-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
The Race to the Ends of the Earth, and the Epic Story of the Map That Gave America Its Name
by Toby Lester
The Fourth Part of the World is an epic adventure story about the creation of the map that introduced Europe to America and ushered in the New World.
"With the excitement and exhilaration of an explorer, Atlantic contributor Lester sets off on his own journey of discovery across the seas of cartography and history." - Publishers Weekly
"Lester provides an engrossing adventure for both general and informed lay readers...[T]his is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in cartography, the Age of Exploration, or European intellectual history." - Library Journal
"Lester could easily have written a fine book focused more narrowly on the creation of the Waldseemüller map ... Instead, he has told the genuinely epic story of Europe’s quest to explore the unknown, using the Waldseemüller map as his chart. In pursuit of that historical quest, few books could provide a surer guide." - The Sunday Times (UK)
"Toby Lester has done American history the greatest service by writing this elegant and thoughtful account of the one morsel of cartographic history that would shake the world's foundations. We are told that this is his first book: may we hope that he writes many more, for his is a rare and masterly talent." - Amazon, Simon Winchester
This information about The Fourth Part of the World was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Toby Lester is a contributing editor to and has written for The Atlantic on subjects that include the sociology of new religions, the attempt to reconstruct ancient Greek music, the struggle to change alphabets in Azerbaijan, and the chance harmonies of everyday sounds. His work has also been featured on the radio show This American Life. This is his first book.
If you liked The Fourth Part of the World, try these:
by Sophie Gilbert
Published 2026
From Atlantic critic and Pulitzer Prize finalist Sophie Gilbert, a blazing critique of early aughts pop culture.
by John Carreyrou
Published 2020
The full inside story of the breathtaking rise and shocking collapse of Theranos, the multibillion-dollar biotech startup, by the prize-winning journalist who first broke the story and pursued it to the end, despite pressure from its charismatic CEO and threats by her lawyers.
by Brian McCullough
Published 2018
Tech-guru Brian McCullough delivers a rollicking history of the internet, why it exploded, and how it changed everything.
L.A. Women by Ella Berman
Two ambitious writers in 1960s LA face betrayal when one writes a novel based on the other's life.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
