Three years after the political novice Volodymyr Zelensky was elected to Ukraine’s highest office, he found himself catapulted into the role of war-time leader. The former comedian has become the public face of his country’s courageous and bloody struggle against a brutal invasion. Zelensky’s extraordinary leadership in the face of Russia’s aggression is an inspiration to everyone who stands opposed to the appalling violence unleashed on Ukraine.
This book – the first biography of Zelensky published in English – tells his astonishing story. It has been revised and updated for this new paperback edition.
Also available as an audiobook.
By:
Serhii Rudenko
Translated by:
Michael M. Naydan,
Alla Perminova
Imprint: Polity Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 196mm,
Width: 127mm,
Spine: 23mm
Weight: 318g
ISBN: 9781509560677
ISBN 10: 150956067X
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 07 November 2023
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Abbreviations Preface: Zelensky’s Political Oscar 1 Ten Assassination Attempts on President Zelensky 2 The Campaign for President 3 “Let It Be the Stadium Then!” 4 Zelensky and Forty-two Million Presidents 5 Devirtualization of Servant of the People 6 A Mad Printer for the President 7 Trump’s Impeachment 8 Vice-President Bohdan 9 The Cosmic Year of 1978 10 The Irreplaceable Yuliya Mendel 11 Look into the Eyes of Putin and … 12 The Amateur on an Electric Scooter 13 A Little Bell for Maslyakov 14 Godfather Rodnyansky 15 A Scandal in Jurmala 16 The Family of Kvartal 95 17 The Kadyrov Ordeal 18 Ebony Rods 19 Zelensky's Double 20 Zelensky’s Ceremonial General 21 Zelensky’s Shefir Brothers 22 Kolomoisky’s Knife 23 Poroshenko on His Knees 24 The Zelensky Collective 25 Zelensky’s Idol Syvokho 26 The Polygraph for “Servants of the People” 27 Who Turned Zelensky into an Addict? 28 Zelensky under Yermak 29 Zelensky’s Dream Team 30 Zelensky’s Architect 31 The Magic Number 95 32 He Who Burdened Zelensky with the Presidency 33 A Gagarin for Zelensky 34 A Black Mirror for a Hero 35 Zvirobiy, Fedyna, and a Victim 36 Wagnergate: A Story with Many Unknowns 37 How the Oligarch Akhmetov Prepared a Coup for Zelensky 38 The Bucha Massacre Epilogue: The President of War Chronology
Serhii Rudenko is a Ukrainian journalist and political commentator who has published several books on Ukrainian politicians.
Reviews for Zelensky: A Biography
""War is a rupture—in a country's life and a leader's. Amid the calamity, Ukrainians have proven lucky in theirs. As Mr Rudenko writes at the close, the man who was 'visibly nervous' in his early bouts of diplomacy, the ingénue and clown, now has an experience of statecraft that no modern Western leader can match, nor would wish to."" The Economist ""From voice of Paddington to global giant... the man behind the wartime façade"" The Observer ""The first English-language biography of Zelensky reveals what Ukrainians really think of him"" The Telegraph ""Serhii Rudenko's biography is a portrait of a wartime hero whose troubled past may return to haunt him... [It is] an extraordinary life story, which is still being written. Reading this biography now, in the wake of a war that upended our understanding of both Zelensky and Ukraine, presents his personal history in a new light."" Lyse Doucet, The New Statesman ""Fascinating"" The Guardian ""A fast-paced biography of an unexpected world leader... the author capably shows how Zelensky has displayed an astonishing transformation in the face of continued Russian aggression."" Kirkus ""Rudenko has written a succinct political biography that plunges readers right into the middle of the Ukrainian political scene"" Prospect Magazine ""... important and detailed...: Zelensky is easily the equal of the most impressive wartime leaders the West has ever had."" Owen Matthews, The Spectator
