ɪnðə spɛktˈeɪɾɚ, mˈiːnwaɪl, ˈæntəni bˈiːvɚ nˈoʊɾᵻd ðə bˈʊks "skˈɑːlɚʃˌɪp ænd ɑːbdʒɪktˈɪvᵻɾi," ˈædɪŋ ðætˈɪt "ˈɔːlsoʊ mˌeɪks ɐ fˈæsᵻnˌeɪɾɪŋ stˈoːɹi."
In the Spectator, meanwhile, Antony Beevor noted the book's "scholarship and objectivity," adding that it "also makes a fascinating story."