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.
Born to Jewish parents in central Ukraine, Zelensky campaigned for the presidency in the 2019 election on the promise to restore trust in politics. After his landslide victory, he told jubilant supporters 'I will never let you down.' Little did he know that he would be called upon to serve his people in the most demanding circumstances imaginable, fighting for the very survival of his country in the worst war on European soil since 1945.
Zelensky's leadership in the face of Russia's aggression is an inspiration to everyone who stands opposed to the appalling violence being unleashed on Ukraine.
This book tells his astonishing story.
By:
Serhii Rudenko
Translated by:
Michael M. Naydan,
Alla Perminova
Imprint: Polity Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 218mm,
Width: 145mm,
Spine: 23mm
Weight: 408g
ISBN: 9781509556380
ISBN 10: 1509556389
Pages: 200
Publication Date: 14 July 2022
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
"Abbreviations vii Preface: Zelensky's Political Oscar xi 1 Ten Assassination Attempts on President Zelensky 1 2 The Campaign for President 4 3 ""Let It Be the Stadium Then!"" 9 4 Zelensky and Forty-Two Million Presidents 13 5 Devirtualization of Servant of the People 17 6 A Mad Printer for the President 21 7 Trump's Impeachment 25 8 Vice-President Bohdan 29 9 The Cosmic Year of 1978 37 10 The Irreplaceable Yuliya Mendel 42 11 Look into the Eyes of Putin and … 46 12 The Amateur on an Electric Scooter 54 13 A Little Bell for Maslyakov 58 14 Godfather Rodnyansky 66 15 A Scandal in Jurmala 70 16 The Family of Kvartal 95 74 17 The Kadyrov Ordeal 79 18 Ebony Rods 83 19 Zelensky's Double 87 20 Zelensky's Ceremonial General 94 21 Zelensky's Shenr Brothers 99 22 Kolomoisky's Knife 104 23 Poroshenko on His Knees 112 24 The Zelensky Collective 124 25 Zelensky's Idol Syvokho 129 26 The Polygraph for ""Servants of the People"" 133 27 Who Turned Zelensky into an Addict? 137 28 Zelensky under Yermak 142 29 Zelensky's Dream Team 152 30 Zelensky's Architect 159 31 The Magic Number 95 166 32 He Who Burdened Zelensky with the Presidency 170 33 A Gagarin for Zelensky 175 34 A Black Mirror for a Hero 178 35 Zvirobiy, Fedyna, and a Victim 182 36 Wagnergate: A Story with Many Unknowns 186 37 How the Oligarch Akhmetov Prepared a Coup for Zelensky 190 38 The Bucha Massacre 193 Epilogue: The President of War 200 Chronology 203"
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 ingenue 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 facade 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
