The rule is: the latter of two, the last of three or more.
Mon Dieu, Boston Globe! Eet ees to roll les yeuxes!
Yes, of course. Since the author correctly used "latter" here -- in a list of four (Rakove, Main, Gruber, and Roth), there are two threes: the former (Rakove, Main, and Gruber) and the latter (Main, Gruber, and Roth) -- I'm left wondering why you brought it up. ;-)