be let down a little. This was truly an epic story about the naming of America. Forget all you know about the discovery of the New World. Unbelievably detailed, and written in an authoritative narrative, Toby Lester reconstructs the mapping of the world from medieval days in a way that will challenge the modern mind to look at the world in a different way.

This is a good read chock a block full of history - great kings and khans, the voyages to the "Indies" , the familiar explorers and not so familiar, the maps and map makers, the philosophers, the primary documents lost and found. This is a intriguing cartographical journey and it begins with a beloved word: The book has a wonderful set of illustrations so much so I wished I were reading the hard back edition. Dec 29, Wesley Fryer rated it it was amazing Shelves: I absolutely loved this book!

This book fuses history, geography, economics, and politics together in a delightful tale. I learned a great deal about the Age of Exploration as a result of reading it. Nov 22, Liz rated it really liked it Shelves: I loved this book. I'm not a big non fiction reader. This book was fascinating from the beginning. Ancient maps, how they were created, how America got it's name.

It's all in here. Jun 03, Adam Wilsman added it. Prologue- Discusses map in which America is given its name. Among first to see that America was distinct and not a part of Asia and seemingly predicted its being surrounded by water almost ten years before the pacific was discovered. It wasn't until Columbus' third voyage that he set foot on the continent: It was only in after Vasco Nunez de Balboa had first caught sight if the Pacific that Europeans began to conceive of the new world as a separate continent. Columbus Prologue- Discusses map in which America is given its name.

Columbus died believing he had reached the vicinity of Japan and china. Vespucci too thought this. In Magellan confirmed new continent. Ancient Greek proofs of the earth as spherical had survived into the Middle Ages and we're circulating in Europe. Discuss the world as Medieval Europeans saw it: Maps were one oriented with East being on top. Show students such a map. Lester shows us corpses, cannibals and naked nymphomaniacs.

There is looting and pillage, seduction and sedition; this is no dusty tome. We journey from dingy garrets to the farthest spheres of Aristotelian space. In short, he is an example of a phenomenon increasingly embarrassing to professional historians: Who knew you found those things so interesting? The intriguing story of a map, drawn in by a German cartographer, that was the first to depict the New World, including America. That he relates it all so cleanly and cogently—via elegant prose, relaxed erudition, measured pacing, and purposeful architecture—is a feat.

Product details Format Hardback pages Dimensions x x 44mm Looking for beautiful books? Visit our Beautiful Books page and find lovely books for kids, photography lovers and more. Review quote A masterpiece of cartographic literature that will be of lasting importance -- Simon Winchester The right technology at the right time can change the world.

Toby Lester has written a page-turning story of the creation of what amounts to a sixteenth century Google Earth, a revolutionary way to see the world. It inspired generations of explorers then and will inspire readers now. It's the map of the world they have in their minds. A barbarian's map marks the spot of just a few things: A civilized person tries to see the world as a whole. Toby Lester's brilliant work explains how Western Europeans ceased to be a horde of pillaging bloggers and blow-hards intellectually speaking and became upstanding citizens intellectually speaking of Western Civilization.

In Toby Lester's capable hands, this celebrated depiction becomes a kind of Rosetta stone for the entire Age of Discovery. The complex artistry of the beautiful German map that first identified 'America' five centuries ago provides, for a truly imaginative writer, the opportunity to tell a wonderful and exciting story. Toby Lester, seizing this opportunity, has risen to the occasion brilliantly, creating a masterpiece of cartographic literature that will be of lasting importance.

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