Written in 1921 by an immigrant from Holland to the United States, The Story of Mankind tells the history of Western civilization from an American/ European perspective. The book covers a wide scope of times and locations, ranging from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome to early twentieth-century Europe, Russia, and the United States.

The action begins with the first appearance of humanity on the earth, and then covers four thousand years of recorded history to the conclusion of World War I. An updated version of The Story of Mankind extends the record into the late twentieth century. Throughout, the book traces the ascent of humankind from simple prehistoric beings to complex, creative peoples, using theories of evolution and the survival of the fittest to explain this "struggle toward civilization."