I kept not finishing book 30 but eventually…

I kept not finishing book 30 but eventually did it today. My final impression of this well researched, handsomely designed and laid-out book of an important historical event is quite positive. Although I feel that along the way the main threads regularly got distracted by very detailed recounts of the background information and lost the momentum several times, the ending brings all the lines back to a strong crescendo. I applaud the clarity, the hard research work, the conscientious documentation, and the palpable sincerity and earnestness.