The book of Judges ends with these words: "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." First Samuel, which continues on the record of Israel's history, is about the establishment of the kingship in Israel. It begins with the life of Samuel, who would not become a king, but would become God's emissary to anoint Israel's first king, Saul, and second king, David.
It is interesting that only the birth of Samuel is recounted, not those of Saul and David, especially since the companion volumes of 1 and 2 Samuel are primarily about the life and reign of these two kings. Samuel was God's spokemen to guide the kingship until his death in chapter 25.
Chapters 1-7 is about Samuel's early life. We also read about the havoc God brought upon the Philistines when they invaded Israel and stole the ark of God. Samuel emerged as judge, leading Israel to repentance and deliverance from their Philistine neighbors.
In chapters 8-15, Israel has rejected God as their sovereign and chooses instead to have a human king. They want to be like the other nations. God instructs Samuel to anoint Saul as king and warns the people what will happen when Saul ceases to rule for God and begins to rule for himself, which he will certainly do.
Chapters 16-31 focus on David, who is anointed king by Samuel some 15 years before he will actually begin to reign. David lives and serves in Saul's household and must run for his life as Saul's jealousy and paranoid fear continue to grow. First Samuel closes with the death of Saul and all his sons in battle with the Philistines.
