fɹʌm bˌiːɪŋ kɹiːˈeɪɾᵻd ˌoʊvɚ mˈɛni dˈɛkeɪdz, ɪt fˈɑːloʊz ɐ nˌɑːnlˈɪnɪɹ nˈæɹətˌɪv, ænd ɪn ɹˈiːsənt ᵻdˈɪʃənz fˈɪlɪps hɐz ɹᵻɹˈɪʔn̩ pˈeɪdʒᵻz tʊ ɪŋklˈuːd ɹˈɛfɹənsᵻz tə mˈɑːdɚn hˈɪstɚɹi ðæt ɪn pˈɑːɹt ɐpˈɪɹ təbi ˌænɐkɹənˈɪstɪk.
From being created over many decades, it follows a nonlinear narrative, and in recent editions Phillips has rewritten pages to include references to modern history that in part appear to be anachronistic.