Burke's idea is that history is not formed by single cataclysms of genius, war, or special occurences. Rather, it develops as long tangled relationships of small simple developments combine to yield unpredicted results.

This book is a rambling traipse around and through and back around history, mostly Western European. We start with some state or situation, and then follow some sequence of comparatively small steps, and find at the end a major shift in the course of the world. Burke leaps from era to era and from technology to ideas with little concern for linearity.

Actually, this is little more than a gimmick to expose a lot of history to an otherwise uninterested and unprepared audience. But it's fun enough, and Burke's style is informative, unpretentious, and full of wonder. I suspect many people would like it a great deal.