....This thread is certainly one of the most enjoyable in quite a while, IMO.
I happen to agree (or, at least, mostly so) with Exanda on the subject. Reading through the piece: Yes, it gave a fair impression of Palpatine's life, and had many citations - but there seemed to be little purpose or commentary behind it, as are most actual biographies of characters or people. The passing of time, the bias of the author, etc., always add additional elements which make the work seem much more interesting than a bald résumé or grocery-list of facts.
That being said, some of the information was new to myself (not about his admirations nor his supposed use of "Battle Meditation"😉 and it did give a rather thorough résumé of his life and interactions.