A Brief History of a Long War

 

A Brief History of a Long War / Mariam Naiem
illus. by Yulia Vus & Ivan Kypibida
trans. from the Ukrainian by Nata Hrytsenko
New York : Ten Speed Graphic, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, ©2026
105 p.

This is a short graphic novel that aims to give an overview of how long Ukraine has been resisting Russian aggression, for those who don't know Ukrainian history. Hint: this book starts in the Middle Ages and moves up to 2022 and the start of the most recent Russian attacks on the country. 

Written by an award-winning journalist, scholar and activist, it covers a variety of flashpoints in Ukrainian history. The illustrations are all done in tones of black/grey, white and orange, which reflects the role of the colour orange in freedom movements that the reader will learn about -- it also reflects the nighttime fire and destruction wrought by war.  

For those new to Ukrainian history, this will be a good introduction to the fact that Russia has been oppressing and attacking the country for a very long time. Moving from the middle ages and the rise of the Cossacks, to 19th C. Imperial decrees banning the Ukrainian language in a linguicide, then to the 30s and the Stalin-led Holodomor (death by famine), and continuing into the present invasion, this book will give a sense of Ukraine and all it has stood against for centuries. 

There is a bibliography, noting some of the writing that Naiem consulted for this book, including a couple of very respected Ukrainian historians - and one Ukrainian-Canadian one, too. This provides good resources for readers who are interested enough to read further and find out more about any of the things she shares in this graphic novel. 

I found that the text and imagery in this book worked well together; it was memorable and covered all the information without sounding like a dry list or textbook. There is a focus on the experiences of people during these events and what current wartime is like. Really solid intro, not too overwhelming. 

A short interview with the author, about creating this book, can be found at DTF Magazine.