Although dense in facts it's a book you can read and not have to re-read the sentences to grasp the detail and context. It is something you can put down and come back to and learn something new without having to retrace your steps to refresh where you are in the book. It is a huge undertaking - the scope is enormous - but having read most of Gregory's historic novels has helped to see where she has culled and used her research material and feel comfortable with what is stated. Gregory can't resist passing a subjective comment from time to time, which arguably makes it a non-academic tome, but I found myself heartily agreeing with some of her heartfelt responses. ( )