This book was outstanding as the first full-fledged book of modern history among the conventional chronicle books or those of historical investigations, although it was lacking an empirical criticism of historical materials (However, the third volume was unfinished.)
実証的な史料批判の不十分さはあるものの、日本初の本格的な現代史書としてこれまでの編年史・考証史とは一線を画した（ただし、下巻は未完に終わる）。