One of the largest reasons why I appreciated this book was because of Baptist's dedication to keeping a steadfast and contained narration. Much of history is written arrogantly, that is to say, it is written in a way that aligns the narrator with the presentation of the work as if the separation of the two is not relevant nor required. To be able to sustain such a strong narration throughout such a long book was impressive, especially because he's constantly piecing together multiple historical accounts and narratives, documents, and facts.
It is a unique experience and if you have the patience, I strongly recommend.