⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  A Map of the World fascinated me! The novel had so much to offer in the many risks and conceived plots that followed along the entire journey. In some ways, I was reminded of The Red Violin in how we follow an important object through distinct and fascinating events. The production of the book in terms of cover and inner design only helped improve the positive experience. I'm left in awe by Weingold's talent and determination. I sincerely hope he writes more novels soon. He deserves great success in the near future. —Writer's Digest

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A good, engrossing read, telling parallel stories of a 16th-century Dutch orphan who becomes a printer and engraver, and of a 21st-century Bay Area couple, the husband an art appraiser and the wife a grade-school teacher and daughter of Holocaust survivors. The link between the stories is a bloodstained map, a copy of a world map from Ortelius' atlas of 1570 which makes its way to a San Francisco fine-art sale in 2015. The strongest part of the book for me were the insights into a period of history relatively unknown to me —the brutal efforts of Philip II of Spain to retain Catholic control of the Netherlands in the wake of the Protestant Reformation— and the well-researched details of 16th-century manuscript illumination, printmaking, and calligraphy. A worthwhile reading experience.

—Paperback review by Julian Lopez-Morillas on GoodReads

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Great and Moving Adventure Through History! Just finished reading the last few wonderful and moving chapters. There was never a moment during the entire read, in which I was not fully captivated by the three intertwined stories, completely enthralled with every word and totally involved with the well-defined characters Highly recommend!!

—Paperback review by Marilyn Wagner on Amazon

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  A compelling narrative. This is an outstanding novel. From the opening lines one will find it hard to put down! The author is as comfortable in 16th century Europe as in 21st century San Francisco, and the narrative effortlessly bridges these gaps of time and geography, urging us forward, turning each page a little more quickly. This is a novel of the human spirit across time and space, in the face of unspeakable horrors and bigotry and oppression, and in resurgence and survival. It is rare to find an author whose narrative runs seamlessly between events of history, historical memory, and contemporary times: I was put in mind of the playwright Tom Stoppard (a personal favorite) and the way his plays often successfully interweave past and present into a cohesive whole. Do read this novel! You will not be disappointed.

—Paperback review by Pamela L. Vaughn on Amazon

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  A historical mystery novel. Map of the World (with all faults) is a wonderful read. This is a mystery that spans centuries with several separate story lines. These stories are intertwined and the mysteries involved in each story line are all resolved in the 21st Century. The characters in the novel are written as people that I could care about and concerned that they would survive the hardships of their lives. I enjoyed this novel so much I am purchasing several copies as gifts for my friends.

—Paperback review by Bonnie Barberini on Amazon

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A deliciously fun page turner! A Map of the World (With All Faults) is a real page turner, and I had a hard time putting it down at night. It was a thrilling ride from start to finish, and I loved the way it bounced back and forth between time periods. Tons of great historical insight as well!

—Paperback review by Robin Moore on Amazon

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hard to put down. A very interesting and captivating read. Wonderfully written and I highly recommend this book. —Anonymous paperback review on Amazon

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hope despite the many faults of a brutalized world. Ed Weingold's first novel makes an impressive entry into hearts and minds of its readers. The authors creates an intricate tapestry of four different historical periods and four main characters all tightly interwoven and bound together by a single blood-stained map. The author develops these subplots with exquisite, diligently researched details on a wide range of topics: life in a Benedictine monastery, early cartography and engraving practices, the Spanish occupation of the Netherlands, the Spanish Inquisition, the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands and the Dutch Resistance, to name just a few. However, the novel is primarily character driven, and the author succeeds in developing our interest, empathy, and concern for the fates of each of his main characters. We feel their fear, anguish, guilt, and self-doubt as they struggle to survive, to hope, and to love during some of the most horrifying chapters in human history. The themes of religious intolerance, prejudice, human cruelty, and violence are vividly developed in the novel, and we cannot separate those dark themes from what is happening in our 21st century world. Yet, the author also leaves us with a glowing ember of hope for healing, reconciliation, tolerance, understanding, and even transcendence that inspires us to face and resist those dark forces today.

—Paperback review by Stephen R. Foltz on Barnes & Noble

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Captivating writing. A solid and inventive plot and characters well drawn.

—Kindle review by G. C. Vachon

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  An Historical Feast. Wiengold’s tale is a real tour de force. A rollicking roller coaster ride of a novel, transcending time and space. And yet, in spite of its breadth and depth, the author’s attention to detail and his adept use of language make every moment sparkle with color and sound. It is at once emotionally gripping and sweetly sentimental. The story will stay with you long after you finish it.

