What is the author's tone in A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman?

The names are confusing because sons and nephews are so often named for their fathers and uncles. This means there are other means for identification—Charles the Bad, for example. The author sometimes identifies people early on and later refers to them by a first or last name only, further adding to the confusion. In addition, Enguerrand VI of Coucy, the main character of this book, is referred to by first name only or as Enguerrand VI until chapter eleven when the author suddenly begins referring to him as "Coucy," then reverts back to Enguerrand with no explanation or apparent reason for the change.