I do hope all this talk of author-lynching isn't a reflection on the perceived quality of the manuscript, I was looking forward to this manual... 
It's just nerves. The book has been a long time coming and I think we're all looking forward to it and hoping everyone finds what they want in it.
I can't wait.
Now when was torture ever really about getting information..?
But something less grim: I'm thrilled about the book - and I'm luckily always very thrilled about new material but very un-sceptical when I first have it. 
As Mark L says, it's just the authors getting nervous. It's a natural reaction when people are getting all excited about something they haven't seen yet.
No, it's a comment on how much interest the book has in advance of hitting the shelves, which is far higher than I've seen on many others of comparable type, like City and Guild, or Art and Academe, that's all. 8)
As to the quality of the manuscript, I think it's very solid and its mechanics work well.
It's not as experimental as, say, Faeries or Hoh:MC, in terms of its rule expansions. You can see in the TOC it uses the Agency rules, which have been used for magical collaborators (HoH:S) and trading companies (C&G) so we know they work. It has the advantage that we have all seen excellent books covering nobility before, which means that we can leap ahead with nobles in the same way that the line's authors found new things to do with Mysteries, trade guilds, and Hermetic Houses, the second time around. It really is easier to write a book when another book has scouted the terrain for you.
That being said, this isn't Ordo Nobilis : Revised Edition, or the Ars Magica version of Pendragon, both of which I've seen it compared to. Both of those rocked, but this book is, from the point of initial design up, deliberately different, and I suppose it makes me nervous, because I wouldn't like people to expect that and then get what we have written instead.
Basically, I'm happy if people have read the TOC and gone "This is great!". I'm just a little nervous about some people who have said "This is great!" but then give reasons which aren't coming from the TOC. 8)
In a week or so, once the book is out, we can all explore the material together, but for now, I'm just getting some butterflies because I don't think I've seen people so keyed up for a supplement, ever.
Mark, David and Timothy:
Thanks for the replies. I wouldn't worry too much about it though, it's been awhile since MoH was debuted and I think everyone's just excited about seeing a shiny new Ars Magica book on their FLGS' shelves...
It looks like my copies cleared customs this morning. Should be with me soon...
Mark, I've ahd mine for a few days now...strange! Your customs must be really on the ball...
And yet my playtesting copies -- also coming to the UK -- arrived at the beginning of last week. Curiouser and curiouser...
Mark (S)
The only viable logical explanation is that I can't be bribing the right official.
Bought mine in Orcs Nest this lunchtime - joy!
Got one at my FLGS in Albany, NY on Tuesday, June 1st.
-DC
They've arrived! And don't they look great? I'm going to enjoy reading this one all over again.
Nice work.