Ukrayins′ka Het′mans′ka derzhava za roky svoho isnuvannya mala 17 het′maniv. Usi vony buly nosiyamy ideyi nezalezhnoyi samostiynoyi Ukrayins′koyi derzhavy. Vtilennyu tsiyeyi ideyi v zhyttya vony prysvyatyly vse svoye zhyttya, postavyvshy za metu vyboroty zvil′nennya ukrayins′koho narodu vid panuvannya chuzhyntsiv. Diyaty tsym het′manam dovelosya v nayskladnishych, naytyazhchych, inodi naytrahichnishych dlya Ukrayiny istorychnych umovach. Dmytro Vyshnevets′kyy prahnuv zvil′nyty pivdenni ukrayins′ki stepy vid panuvannya chans′kych ord, znyschyty turets′ki fortetsi v po­nyzzyach Dnipra, a zhodom i ovolodity CHornomors′kym uzberezhzhyam. Petro Sahaydachnyy, Bohdan CHmel′nyts′kyy, Ivan Mazepa nalezha­ly do tych postatey, chyyimy imenamy nazyvayut′ epochy. Okremi narysy v knyzhtsi prysvyacheni Ivanu Vyhovs′komu, Petru Doroshenku, Pylypu Orlyku — vydatnym derzhavnym y politychnym diyacham, talanovytym dyplomatam. U knyzhtsi nadayet′sya pravdyvyy i ob’yektyvnyy zhyttyepys tsych, a takozh inshych nayvyschych viys′kovych kerivnykiv ukrayins′koho kozatstva.