For me, a well-written science history contains three things. It establishes the context for the discoveries and developments. It accurately describes the relevant details of the experiments so that the results, interpretations and conclusions can be understood. Finally, it discusses the implications of the developments. The author accomplishes all three to my satisfaction in this book.
The story of gravity involves many subplots. Each part contributes a piece to the developing concept of gravity. The author skillfully weaves the pieces into a coherent story. Along the way he presents details that challenge common misconceptions about gravity, clarifies myths about the familiar personalities who have demystified aspects of gravity and introduces less familiar but influential contributors to our still-evolving understanding of gravity.
The book is comprehensive enough to satisfy my requirements for a well-written science history, but not so over-burdened with detail that it becomes cumbersome to follow the main plot. It reads like a suspense story for a reader who's interested in science history.