I have the Mahabharat in English, the only complete translated without abridgement; from the 1880s by one Kishor Mohan Ganguli. I’ve read two or three other translations but they are all abridged. This one is vast. Much of the material is covered in various Puranas as well. I agree with this description of Vedic shastra - there is no other body of scripture in the world that is as vast, consistent and exacting.
I have not read that version, but have long loved, and many times re-read Kamala Subramaniam’s rendition (as well as her Ramayana and Shrimad Bhagavatam).
Personally, I generally love history, but I couldn’t care less whether this most holy of books and most sweeping of epics is rooted in history or not. Nothing could matter less. If the Mahabharata does not move someone in its own right, they are not really alive.