—Kindle review by Tod Connor

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  A compelling historical novel that is hard to put down. I was gifted a copy of this wonderful historical novel by the author's brother. As expected, it turned out to be real “page turner.” Spanning over 400 years, the story weaves its way from the Spanish Inquisition in the Netherlands in the 16th Century, through occupied Holland in WWII to 21st Century San Francisco where a bloodstained map shows up in an auction. The history of the making of the map as part of the first book of maps printed, and how it eventually came to light in the modern era is a fascinating tale. The characters in this dramatic tableau are compelling and I found it difficult to put down the book as I was drawn into anticipating each coming event.

—Hardcover review by Natalie Pincus on Amazon

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  An Historical Novel that carries the reader along. This book was a wonderful historical novel wrapped with technical expertise delivered with imagination. It is such a interesting premise to follow the characters associated with the map over the centuries.

—Kindle review by Les White

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Solid and complete! This novel runs the gamut from the Spanish Inquisition, through the Dutch experience in the Second World War, to present-day anti-Semitism, and takes essential and scholarly side trips into the creation of art, the mind of the artist, and the book business, both past and present. What a treat! It carried me along, and I enjoyed every page.

—Kindle review by David Brick

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Great Historical Fiction. I enjoy historical fiction and “A Map of the World (with all it faults)” did not disappoint. In fact if kept me up late a few nights because I wanted to see what was coming next. The novel covers over 400 years of history from the Renaissance and the Spanish Inquisition, through World War II and the Nazi terror to the twenty first century intrigue of the art world. Along the way Mr. Weingold develops strong characters and relationships in all the eras. The vehicle for this journey is a blood stained map rescued from a Dutch family that saved a Jewish girl from the Dutch SS. You learn the history of the map, part of the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, created by Brabantian cartographer, Abraham Ortelius. We follow the map from the copper plate engraving by a young Dutch orphan to its home in World War II Netherlands and finally revealed to the ancestor of the Jewish girl as it comes to auction in the San Francisco area. There is intrigue and action in every place the map resides. The novel also reminds us that some things have not changed. The hate and evil of the Spanish Inquisition, carried on in the rise of Nazi power, and exists still today as demonstrated in much of the world’s news. The book is a challenging read because of the history it spans. However, the author places a list of characters at the end of the book that makes the time shifts and connections easier. I am happy to recommended this book.

—Kindle review by Carlyle L. Washburn

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  History repeats so pay attention. This historical novel is a real page-turner. Well written with good character development it alternates stories between 16 century Holland, WW2 and the present. The thread that stitches them together is the world's first relatively accurate atlas, the Terrarum Orbis Theatrum and ancestral lineage of some of the characters. Well researched and fast paced, it will keep you saying "Oh just one more chapter for tonight". Enjoy!

—Anonymous Kindle review

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Exciting Historical Novel, Highly Recommended. I just finished reading "A Map of the World (with All Faults)". This historical novel spans many centuries, from the Renaissance, to the second World War in Europe, to the present day in Northern California. What ties it all together is a map of the world, published in the 1500's in Holland, and illustrated by a young master engraver. The map weaves its way through some amazing stories and relationships across all those centuries. The reader is treated to a wide-ranging exploration of Renaissance printmaking, the Spanish occupation of Europe that brought the world the Spanish Inquisition, and the story of two brothers and a young girl whose fates are tied together during the Second World War. The couple who unfold this story are contemporary Northern Californians, an agent for collectors of Renaissance prints and his wife, the only living heir to the legacy of the engraver of the 1500's. This book is beautifully written, rich in historical detail, and boasts some very interesting characters and emotional, tense story lines. It had me in tears a few times, and I couldn't put it down. Also I learned so much about historical events and places that I knew little about. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good story.

—Kindle review by Kim Tyler

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  A most memorable debut novel. This book is a significant 1st novel, years in the making by an author approaching his 80th birthday. It is a work of historical fiction centered on an ancient map printed in the Netherlands in the mid 1500s, disfigured/defaced by the Nazis in the 1940s, and presented for auction in California in 2016. The book is presented in short alternating chapters relating these events through 3 families: the coming-of- age story of Jonas Hoen, a young Dutch orphan turned map maker; the life stories of 2 Dutch brothers, Pim and Michael Dijkstra, whose father’s blood stained the map; and, a middle-aged California couple, Owen and Patricia Spencer, who have both personal and professional ties to the map. When these alternating and disparate stories converge in the latter part of this book, get ready for a can’t-put-it-down all-night read. This book is factually informative, unfailingly interesting, very readable, and most thought-provoking.

—Paperback review by Al Schwartz

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