Great Britain was once a Roman outpost. This was a strong "European Union". However, Rome ended up parting ways. Later it was the church union. The Catholic church played a similar role of Brussels today. England also took a similar exit. Today England continues to have close ties to other parts of the world. Other English speaking countries or Chine may feel closer. The former British empire continues to have strong ties.
The book goes into prehistoric and historic analysis of Britain's place in the world. There is interesting genetic analysis and reanalysis. History will often change based on the time it is written. We have stories like that of King Author that seem to have only appeared long after the events took place. This makes it difficult to separate fact from fiction. There were also the many viking raids. Were these exaggerated (much as terrorist attacks would be exaggerated today?) or did they play the large role we see? It is always easier to raid than it is to govern the territory. Despite large empires, Britain maintains an independent streak.
What is the west? And why does it dominate now? There are a number of different theories. Some say it is pure luck. Others say the geography or cultural institutions were critical. Ian Morris tries to respect all theories and provide a comprehensive analysis. He goes back as far as we can go historically to look at development and formation of societies. Different areas have dominated at times in history. Empires have grown and fallen, often by overextending or failing to respect non-standard rivals.
War! What is it Good For. Absolutely something. Ian Morris postulate that war is good for a whole lot. Productive war helps to reduce violence in society. Instead of individual violence, war helps focus efforts and makes the world less dangerous. As armies get greater power, there is a reluctance to use the power, thus a greater peace. The odds of dying a violent death have been steadily decreasing over time, even if you include the odds of dying in war. Having a global superpower helps to reduce the odds of smaller scale skirmishes. The US is a super power now. The author believes technology will be the new global cop. But will the US reign of power last until then?