Was it ever raveled? :P Rather than a tale of engineering--good or bad--perhaps we should look at this thing through the lens of psychology and organizations.

Was it ever raveled? :P Rather than a tale of engineering--good or bad--perhaps we should look at this thing through the lens of psychology and organizations. Namely, the contortions of thought and (non-)feedback that happens in the proximity of a king with grandiose plans, an enormous amount of cash to disburse, and a penchant for assassinating dissidents.