Hello,
Of course, there are several ways of writing a Wikipedia language version's history, if that is the objective. Andrew Lih's work I wouldn't call sloppy, but rather an essayist approach as it suits well in the world of journalism. As a historian I would do things different, certainly.
Deliberating on the writing of Wikipedia history, I once asked myself: a what history would that be? A history of growing articles, a history of a community, a history of something else? What are the elements that would correspond to social history or constitutional history in a different context? What sources are availbale, which one do you want to use, how will that affect your goals...
I don't know what you are exactly looking for, but for writing history, one should in the beginning ask oneself what the history will exactly be about.
Kind regards Ziko