The book leaves no race or culture untouched as it explores the invention of such things as writing, machinery, and nuclear weapons. In addition, van Loon explains the dominant themes of war, survival, culture, and religion which are common to so many past and present civilizations. By focusing on such a variety of races and ideologies, van Loon substantiates his own view that ".. . history is like life. The more things change, the more they remain the same."

Van Loon includes history's prominent personalities in his story. For instance, he compares the powerful effect of Cleopatra's beauty and charm to that of "half a dozen Egyptian army corps." He follows Hannibal and his soldiers, horsemen, and elephants across the Pyrenees Mountains. He details the reigns of kings and queens and the rise and fall of such leaders as Charlemagne, Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Bismarck...