This book celebrates the heroic defense of the people of Ukraine against Russian aggression. The first part of the book is an epic poem in the style of the Iliad or the Odyssey, that covers the early stages of the war, the battle for Kyiv and the defense of Mariupol. It has been long since humanity has seen a conflict in which the heroism and willingness to stand against immense odds deserves an epic like the epics of old. The second portion of the book analyzes the motives behind the Russian invasion, and lays bare how little claim Russia has to Ukraine. This section also covers Russian war crimes for the last hundred years, with detailed and authentic photographs, showing how what Russia does in Ukraine today is only what it has done in nation after nation for the last hundred years. The author of this work has family in Ukraine, who live in Kherson oblast, and who are, as of when this is written, trapped behind Russian lines. It is for his family, and for all the people of Ukraine who have suffered so needlessly under Russian aggression, that the author has created this work. ____________________________________________________ NOTES ON DOWNLOADING AND VIEWING THIS BOOK: 1) Two downloads are available, a large download for whose who appreciate visual quality, and a VERY much smaller download that is easy to download and store. The smaller download is recommended as most convenient. 2) The book is best viewed on a computer, or on a tablet with a sufficiently large screen. Chrome or FireFox are browsers that perfectly display the book. Dedicated pdf viewers will, of course, work perfectly.