The author opened the book by basically saying "I am not a historian, I am a story teller aiming for historical accuracy." The writing style was accessible to those who might not be all that into the biblical style of dry historical writing exhibited in many of the textbooks I had to read.
It read like it was meant to encourage interest in the subject for people who might not have a strictly historical background, as well as call for further research from actual historians. Kind of like a podcast.
I don't fully understand some of the complaints, but to each their own. Oh well. I enjoyed it.